It's Not So Much the Diet
It's Portion Size
By Betty Gibb, Kansas Senior Press Service
A project of the KU Center on Aging
Q. I’m overweight—quite a bit honestly. I’ve been reading about the obesity problem in the U. S. and am tired of being part of it. But I’m so confused about diets: low carbohydrates, low fat, counting points, weighing food. Isn’t there some simple way to lose weight?
A. