It is every dieter’s nightmare: hopping on to the scales after weeks of forgoing steak for salad, only to find they haven’t lost an ounce. Now researchers at the University of Bristol claim to have found a simple explanation for this phenomenon: when people choose lower-calorie dishes, they just compensate by eating bigger portions. These findings are sure to come as a blow to the diet industry, which makes millions selling low-calorie foods, but should make cheering reading for any dieters sworn off their favourite fatty foods. The study also showed that when faced with foods they liked, participants did not pick bigger portions of them than of any other food. ‘A person’s perception of how full a meal will make them feel will no doubt affect portion size,’ said Lisa Miles, a nutritionist at the British Nutrition Foundation. ‘It’s so important to be aware of behavioural triggers for over-eating.’ The researchers, who studied the responses of 76 people to 18 different foods, found that people quickly learnt if food offered fewer calories per serving and upped their portion size to compensate. ‘We know from experimental studies that eating large portions does not necessarily mean that you […]