Portion Size is a Huge Cause of Obesity in America
Research on obesity and portion size reveals startling facts about the calories you consume.
Salty snacks, desserts, soft drinks, fries, hamburgers, pizza and Mexican food were reviewed in a short term study by Nielsen and Popkin, published in JAMA 2003. The study revealed dramatic increases in calories in every category.
20 Years of Calorie Increases
- 93 more calories in salty snacks
- 49 more calories in soft drinks
- 97 more calories for hamburgers
- 68 more calories for fries
- 133 more calories for Mexican food
Compare portions of 20 years ago to today with the dramatic increase in obesity in America over the same 20 years -- and the conclusion is obvious. THE BIGGER THE PORTION THE BIGGER THE WAISTLINE.
| ITEM | 1990 | TODAY | INCREASE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee, cream & sugar | 45 cal./8 oz. | 90 cal./16 oz. | 100% |
| Muffin | 210 cal./1.5 oz. | 500 cal./4 oz. | 138% |
| Pizza, 2 slices | 500 cal. | 850 cal. | 70% |
| Chicken Caesar Salad | 390 cal./1.5 cups | 790 cal./3.5 cups | 102% |
| Popcorn | 270 cal./5 cups | 630 cal./11 cups | 133% |
| Cheesecake | 260 cal./3 oz. | 640 cal./7 oz. | 146% |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie | 55 cal./1.5” diameter | 275 cal./3.5” diameter | 400% |
(cal. = calories, oz. = ounces. Resource: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) Reprinted from Barb's Foolproof Weight Loss Solution.
The average calorie increase of the items in the above list is 155% or an average increase of 292 calories compared to the same items 20 years ago.
Dieting vs. Portion Management
Research suggests fad diets and eating weight loss foods fail miserably for lasting weight loss success.
Portion management and dieting are not the same.
DIETING -- When you diet you eat unfamiliar weight loss foods. Different food requires different shopping, different preparation, different serving size and a learning curve. Followed by emotional rebellion caused by a significant change in eating behavior. Deprivation, cravings and binging are a common result ending in diet failure. A massive change in lifestyle to accommodate a diet is another reason traditional diets fail.
PORTION MANAGEMENT -- Reduce portions and reduce calorie intake proportionantely. You eat the exact same food you’re eating now only less of it. And you will still be eating more than people ate just 20 years ago. Cravings, suffering and diet misery start when you deprive yourself of the food you normally consume. Your food preferences.
Which Will Work For You?
DIET -- Eating weight loss food. Changing eating behavior and lifestyle. Shopping, preparation and cooking differently. Will you crave your favorites? Have to stay motivated? Suffer an emotional roller coaster? Eventually gain back every pound plus more?
PORTION MANAGEMENT -- Reduce portions of the exact same food you’re eating now.
Review the following portion size chart. A 25% portion reduction is the same as giving a friend a bite of your candy bar, drinking 12 ounces of a 16 ounce soda and leaving two bites of your burger. With today’s inflated portions, I promise you won’t miss it.
Then visit the Gallery of Portion Size Pictures to see for yourself what 25% of some of our favorite foods looks like.
Portion Size Chart
25% Portion Reduction
| Daily Calories | 25% Calorie Reduction | Calories Minus 25% | Pounds Lost per Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000-10,000 | 2,000-2,500 | 6,000-7,500 | 208-260 |
| 5,000-7,000 | 1,250-1,750 | 3,750-5,250 | 130-182 |
| 2,500-4,000 | 625-1,000 | 1,875-3,000 | 65-104 |
| 1,500-2,000 | 375-500 | 1,125-1,500 | 39-52 |
33% Portion Reduction
| Daily Calories | 33% Calorie Reduction | Calories Minus 33% | Pounds Lost per Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000-10,000 | 2,640-3,300 | 5,360-6,700 | 275-344 |
| 5,000-7,000 | 1,650-2,310 | 3,350-4,690 | 172-240 |
| 2,500-4,000 | 825-1,320 | 1,675-2,680 | 86-137 |
| 1,500-2,000 | 495-660 | 1,005-1,340 | 51-68 |
50% Portion Reduction
| Daily Calories | 50% Calorie Reduction | Calories Minus 50% | Pounds Lost per Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000-10,000 | 4,000-5,000 | 4,000-5,000 | 417-521 |
| 5,000-7,000 | 2,500-3,500 | 2,500-3,500 | 260-365 |
| 2,500-4,000 | 1,250-2,000 | 1,250-2,000 | 130-208 |
…I recommend the 25% portion reduction to my clients!
Portion Size Can Be Your Ticket to Reaching Your Ideal Weight Because…
- No cravings -- You eat the exact same food you eat now only less of it.
- No emotional rebellion -- You don’t change habits, lifestyle or go without. What’s to get emotional about?
- No embarrassment -- You’re not exposed to dieting ridicule because no one can tell you are eating differently. It’s invisible.
- No control issues -- Willpower is not required because you are doing what you have always done.
- No motivation -- Why would you need to be motivated to do what you have always done?
- No hunger -- Research on obesity discovered a short term study by Rolls, Morris and Roe on portion size reduction published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Participants in the study reported ratings for hunger and fullness were similar even though one portion was double the size of the other. Participants did not recognize a 50% portion reduction let alone miss it. The study revealed when portion size doubled the participants ate a whopping 30% more.
Quick Weight Loss Tips
Obesity in America is at an all time high. Once respected diets and weight loss foods have not worked. Massive research on obesity has revealed the truth. It cannot be denied.
Portion size influences how much you eat. The bigger the portion the more you eat. Reduce portions and reduce the amount of calories consumed and LOSE WEIGHT.
More Research on Obesity Reveals…
Quick Weight Loss Tip #1 -- When you eat food from the bag or package, like cookies or chips, you eat more. Worse, the larger the bag or package, the more you eat.
Quick Weight Loss Tip #2 -- When you use large plates you increase the size of portions to fill the plate. Larger the plate, bigger the portion, the more you eat. Downsize your plate and get full on smaller portions.
Quick Weight Loss Tip #3 -- Leave 25% of every portion of food or drink served. If you eat 2,500 calories a day, a 25% reduction equals a 625 calorie reduction. The equivalent of a 65 pound per year weight loss while still eating 1,875 calories. No diet, no hunger, no cravings. Mathematical fact. As simple as giving a friend a bite of your candy bar. SIMPLE! Reduce portion size and you lose weight.
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