Call it the supersizing of Americans. As portions have grown larger over the past 40 years, so have people in the USA, says Lisa Young, a nutrition researcher at New York University who has studied the trend she calls "portion creep." Studies show that the more food put in front of people, the more they eat. And since the 1960s, the serving sizes of foods sold in stores and restaurants — from candy bars to burgers and sodas — have become much bigger, Young says. This means that when given a cookie the size of a Frisbee or a bagel as big as a flotation device, people ramp up their calorie intake. "Americans have grown proportionally to increased portion sizes," Young says.
About 65% of Americans are overweight or obese today, compared with 47% in the early 1970s and 45% in the early 1960s. Some of Young's examples of the perils of portion size:
• One cup of pasta has almost 200 calories, which used to be a typical restaurant serving. Now some restaurants serve three cups of pasta for an entree, racking up nearly 600 calories without sauce, she says.
• Bagels used to be 2 to 3 ounces, or about 200 calories. Today they're 5 to 6 ounces, which is more than 400 calories, depending on the type. "People have no idea that a 5-ounce bagel is equal to five pieces of bread or 15 cups of popcorn," Young says. For people who consume about 1,600 calories a day, a 5-ounce bagel would be the five servings of breads/grains that they should eat for the entire day, she says.
Rather than cutting carbs, fats or proteins, Young says Americans should "smartsize" their portions. She recommends using visual images to become aware of how much you're eating. For instance, a 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of your palm or a deck of cards. Young says that once you get into the habit of monitoring your portions, it becomes second nature. "Don't buy into the (idea) that what the restaurant is serving you is an appropriate amount of food to eat," Young says. It's possible that you're getting three to four servings of meat at one meal, she adds.
But there is no need to go hungry. You can increase the portions of some food, such as produce. You can eat lots of broccoli, green beans, deep-green lettuce, peppers, carrots, apple slices and strawberries without eating too many calories. Most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables to meet the dietary guidelines.—USA Today
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