As an answer to lack of education on what’s the ideal portion of food for each person, weight management experts came up with a new tool for weight loss – Portion-Control Dishes.

Dr. Pedersen’s team conducted a six-month study of commercially available portion control plates and bowls in 2004. The plates were divided into sections that marked appropriate portions for carbohydrates, proteins, cheese and sauce, with the rest left open for vegetables.

“The weight loss that we saw in this study is similar to weight loss seen in studies of medications for weight loss — but without the associated potential for side effects and at a fraction of the cost,” Pedersen told CTV Newsnet from Calgary.

The sections approximately totaled an 800-calorie meal for men and a 650-calorie meal for women. The cereal bowl was designed to allow a 200-calorie meal of cereal and milk.

The diet plate has line markings to delineate proper portion sizes for meats, starches and vegetables. The main aim of this tool is to help obese patients control their calorie consumption to improve weight loss results and to control the blood sugar levels of those with Type 2 diabetes.

via CTV

Tags: diet plate, weight loss, portion size, diabetes, blood sugar