Appropriate Sizes and Shapes of Plates to Improve Loss of Appetite in Inpatients

Abstract

To clarify the appropriate sizes and shapes of plates on which to serve hospital meals to patients with loss of appetite, this study compared impressions of a hamburger steak, such as portion (hamburger steak) size perception and visual palatability of food, when served on “round plates-rimless”, “round plates-rimmed”, “square plates-rimless”, and “square plates-rimmed” of differing sizes. With a ratio of the hamburger steak diameter to plate diameter or side of 0.45-0.55 as the boundary, the hamburger steak looked smaller on larger plates and larger on smaller plates due to the Delboeuf illusion. On evaluation plates of the same size, the hamburger steak looked slightly smaller on rimless or round plates than on rimmed or square plates. “Round plates-rimless” with a diameter ratio of 0.50 or 0.55, “round plates-rimmed” with a diameter ratio of 0.40 or 0.45, and “square plates-rimmed” with a diameter ratio of 0.45 achieved generally high scores for the 4 subscales of portion size, ease of eating, balance, and palatability. These plates were suggested to be appropriate to improve loss of appetite in inpatients.