Abstract
This study examined the impact of an intervention designed to teach young adults appropriate portion sizes for savory/sweet snack foods using hand gestures, such as handfuls, as portion size estimation aids. Results indicate that participants who received the intervention, relative to those who did not, became much more accurate in their ability to estimate portion sizes; these positive effects were still present several months after the intervention. Hand gestures may be useful aids for young adults to gauge portion sizes of high-energy-dense snack food because they provide a reference point for an appropriate amount, require no tools, and are easy to remember.