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More is not better......
  We have developed the more is better mentality in this country especially when it comes to food portions. Just
look at these statistics from 30 years ago. 1970 | Calories | 2008 | Calories
| 2 slices of pizza | 500 | 2 slices of pizza | 850 | 1 cup of coffee, 8 ounces | 45 | 1 Grande Cafe Mocha,16 ounces | 330 | Med popcorn | 270 | Tub | 630 | Bagel, 3 inch diameter | 140 | Bagel, 5-6 inch diameter | 350 | Cheese burger, | 333 | Cheese burger | 590 | Soda, 8 ounce bottle | 97 | Soda, 20 ounce bottle | 242 |
Adapted from National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Don’t
think those extra 350 calories in pizza matter? Remember it takes 3,500 additional calories to gain 1 pound of body weight.
Let’s say we went back in time gave the average person in 1970 the 2008 version of the food items found on this table.
The person in 1970 would be digesting a whopping 1,607 additional daily calories! That would be a 3.2 lb increase in
just 7 days! Of course there are no time machines, but I think you get the point.
Along with the portion
sizes our serving utensils have gotten bigger as well. In the 1990’s the standard dinner plate increased from
10 to 12 inches. In a study published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine, investigators found that when people were
given larger than normal bowls and spoons they actually served themselves larger portions and finished the portions as well.
The more is better principal is also being applied to how we view the pricing of food as well. A 32 ounce Big
Gulp is 99 cents and 388 calories. For only 20 cents more you can get the Double Big Gulp for 64 ounces at $1.19. That’s
double the amount calories for only 20 cents. People are getting exactly what they are paying for: more fat around their Big
Gulps! Learn how to master portion control at every meal and never gain weight, in my up and coming e-book
At Last Weight Loss!
"Success is a journey, not a destination." -Ben Sweetland
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