Portion size is vital for weight control, because the bigger the meal, the more calories you consume. When it comes to weight management, if you don’t burn off all the calories you eat, no matter how healthy the food, you will gain body fat, or find it hard to lose.
How serious is portion distortion? The UK faces an epidemic of overweight and obesity, with half of the adult population overweight and one in five is obese.1 The upward creep in portion sizes has finally been recognised for its part in super-sizing waistlines, regardless of whether people eat out or at home.
According to a recent US study, the average number of calories Americans eat each day has risen from 1,854 to 2,002 during the last 20 years. That increase of 148 calories a day works out about 15 pounds of extra weight each year. When investigating fast food outlets over a twenty-year period, foods such as French fries, salty snacks and soft-drinks were discovered to be between two and five times larger than their original size. For example, the average biscuit style cookie sold in restaurants was 700% larger than recommended serving size.2 People continue to eat everything put in front of them, blissfully unaware that the serving sizes are double or triple what they used to be. These results have alarmed health experts in the UK, where similar trends have been observed.3
What causes portion distortion? There are a few reasons behind the widespread increase in portion sizes. The competitive fast food industry began to offer more food for fewer dollars in a bid to win customers. An upgrade to a larger size could satisfy customers for only a little more money, which is good for business, but not so good for your waistline.
The push to promote low fat foods has also encouraged people to eat without guilt under the belief that anything without fat is healthy. However, many low fat products such as biscuits, muffins and snacks are still high in sugar or processed carbohydrates, and are very high in calories. It’s therefore very important to consider not just to what you eat, but how much.
In addition, people tend to eat what’s put on their plate, even if they know it’s larger than a typical portion. One study showed that when a group was given smaller portions, that’s all they ate. When they were given big portions, they cleaned the plate – without feeling any fuller than when they ate smaller portions. If people are given a free choice to eat as much as they like, for example at a buffet, on average they will eat between 25% and 40% more than if served a meal.4
There are generations who have grown up with big portions, and expect value for money when eating out. Normal portions make you feel cheated, so restaurants try to satisfy their customers with big servings. Food is relatively cheap compared to rent or wages, and it keeps the customers happy. This could help explain why the more often you eat out, the fatter you are likelier to be.
Unless we learn to control the food size on our plates, the health consequences of portion distortion and inactivity will seriously affect our health.
What is a standard portion? Many people are uncertain about what makes up a standard portion for each food group. A serving is the standard size recommended for different foods, while a portion is the actual amount of food you eat. For example, your normal portion of pasta in a bowl could be two or more servings. Nutrition labels offer some guide, but the serving sizes listed may be different from those recommended by health authorities.
To get an accurate picture of what a serving is, it helps to measure and weigh your food for a day to give you perspective on your portion size. Seeing what an accurate serving size looks like in front of you will help to gauge how much you should be eating. While the exact amount of servings can vary depending on your age, gender and activity level, the table opposite gives you a baseline for the minimum number of servings recommended for adults. You can also check the size comparison guide to give you an object to refer to.
Tips to reduce portion size when eating out
Choose small, medium, or entree-sizes for main dishes, side dishes, and beverages. Avoid “extra value�, “super size� or “all you can eat� meals.
Order small glasses of soft-drinks or alcohol, or drink water instead.
If you order an entree or dessert, share it.
Ask for salad dressings to be served on the side so you can add only as much as you want.
Ask for the child’s menu, or half portions. (Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem cost-effective – it’s worth it.)
Avoid feeling you must clean your plate. When you’ve eaten enough, leave the rest, or ask for a doggie bag.
Tips to reduce portion size at home
Store foods in individual portion sizes, rather than in bulk containers. Get to know the typical portions of foods you eat often by measuring them out.
Read nutrition information panels and consider the number of servings in a package. A serving is not necessarily the whole container.
Watch your portion size for foods high in calories, such as cookies, cakes, pastries, sweets, fats, oils, spreads and processed carbohydrates.
Try using a smaller plate for your meal and start with a sensible portion on your plate at the beginning of the meal.
Avoid going back for “seconds� by placing leftovers in the fridge before you sit down to eat.
Eating for fullness Following are some strategies you can undertake to get the maximum fullness from your foods with the least amount of calories.
Slow Down – Eat slowly and savour your food. It takes 10 to 20 minutes for your brain to get signals from your stomach that you are full. By eating slowly, you will eat less. Eat well – Unprocessed foods such as beans, peas, lentils, fruits and vegetables are absorbed slowly, making you feel fuller for longer. When it takes longer for your hunger to return, cravings are reduced, and you tend to eat smaller portions. Basically, you need fewer calories to gain the same feeling of fullness. Drink water – Water can help to suppress your appetite by keeping your stomach full between meals, taking the edge off your hunger. Drinking ice water just before you eat may also cause your stomach to shrink slightly, making you feel fuller sooner. Try psyllium husks – Psyllium is a soluble fibre that forms a gel which is not digested or absorbed, and so increases the thickness or viscosity of your meal. By slowing the movement of food out of the stomach, you can extend the feeling of fullness, delaying the return of hunger. Psyllium is ideal with breakfast cereal, or in soups. Eat less, more often – Research has shown that overeating and consuming large meals can stretch your stomach wall, meaning you need to eat more to feel full. A study demonstrated that obese subjects had a stomach capacity up to 40 per cent more than lean subjects4. To overcome this, cut down on the amount of food you eat and have smaller meals more often.
1World Cancer Research Fund – Experts Warn UK About Portion Distortion 2003 2U.S. Department of Agriculture 3The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 4Obesity Research Centre in New York
Portion size is vital for weight control, because the bigger the meal, the more calories you consume. When it comes to weight management, if you don’t burn off all the calories you eat, no matter how healthy the food, you will gain body fat, or find it hard to lose. 
