MamaMichelle Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Pretty interesting article- For those of you on the pre or post op liquid diet phases you might not want look at some of these images!! (ed note- I can only post 5 pics per post so I'll have to make a series of posts to get all the pics in) Over the past few decades, portion sizes of everything from muffins to sandwiches have grown considerably. Unfortunately, America’s waistbands have reacted accordingly. In the 1970s, around 47 percent of Americans were overweight or obese; now 66 percent of us are. In addition, the number of just obese people has doubled, from 15 percent of our population to 30 percent. While increased sizes haven’t been the sole contributor to our obesity epidemic, large quantities of cheap food have distorted our perceptions of what a typical meal is supposed to look like. These portion comparisons, adapted from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Portion Distortion Quiz, give a visual representation of what sizes used to be compared to what they are today. Two Slices of Pizza Twenty years ago 500 calories Today 850 calories Those extra 350 calories, if eaten a two times a month, would put on two extra pounds a year, or forty pounds in the next two decades. Cup of Coffee Twenty years ago Coffee with milk and sugar 8 ounces45 calories Today Grande café mocha with whip, 2% milk 16 ounces 330 calories When our parents ordered a coffee two decades ago, they weren’t given as many size options—a standard cup of joe was eight ounces, the size of a small coffee cup. Nowadays, most of us feel like we don’t get our money’s worth unless the cup is at least twelve ounces; it’s not unusual to see thirty-two ounce coffee cups, four times the size they used to be. When made into a mocha, the morning coffee has as many calories as a full meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaMichelle Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Movie Popcorn Twenty Years Ago 5 cups 270 calories Today Tub 630 calories We don't have to eat those extra 360 calories in the tub of popcorn, but that’s easier said than (not) done. Studies indicate that when given food in larger containers, people will consume more. In a 1996 Cornell University study, people in a movie theater ate from either medium (120g) or large (240g) buckets of popcorn, then divided into two groups based on whether they liked the taste of the popcorn. The results: people with the large size ate more than those with the medium size, regardless of how participants rated the taste of the popcorn. Bagel Twenty Years Ago 3-inch diameter 140 calories Today—Noah’s Plain Bagel 5-6-inch diameter 350 calories Because portions are now so large, it’s hard to understand what a “serving size” is supposed to be. Today’s bagel counts for three servings of bread, but many of us would consider it one serving. Larger sizes at restaurants have also contributed to larger sizes when eating at home. A study comparing eating habits today with twenty years ago found that participants poured themselves about 20 percent more cornflakes and 30 percent more milk than twenty years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaMichelle Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Cheeseburgers Twenty years ago 333 calories Today’s Burger 590 calories According to a 2007 paper published in the Journal of Public Health Policy, portion sizes offered by fast food chains are two to five times larger than when first introduced. When McDonald’s first started in 1955, its only hamburger weighed around 1.6 ounces; now, the largest hamburger patty weighs 8 ounces, an increase of 500 percent. And while a Big Mac used to be considered big, it’s on the smaller side of many burger options. At Burger King, you can get the Triple Whopper; at Ruby Tuesday’s there’s the Colossal Burger; and Carl’s Junior has the Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger. Soda Original 8-ounce bottle 97 calories 12 ounce can 145 calories 20-ounce bottle 242 calories While the 12-ounce can used to be the most common soda option, many stores now carry only the 20-ounce plastic bottle, which contains 2.5 servings of soda. When presented with these larger sizes, humans have a hard time regulating our intake or figuring out what a serving size is supposed to be. A 2004 study, published in Appetite, gave people potato chips packaged in bags that looked the same, but increased in size. As package size increased, so did consumption; subjects ate up to 37 percent more with the bigger bags. Furthermore, when they ate dinner later that day, they did not reduce their food consumption to compensate for increased snack calories—a recipe for weight gain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaMichelle Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Plates It’s not just food portions that have increased; plate, bowl, and cup sizes have as well. In the early 1990s, the standard size of a dinner plate increased from 10 to 12 inches; cup and bowl sizes also increased. Larger eating containers can influence how much people eat. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that when people were given larger bowls and spoons they served themselves larger portions of ice cream and tended to eat the whole portion. Prices 32 ounces / 388 calories / $0.99 44 ounces / 533 calories / $1.09 64 ounces / 776 calories / $1.19 We Americans love to get the most bang for our buck. When confronted with a 32-ounce drink for 99 cents versus a 44-ounce drink for ten cents more, the decision is easy. You’d have to be a sucker not to go big. But our ability to get the most out of our dollar doesn’t always serve us well. Value pricing, which gets us a lot more food or drink for just a little increase in price, makes sense from an economic standpoint, but is sabotage from a health standpoint. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that Americans consume around 10 percent more calories than they did in the 1970s. Given no change in physical activity, this equates to around 200 extra calories per day, or 20 pounds a year. What is normal? Increased portion sizes give us more calories, encourage us to eat more, distort perceptions of appropriate food quantities, and along with sedentary lifestyles, have contributed to our national bulge. Unless you’re trying to gain weight, it might help to reacquaint yourself with serving sizes. The NHLBI tells us that a serving of meat should be the size of a deck of cards while one pancake should be the size of a CD. It’s unlikely that we’ll see a scaling down of food to these sizes anytime soon, so perhaps we should all become familiar with another image: the doggy bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrty835 Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 WOW is all I can say. I guess it falls on us now to make the right choises. I know im dedicated to this new me and life style change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mona-camille Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 So very true! I just wish I had been smart enough previously not to jump on that bandwagon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erin2796 Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Great post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willi333 Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Great post, thanks Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my_friend_amber Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Wow indeed!! This is such an eye-opener!! Thanks Michelle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittycat Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Great Post MamaMichelle....I am guilty of being a former "Supersize Me!" But no more...I am on the road to "Reduce Me!" Thanks! Cathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittycat Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Wow indeed!! This is such an eye-opener!! Thanks Michelle! I love your new picture...you are soooo pretty!!!! Have a great day! Cathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BATassbandita? Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 awesome post!!! I was a huge fan of oversized plates & bowls, but now they make my portions seem so small, so i'm going shopping for mini plates and cutlery. Its no wonder so many people struggle with weight and portion control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula Bee Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 This is a great post, Michelle! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karenlynn79 Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 So true! Also now in other countries, many in Europe, portion sizes are still the "old" way. Why do Americans have to do everything big and fast!!?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C1BandedBabe Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Great post!! Makes you really think about your portions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammaof2wins Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 I love your new pic and look at those collar sp? bones sticking out!!! WOW!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julieburns Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Where do you find this great stuff Michelle? I look forward to you great informative and thought provoking posts. A sincere thanks for all you contribute to this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim2BSlim Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Great post, Michelle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FindingMeAgain Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Great Post! It's amazing when you think about it... and who ever eats only 2 slices of pizza? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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