Portion Distortion: Serving Sizes Are Growing
Portions
today are far bigger than in the past, which often means we're taking in far
more calories than we realize
Larger plates, cup holders, muffin tins and pizza pans are
becoming the norm. Fast food restaurants feature super sized meals for just
a few cents more. Portion sizes of virtually all foods and beverages have increased
and now appear typical.
A single meal may contain a day's worth of calories
Several studies published in 2003 document increases in
portion sizes for many popular foods. This amounts to an additional 50-150 calories
per meal.
So what's the big deal, you might ask. What's the harm of
eating a few extra calories here and there? The answer is simple: An extra 10
calories per day could add up to a pound of weight gain per year.
So, if you're consuming an extra 100 calories from soft
drinks and snacks every day, you could pack on an extra 10 pounds of weight
in a year.
Consider this
A small, two and a half ounce serving of french fries has
210 calories, compared to a whopping 610 calories in the seven-ounce size. While
a 12-ounce fountain soft drink contributes a relatively modest 150 calories
to a meal, a mega size 42-ounce cup contributes 410 calories.
If you drink that huge soft drink and eat a giant hamburger
with an extra large fries that contains as many as 1,000 calories - that would
total about 2,000 calories in one sitting - more than many people need to eat
in a single day!
Most marketplace portions are at least two times, and sometimes
as much as eight times, greater than standard recommended serving sizes based
on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid or on food label standards established by the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign,
showed that when people buy large size bags of just about anything, they tend
to eat more at one sitting, which can increase what they eat by up to 43 percent.
The following table shows just how much more people consume
in a serving today compared to people in the 50s:
Serving Sizes Then and Now
| Food or beverage |
 |
1950s |
|
Expanded 2003 portion
|
| French fries |
|
2.4 ounces |
|
up to 7.1 ounces |
| Fountain soda |
|
7.0 ounces |
|
12 to 64 ounces |
| Hamburger patty |
|
1.6 ounces |
|
up to 8.0 ounces |
| Hamburger sandwich |
|
3.9 ounces |
|
4.4 to 12.6 ounces |
| Muffin |
|
3.0 ounces |
|
6.5 ounces |
| Pasta serving |
|
1.5 cups |
|
3.0 cups |
| Chocolate bar |
|
1 ounce |
|
2.6 to 8 ounces |
Researchers have found that people tend to eat most or all
of what they are served, rather than taking leftovers home in a doggie bag.
Even at home, where we have control over how much we put
on our plate, we are eating larger portions. Perhaps because we've grown accustomed
to the large portions served in restaurants and our perception of a serving
size has changed.
A serious national health problem
More than 120 million Americans are either overweight or
obese. The additional pounds Americans are piling on have had a devastating
impact on our national health. Expanding portion sizes could contribute to this
problem. So, cutting back on portion sizes in restaurants and at home is one
way to lose weight or help prevent weight gain.
What you can do to manage your plate!
-
Not sure what a portion size should be? Make sense
of portion sizes by relating
portions to common household objects.
-
Learn to read food labels. Pay attention
to the number of servings contained in the package, then note the
calorie and fat content per serving. If the label on a large muffin,
for example, says two servings: 250 calories and 10 grams of fat per
serving, you will have consumed 500 calories and 20 grams of fat if
you eat the entire muffin!
-
Compare marketplace portions to recommended
serving sizes. If you eat a marketplace portion of something -
say a big bagel, compare its size to what's recommended on the food
pyramid. A standard bagel is two ounces, and counts as two servings
from the bread/cereal/grain food group. A marketplace bagel weighs
nearly six ounces and counts as six servings of grain. A pasta dinner
from your favorite restaurant might add up to six or more servings
of grains as well. If you eat a 12-ounce piece of meat, you're consuming
three ounces more than the recommended daily serving.
-
Repackage supersize bags. Supersize bags
may be more economical, but they can also encourage you to overeat.
If you buy huge bags of chips or pretzels, for example, repackage
the contents into smaller containers.
-
Share a meal. Order a couple of appetizers
and split one main course with another person when you go out for
a meal. Split an order of fries. Order one dessert and some extra
forks. Four people can enjoy a taste or two of a decadent dessert,
without feeling guilty.
-
Eat half or less. If you're not sharing
a meal, eat half of what you're served and take the rest home to enjoy
as another meal.
-
Use a smaller plate. At home, serve your
meals on smaller plates. Your plate will look full, but you'll be
eating less.
-
Skip second helpings. Eat one reasonable
helping and don't go back for seconds. Don't put a big platter of
food on the table. You're more likely to nibble and eat more than
you realize.
-
Slow down! Eat slowly, to allow yourself
time to feel full so you won't be as tempted to heap on a second helping.
If you have a hard time leaving food on your plate - remember
that there are two ways to waste food: You can throw it out or carry it around
as fat cells.
The first mistake was being served too much food. Don't
compound that mistake by eating more than you need.