Serving food on smaller plates won't aid weight loss as people identify portion sizes

While what we eat is a crucial part of maintaining overall well being, a number of people focus on how much they eat for weight loss. Although there are several ways people resort to in order to trick themselves into eating less, are these measures really that effective?

A widely practiced way to cut down on food intake is by using a smaller plate hoping to feel satisfied with a small serving size which appears adequate. But scientists have busted the myth revealing that people who are hungry will always identify portion sizes no matter how food is presented.

The notion is based on the Delbouef illusion which states that portions served on small plates appear larger to people. The illusion is based on an observation that a dot surrounded by a large ring seems smaller as compared to the same dot in the middle of a smaller ring.

But the study shows that when people are hungry or trying to cut back on their diet the portion looks similar to them irrespective of the way they are served.