Portion sizes -- US v. UK

Alright, we all know it -- I'm fat.  But hey, I used to be fatter!     Here's the thing, though...since living in the UK, I've realised that US portion sizes are ridiculous!  I never realised how much I was eating -- I just thought that whatever was served in a restaurant was the appropriate serving size.  Now, of course, I realise that a huge part of my, well, hugeness had to do with portion size and portion control.  Upon moving to the UK, I started to lose weight like nobody's business.  Now, of course, some of the loss was due to having to move more -- no car = having to walk a lot!  But so much had to do with portion sizes -- I literally was being starved (but in a good way!).

Now, when we go back to the US, eating in a restaurant is a chore....there's too much food!  It's so sad because so many Americans are overweight and are trying to do something about it but aren't realising that the amount they're eating on a regular basis just isn't normal (and let's not even get started on fast food!).

Just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience with portion sizes -- is there just too much food in the US?  Not enough in the UK?  What do you think would happen if US restaurants started serving "normal"-sized portions? 

What do you think would happen if US restaurants started serving "normal"-sized portions? 

Rioting in the streets!! 

Good topic, Lola. I agree that the portion sizes in the UK are far more sensible. But it still doesn't explain why I'm fat ... often in the US, I'd go out for a meal with a friend and split something. And we'd still have leftovers! So I never really ate everything I was given in US restaurants. Proper restaurants, of course, are a different story, and serve sensible UK-size portions. But for the most part, chain restaurants and places like that in the US give people way too much food. Not only does it make for a lot of fatties, but just think of all the wasted food!

But here's a question: I keep reading how Britons are now becoming just as obese as Americans ... so where's that coming from, if not from portion size?

What do you think would happen if US restaurants started serving "normal"-sized portions?

If it were a quick conversion to 'normal' sized portions, I bet you'd hear a lot of 'I'm being ripped off'.  If portion control were slowly scaled back to normal (think of how McDonalds has slowly increased over the years), it would be far less noticeable and possibly with far less complaints.

But here's a question: I keep reading how Britons are now becoming just as obese as Americans ... so where's that coming from, if not from portion size?

I think there's a trend toward serving US size portions over here...especially in American chains (or those percieved to be American).  Also, just a plain lack of exercise on both sides of the pond has turned us all into chubby chipmunks!  

I feel the same way, Lola.  I go out to eat in the US and I feel like my husband and I should be sharing one portion, instead of having one each!  It's sickening, when I think about it, how I used to eat a starter - even if it was salad, it would be a huge salad! - and a mains AND afters...no wonder I'm huge!

What's also sad is the fact that there is NOTHING to do in the town my mother still lives in except eat out...  

Belindaloo -  the problem in the UK I think is pretty basic - too much US-style fast food at the ready and too many parents who are too lazy to eat right and teach their kids to eat right.

When all that Sudan red or whatever nonsense came out, there was nothing on the lists that kept running in the papers that I had to worry about - because it was mostly in ready-meals and the like.  And we cook fresh.  Maybe not *healthy* ALL the time - but it's fresh!

But here's a question: I keep reading how Britons are now becoming just as obese as Americans ... so where's that coming from, if not from portion size?

It's probably a combination of factors.  For instance, a more sedentary lifestyle combined with portion control, added to more hectic schedules with less time to cook 'real' food therefore reaching for unhealthy fast food or processed food.

What's also sad is the fact that there is NOTHING to do in the town my mother still lives in except eat out...  

Yep -- for my family, eating out is FUN!  It's what we do!  Really, food is a social event in so many families and that's absolutley part of my problem.  I still have to remind myself that food doesn't equal a good time!  For much of my life, I literally associated leaving the house with going out to eat...not good!  And even worse, going out to eat HUGE portions!   

Yep -- for my family, eating out is FUN!  It's what we do!  Really, food is a social event in so many families and that's absolutley part of my problem.  I still have to remind myself that food doesn't equal a good time!  For much of my life, I literally associated leaving the house with going out to eat...not good!  And even worse, going out to eat HUGE portions!   

