Researchers in the U.K. published a study on Tuesday, claiming that reducing the amount of food served in commercial establishments and homes could help obese people lose weight. The research cited the common practice of many people, who eat everything on the plate for fear of wasting the food.

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The University of Cambridge research was recently published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.The research showed that most people tend to overeat if bigger food portions are served.

The researchers stated that commercial food servings - at least in Great Britain - have nearly doubled in the past two decades, basing their data on a British Heart Foundation report.

Almost 70 percent of British adults are overweight and many are facing the prospect having future health problems such as diabetes, heart ailments or cancer.

More than 6,000 people volunteered for the study. The data collected seems to indicate that serving smaller portions could eliminate almost 300 calories daily.

Cambridge University spokesperson Doctor Ian Shemilt said the data is a convincing proof that the root cause of obesity is the increased consumption of food due to the larger portions offered by restaurants and fast food outlets.

Gareth Hollands, one of the Cambridge researchers, said that this knowledge may be obvious to many people, but their study has provided a more detailed picture of the situation. Simply blaming overweight people for lacking the will to stop overeating is not the solution. Food advertisements and ways that food establishments employ to convince people to eat more also plays a crucial role.

Shemilt encourages people to eat in smaller portions and convince food establishments to include small servings in their menu. The study also stressed the need to reduce the consumption of food and drinks with high fat and sugar contents. It suggested that the use of smaller plates and glasses can help people eat less.

National Obesity Forum spokesperson Tam Fry said it is already the standard practice for many restaurants and fast food joints to offer their large food portions. The spokesperson added that it is still the choice of the individual to reduce his or her food intake regardless of the amount of food portion served.

TagsObesity problem, overeating, overweight, smaller food portions, reduced calorie intake, cambridge obesity study, British Heart Foundation, cochrane database of systematic review, UK obesity problem