Reliability and validity of food portion size estimation from images using manual flexible digital virtual meshes

Abstract

The wire mesh procedure is an important step forward in quantifying portion size, which has been subject to substantial self-report error. Improved training procedures are needed to overcome the identified problems.

A Systematic Review of Sensor-Based Methodologies for Food Portion Size Estimation

“…One research group used a wearable sensor and reported an average error rate of -2.8 ± 20 % in the volume estimation of 50 samples of Western/Asian foods [59]. The authors in [60], [61] discussed the validity of the wireframe procedure using a wearable camera. However, wireframes can be erroneous for irregular shaped food and might be tedious due to necessary manual inputs.…”

Advances and Controversies in Diet and Physical Activity Measurement in Youth

“…46 Against manipulated food portion sizes, two dietitians using this three-dimensional wire mesh procedure attained intraclass correlation validity coefficients of 0.766 for volume served, 0.596 for volume left after intake and 0.677 for intake volume, but the engineers who helped create the wire mesh system did substantially better. 47 Two dietitians attained intraclass correlations of 0.65 with child/parent reported portion size estimation after seeing the images. 53 Thus, validity coefficients were better under laboratory circumstances, when fewer foods were involved; dietitians did not do as well as the engineers who helped create the system (suggesting additional training was necessary to enhance competence); and validity coefficients were not as high as might be desired for immediate use as an off-the-shelf system.…”

“…Recent enhancements to the eButton include (1) automatic identification of dining plates of a known size, 42 thereby providing a basis for food portion size assessment 43,44 ; (2) refined food shape and volume estimation with global contours 45 ; and (3) improved estimation of volume of portions of different foods in the images guided by lines of the manually administered three-dimensional digital wire mesh. 46,47…”

Man or machine? Will the digital transition be able to automatize dietary intake data collection?

“…The reliability and validity of the eButton are studied in the paper by Beltran et al . ( 14 ) , which examines the use of a digital screen-based wire mesh procedure to determine food amounts. The eButton wire mesh is a method that attempts to solve the issue of estimation of portion sizes.…”