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| Out of Control Portion Sizes Contribute to Obesity Although many people may not be aware of it, there is a difference between ‘portion’ size and ‘serving’ size in relation to food. These terms can be somewhat confusing, but they are not synonymous.Basically, a portion is whatever you choose to make it. It can be thought of as any amount of a specific food you as an individual choose to eat at a sitting. For instance, a portion of raw almonds for me is typically a handful, or more. For someone else it may be a specific number such as 10 to 15. Both are equally ‘portions.’ A serving is not quite so arbitrary. It is a specific unit of measure recommended by the manufacturer for a specific food product. Serving sizes are listed on the ‘Nutrition Facts’ label of packaged foods. A usual serving size of bread would be 1 slice; for rice it may be ½ cup. The serving size for the 1 pint container of Breyer’s All-Natural Ice Cream is ½ cup. That container has 4 servings. If I choose to eat the entire container in one sitting it would be a portion. That portion consists of 4 servings. Serving sizes have increased tremendously in the past 50 years. This has triggered an almost parallel increase in portion sizes. The average size of a cooked hamburger in 1957 was 1 ounce. That increased to 6 ounces in 1997. In 1957 1 large soda was 8 fluid ounces; in 1997 the consumer could buy up to 64 ounces! Theater popcorn in 1957 was 3 cups; in 1997 that increased to 16 cups!  McDonald’s fast food chains had one size french fries in the mid-1950s. Today that size is a 'small' and is part of a kiddie meal. The following table contains typical foods comparing their sizes circa 1950 with 2003:Food 1950s 2003 french fries 2.4 oz. up to 7.1 oz. fountain soda 7 oz. 12 to 64 oz. hamburger patty 1.6 oz. up to 8 oz. hamburger, sandwich 3.9 oz. 4.4 to 12.6 oz. muffin 3 oz. 6.5 oz. pasta serving 1.5 cups 3 cups chocolate bar 1 oz. 2.6 to 8 oz. (Source: http://www.mealsmatter.org/EatingForHealth/Topics .) Of course we know that the large increase in portions has contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of overweight and obese Americans. They have become victims of ‘portion distortion.’ Reduce your food portion, increase your metabolism, fight obesity for effective weight loss. |
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