by Howard Farkas

Created on: February 25, 2009

Inflated food portions is a major cause of the rise in obesity over the past 20 years. I believe there are a number of factors that have combined to distort our view of what a normal, healthy, and sufficient amount of food should look like.

In my opinion, the greatest contribution to portion distortion comes from the trend in casual dining restaurant chains to serve meals that are big enough to feed four people. (Perhaps that's why they are also called family-style restaurants!)

It's easy to see how an "arms race" of portion sizes can escalate when there are so many restaurants competing for a share of the market. If, say, Chili's decides to hold the line on portions while TGI Friday is offering a boatload of food in the same price range, where is the consumer likely to go?

For their part, consumers get used to seeing certain portion sizes served to them, and even if the portions are larger than what
they're accustomed to, the portions they put on their plates at home can become ever larger, yet still look small in comparison to those of the restaurants.

In addition, people tend to view more quantity as better value regardless of whether they need the extra food. It is a common belief in this country, and a major cause of the rising rate of obesity.

The absurdity of this idea becomes apparent when you apply it to buying clothes. Would you ever buy a suit or a dress that's several sizes too big because it's the same price as the one that fits you? After all, look at all that extra material you're getting!

It's no different when you eat portions that are several times the size of what you need to feel comfortably satisfied. Beyond that point, any pleasure you get from the food is increasingly offset by the discomfort from overeating.

We're also trained to think that leaving food on our plate is wasting it. But when you eat more than you need for hunger, nutrition, or desire, the food goes to waste just as surely as if you threw it in the garbage disposal. The difference is, when you use your digestive system as a garbage disposal, the excess calories are converted to excess fat. That's a poor value at any price.

People need to reeducate themselves about what a normal portion size should look like. Dietitians often teach their clients the "plate method" of estimating portions. The idea is to imagine a plate divided into three sections, like a picnic plate. One section is about half of the plate and the other two are about a quarter each. Typically, people tend to put the meat course in the large section, leading them to eat quite a bit more than is recommended. Instead, that section should be for the vegetables or salad, while the other two are for the starch and the meat.

Eating more sensible food portions requires an awareness of your own requirements. That means knowing how much food it takes to satisfy your hunger and your desire. You can only discover what that is by being more mindful of how you feel as you eat smaller amounts. But you can safely bet that it's less than you think.

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