Swelling Servings

Waistlines and portions are expanding across America. An emphasis on getting more food for SWELLING SERVINGS less money has caused restaurant and fast-food portions to grow over the last few decades. But the problem's not limited to out-of-home portions. Grocery store, vending machine, and snack-size offerings have The Growth of American Food Portions been increasing steadily as well. We take a closer look at how portions have grown and how we can regain control. CONSPIRING TO FEED US MORE As portions grow, so do American waistlines. A number of forces are conspiring to make us eat more. Packaged food companies are making portions larger, plates are getting bigger, and we're so surrounded by growing sizes that we don't know how much we really need to eat. WHY IS EATING MORE A PROBLEM? OBESITY PREVALENCE IN AMERICAN POPULATION BECAUSE OBESITY IS GROWING OVER TIME 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 0% 2005- 2006 1960- 1971- 1974 1976- 1988- 1999- 2001- 2002 2003- 1962 1980 1994 2000 2004 THE EVER-EXPANDING PLATE On average, portion sizes have gotten a lot larger over the last few decades according to a study by the American Medical Association. The worst offenders are packaged foods like salty snacks, fruit drinks, and soft drinks. Manufacturers of these packaged goods among the top conspirators making us fat. 19.9 oz 1.6oz 15.1 oz 1977 1996 11.3oz 131oz loz FRUIT DRINKS 34% 52% 60% SOFT DRINKS SALTY SNACKS CHANGE IN OUNCES CHANGE IN OUNCES CHANGE IN OUNCES PORTION SIZE AND HOW MUCH WE CONSUME So do bigger portions really make us eat more? Absolutely. Short-term studies show subjects consumed 30 percent more food when given a larger portion. 500g 335g PORTION CONSUMED %D 1,000g 434g PORTION CONSUMÈD BUT, EATING THE BIGGER PORTION MAKES YOU FEEL AND IF YOU ORDER THE LARGER PORTION REGULARLY WITH BIGGER PORTIONS, YOU EAT 8.3 POUNDS AFTER ONE YEAR YOU'D BE 30% MORE. 0% FULLER. FATTER. WHAT'S A SERVING? GAIN CONTROL THE EASY WAY Overinflated portion sizes can make it difficult to understand how much we're really meant to eat. The following are the USDA's recommended serving sizes. There are subtle ways we can train ourselves to eat smaller portions. Making smarter decisions about portion size and eating habits can greatly impact a person's weight and overall health. EATING OUT 1 MEAT SERVING Split an entree with a friend or box up half the 1 DECK OF CARDS 3 OUNCES OF MEAT, FISH, OR POULTRY meal in a to-go container when it arrives. EATING IN 8888 1 VEGETABLE SERVING Serve food on individual plates instead of 1 BAKED POTATO 1 TENNIS BALL having serving dishes at the center of the table. LIMIT YOUR ACCESS 1 DAIRY SERVING Keep healthier foods in easy-to-access places, 12 OUNCES OF CHEESE A 9-VOLT BATTERY and keep especially tempting foods out of sight. SOURCES: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION, INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN BY COLUMN FIVE NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF MASSIVE P HEALTH AGRICULTURE, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, MAYO CLINIC of II