My family always eats out, too. But it's not something I want to give up or ever will. And, if I had children, it's something I'd encourage them to do, too. I think eating out is great! It teaches kids about culture, manners, foods from different countries, socialisation, how to make dinner conversation, how to behave in certain settings, etc. To me, it's very important! But over-eating is something else entirely, and that shouldn't be part of it.

Yep -- for my family, eating out is FUN! It's what we do! Really, food is a social event in so many families and that's absolutley part of my problem. I still have to remind myself that food doesn't equal a good time! For much of my life, I literally associated leaving the house with going out to eat...not good! And even worse, going out to eat HUGE portions!

I swear we were separated at birth (okay, 10 years apart...)!!

Good topic!! I think sizes here are starting to get far too big too. I've started ordering starters for my main in certain cases (like Indian - a starter chicken tikka is plenty!) But they're nothing compared to the US - like Peedal I sometimes gasp at how much I used to eat when we went out! But I also think there's a certain attitude about "getting what you pay for" and feeling ripped off if the portion is too small - I have to admit that dh is guilty of that sometimes! 

I definitely have had to re-learn portion sizes and I think it's in part because of going out to eat a lot in the US. But I also think it's because my mom always served meals "family style" - never dished it out and handed you a plate but put a big old bowl on the table - so I got used to having as much as I could serve myself. 

As for the growing amount of obesity here - I think it's lack of exercise and a total reliance on pre-packaged food. The number of kids that appear to be living on fish fingers and crisps is staggering. I suppose it's just parents who don't have time to cook from scratch and drive their kids to school to save time too.

Oh, and my family is SO food orriented. I love big family meals, but I do think my family is TOO focused on the food. If there's a celebration, it's always all about what we're going to serve. If company is coming, there's always a cake. It definitely gave me a skewed idea about what celebrating something is all about....

Oh, and my family is SO food orriented. I love big family meals, but I do think my family is TOO focused on the food. If there's a celebration, it's always all about what we're going to serve. If company is coming, there's always a cake. It definitely gave me a skewed idea about what celebrating something is all about....

This is what I noticed too, all occasions were about the food, any and every excuse to lay on a spread and eat. At my wedding the hubs and I didn't get any food after we were done with photos etc because they'd eaten ALL the food! Ended up in our honeymoon hotel and room service had closed

I also noticed how easy it is over there to adjust to the larger portions and then your stomach seems to expect it. The thing I never understood was if we had just eaten dinner and an hour later went to the movies they would have a big tub of popcorn/large drink & candy and that was simply because it was what they did at the movies, nothing to do with being hungry, that coupled with driving everywhere and all the things we have these days that mean we dont move, lift, bend as much.

It's easy to explain the UK - the exposion didn't happen until all the supermarkets opened out of town and we all flocked to them for the lower prices and in most cases lesser quality and higher abundance of ready-made/snack food. My mum used to go to the grocers to select the best veg, the butchers to get her meat and so on, took longer, was probably more expensive, but the quality was better and people didn't eat so much junk/take away because they were for special occasions and vastly more expensive in those days as was eating out in nice restaurants. We also didn't have all the toys and gadgets kids have today that keep them indoors, I never spent days indoors like i can now because I have the computer/Cable/DVD's to keep me occupied, I went out in the morning, over the fields, met up with friends and went riding, or roaming through the woods, would be gone hours and hours and return home only for food (!) but of course it's just not as safe anymore to do that.

I remember my first English Burger King, I had had the same meal in L.A for $3 tops, the meal here was £10 

And what America has got, the U.K wants! As we travel more and see what other people get for their money, people expect that same "value for money", a lot of people just want quantity over quality. 

Here's an interesting article...apparently we eat whatever's put in front of us, no matter what!  Perhaps that's the problem?! 

from: http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories/calorie_needs/portion_size.htm

Why Our Environment is Making Us Fat
 
Public health professionals in the UK and US are increasingly focussed on the apparent obesity epidemic facing both nations. This year, the results of several studies have shown that increasing portion sizes over the last two decades are making us eat calories we don't need - and wouldn't want, if they were not on the plate in front of us.

