Thursday, Mar. 18, 2010

Is bigger always better?

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The bigger, the better.” However, when it comes to food portion sizes, this is not always true.

Twenty years ago, according to the studies of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one portion of spaghetti was equal to one cup of pasta with spaghetti sauce and three small meatballs. That portion provided about 500 calories, whereas today’s average portion of pasta, two cups, with sauce and three large meatballs provides approximately 1,000 calories.

In order for the body to burn off those additional 500 calories, a 175-pound person would have to either run for 45 minutes at 5 mph, walk for 110 minutes at 3 mph or continuously clean house for two and one-half hours.

I dare to mention that even the plates are larger than before. The plates we currently use as children’s plates used to be the standard plate size 20 years ago. What does all of this mean? It means that after 20 years, bigger portions have begun to result in bigger waistlines. Bigger waistlines have begun to result in more health issues — namely, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Scientific studies have proven individuals with an “apple” body shape — a large upper body and small lower body — are more at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease than those who have a smaller midsection. The culprit for a significant percentage of this increase in girth is none other than portion distortion.

What is portion distortion? It is what happens when what we think is a portion — usually whatever we put on a plate — is more than what is considered to be the actual portion. For example, eight ounces of juice equals one cup; however, the average household cup is at least 10-12 ounces, which means someone using this cup may think they are drinking one cup of juice when they are in fact drinking more than that — at least one-half cup more.

It is our society’s fixation with “more is better” that has caused our portions to increase greater than what they used to be. No longer do we eat out of necessity; rather, we eat for pleasure. This quest for pleasurable eating is what has resulted in the expansion in portion sizes and waistlines.

Restaurants are notorious for serving two, even three times the normal portions for food, yet we tend to get upset with the restaurant if our portion appears to be smaller than the next patron’s. Because most restaurants serve larger-than-normal portions, it is always a good idea to share with someone or even split a meal in half and place it in a to-go container before starting a meal.

The key to combating an expanding waistline is to be as proactive as possible. This begins with learning what a normal portion size is. This will allow the opportunity to compare to see how far off our own portions are.For more information, call the nutrition clinic at 706-544-1542.

Portion Sizes Reference Guide

1 oz. meat = a matchbox

3 oz. meat = a deck of cards

 1 oz. cheese = four dice

2 tbsp. peanut butter = a pingpong ball

1/2 cup pasta = a tennis ball

*Source: the American Cancer Society