Portion distortion: A study of college students

This study compared designated serving size to actual consumption (portion size). Forty-two college students estimated portion size and serving size of cereal, candy, and punch. Most (81%) refer to package labels, and over a third of women identified serving size as "of major interest." Only one-third accurately estimated the serving size of cereal within 10% of the correct amount. The stated serving size of cereal and punch was less than half of the portion size. Increasing serving sizes to more closely correspond to portion sizes would benefit consumers by providing information more likely to represent the nutritional quantities commonly consumed.