How Serving Sizes have Grown in Calories
Researchers at the University of North Carolina studied the changes in portion sizes in the US between 1977 and 1996.

The findings, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association by doctoral student Samara Joy Nielson and professor of nutrition Dr Barry M Popkin, showed that portion sizes in key food groups had increased markedly.

The increases were significant in calorie terms: salty snacks increased by 93 calories per portion, soft drinks by 49 calories, hamburgers by 97 calories, French fries by 68 calories and Mexican food by 133 calories.

The Effect on How Much We Eat
The problem is that when we are presented with more food on a plate than will meet our needs, most of us will eat more without even thinking about it.

The good news is that studies showing we eat more calories when given more, also show that we still feel satisfied when given less.

Commenting on the results of a restaurant study at Penn State University, Dr Barbara Rolls, who holds the Guthrie Chair of Nutrition said, "The bigger portions that restaurants are providing make consumers vulnerable to overeating, since most individuals eat all or most of what is served."

In the study, the size of a pasta dish portion served was varied between a standard serving and a serving 50% larger. Customers who ordered the meal were asked to rate their satisfaction and the appropriateness of the portion size.

The results showed that customers who were served the larger portion ate nearly all of it - consuming an extra 172 calories. The survey responses showed that customers rated the size of both portions as equally appropriate for meeting their needs.

Double Trouble: High Calorie Bigger Portions
A further Penn State study by doctoral candidate Tanja Kral examined the effects of portion size and calorie density.

In the study, 39 normal weight and overweight women ate breakfast, lunch and dinner once a week for six weeks in the University's Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behaviour. The breakfasts and dinners were standardised, but lunch was formulated to vary in portion size and calorie density.

"Portion size alone increased calorie intake by 20%. Calorie density alone increased by 26%." says Kral

That's an overall increased calorie intake of 56%. The amazing thing is that when people were given smaller portions and/or less calorie dense food it didn't leave them hungry.

Kral says, "Even though the study participants consumed 221 fewer calories when offered a smaller meal of lower calorie density, they felt just as full and satisfied as when they had consumed a larger meal of higher calorie density."

All going to show that our eating habits are being adversely affected by the food industry's desire to sell us more product. We're losing touch with what it means to eat as much as our bodies need; making the food environment we're in a dangerous place to be. Rolls argues that the food and restaurant industry and policy makers should develop strategies to persuade consumers, who are used to big portions, to get back in touch with their real calorie needs.

Whilst waiting for the industry to change, people concerned about their weight and health should start thinking about portion sizes, especially of high calorie foods, and try to get back in touch with their own real needs.

I always say i'd much rather have less of a high quality food and pay more than the opposite.

Yeah, portions are insane in the US, I think even the portions you buy at the supermarket are bigger......but i could be just dreaming there!

Since we eat in about 6 days a week i was having issues with portion size that i was serving myself in relation to Dave.  THAT is why i gained and didn't lose when i moved here!!!!!!

I'm much better now, although last night he was cranky we didn't have any stir fry left in the pan (i gave us a LOT about a cup of brown rice and about 1.5 cups of veggies and shrimp) and he sulked.   

... i was having issues with portion size that i was serving myself in relation to Dave.  THAT is why i gained and didn't lose when i moved here!!!!!!

Same here -- DH didn't say anything at the time, but he's mentioned that he was astounded by how much I was eating when we first started living together.  I thought I was eating normal portions (for me, at least!), but now I see that I was eating about twice what I'm eating now.  He must've been terrified that we'd have to go on the dole because he wouldn't be able to afford our grocery bill!   

SO true!!! I know that if I have a single bar of ice cream (low fat), I am satisfied. Whereas, I can sit down with varying size bowls of scooped ice cream (large or tiny) and be satisfied, but the willpower to scoop less isn't always there.