Narrator: This is Science Today. Health care professionals, concerned about the rapid rise of obesity in children, are looking into portion size and its link to weight gain. Nutrition specialist, Lucia Kaiser, of the University of California, Davis says there is some data indicating that serving larger portions of food to kids will make them eat more and have a higher body weight.
Kaiser: The good news though, is that young children still have the ability to eat just what they need, energy-wise, if they're provided a good variety of nutritious foods.
Narrator: But studies also show that fast food restaurants today are serving much greater portions. So how can parents reverse or slow down overeating at home and outside?
Kaiser: If there is some concern about a child's weight, this should be discussed with the pediatrician and with a nutritionist for a careful guidance that would involve a family approach in changing the family-style of eating, so that it isn't singling a child out and restricting food.
Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.