Weight Loss: Portion Control, Out of Control

There is a rising problem in the U.S. today, and this problem is contributing to weight gain of Americans at a fast rate. This problem is the ever growing portion sizes provided in restaurants and stores across America. Research from a study conducted by the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University, shows the larger the portion size on your plate, the more you will eat. Most people do not stop eating when they feel their “full” cue in their stomach. We eat because it’s there. The problem is; portion sizes are growing at an alarming rate. As this rate continues to grow we become immune to it and it just seems like a normal portion leading us to consume more and more calories.

In the 1970′s a 12 ounce soda was a typical size you would get as a fountain drink from a restaurant or quick stop and now it is 20 ounces. Bagels used to weigh 2-3 ounces and now weigh 4-7 ounces. A regular size serving of French fries from McDonalds (you remember…the one that came in the little white paper bag) weighs one third the weight of the largest size now. This becomes so normal to us that when we see the “smaller” servings it looks like a tiny amount of food and surely couldn’t fill us up. This is an even bigger problem for the youth today. This is all they know and when they see what a portion size should look like it will appear very small.

In my office I have fake food samples to show correct portions. Most people laugh and say, “I eat three times that amount!” or “That would never fill me up”. These are, in fact, the portion sizes we should be eating. Once people start to pay attention to their fullness cues they start to realize that these smaller portion sizes along with learning how to balance their meals correctly can fill them up.

When I lived in Santa Barbara, CA my husband and I would occasionally treat ourselves to Cold Stone ice cream. Anyone who lives in Santa Barbara knows that the line at Cold Stone’s is always so long it goes out the front door. I always noticed as I waited in line that the majority of people would come out with these giant waffle cones stuffed with what looks like a pint of ice cream. My husband gets these giant cones and one day I asked him, “Why do you get such a huge ice-cream cone?” He paused and said, “Because it’s there and everyone is walking out with them. It looks good”. He then glanced at my single scoop on my small cone and said, “That looks like a sample”. It was true. My regular sized ice-cream cone now looks like a tiny sample.

Portion sizes of this magnitude are going to lead to alarming rates of weight gain. I estimated the calories in one of the large cones (ice-cream with cone and topping) and it equals around 1,160 calories compared to the single sized cone of 370 calories. My small “sample” size as my husband calls it is still a large amount of calories for a treat. The large cone is almost equivalent to a days worth of calories.

This isn’t a lecture on having treats once in awhile. It is just a friendly reminder to not get too comfortable with these large portion sizes because they will lead you to gain weight at a rapid rate. Enjoy your food but remember an actual portion size is usually much smaller than what you will get in the store or restaurant. If you want to manage your weight successfully, go for the small size or “kids” size even if it looks like a sample.

(c) 2006, Meri Raffetto

Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in weight management and offers online programs to help people reach their weight loss and health goals. For more weight loss tips sign up for her free e-newsletter and get a copy of our free special report to start working towards your weight loss and health goals at http://www.reallivingnutrition.com/newsletter_signup.htm

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