12 January 2010
Childhood obesity reduced using electronic eating plate
Obese adolescents who eat from a digital plate measuring how fast and how much food they eat are more likely to lose weight, researchers have found.
The study looked at the eating behaviour of 106 young people aged between nine and 17 for one year. During this time, half the adolescents were asked to eat their meals from a Mandometer plate and the other half from a normal plate. A Mandometer plate is a digital plate that includes a small set of weighing scales measuring how quickly and how much food you are eating. If there is too much food on your plate or you eat too quickly, an automated recording tells you to slow down. The plate also helps you to stop eating when you are full by asking you to enter a number from a scale of zero to 100 indicating how full you feel.
After 12 months, the researchers found that the adolescents using the plate had reduced their main meal size by about 45g, had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) and less body fat than those who didn't use the plate. They also found that high density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration (a type of fat that helps lower cholesterol in the blood and protect against heart disease) was increased in those using the plate.
After a further six months, the group using the Mandometer plate continued to have a lower BMI and less body fat than the control group. However, their meal sizes did increase slightly, but were still on average 31g less than they were before the study started.
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Dr Annabel Bentley, assistant medical director for Bupa |
This randomised controlled trial suggests that a digital plate may help to change eating behaviour in the short-term - the trial was only for 12 months. But the proof of the pudding will be if the behaviour change can be maintained long term. 
The plate was not used in isolation. A nurse gave advice at regular intervals to help make sure the plate was used correctly, and dietitians provided information about the Food Standards Agency's healthy living plate as a guide for the adolescents to choose their food from. The healthy living plate is made up of a third of fruit and vegetables, a third of starchy foods (such as bread or pasta), some milk or dairy produce, some protein (such as meat or protein-substitutes like soya), and a small amount of fats and sugary foods.
The adolescents using the plate were also encouraged to exercise for 60 minutes a day and given motivational talks with their families.
Before this study, the Mandometer plate was used to help people with eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, and helped about three-quarters of people with these conditions.
Dr Annabel Bentley, assistant medical director for Bupa said: "This randomised controlled trial suggests that a digital plate may help to change eating behaviour in the short-term - the trial was only for 12 months. But the proof of the pudding will be if the behaviour change can be maintained long term."
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The Food Standards Agency has eight tips for eating well.
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This piece of research was funded by the Bupa Foundation in 2004. Dr J Hamilton-Shield from the University of Bristol received a £118,652 grant to carry out this piece of work. The 2006 Bupa Foundation Clinical Excellence award was also given to highlight this pioneering research, which is taking the lead in the fight against childhood obesity. |
Related information
Read the studies
Ford A L, Bergh C, Sodersten P et al. Treatment of childhood obesity by retraining eating behaviour: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2010;340:b5388. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.b5388
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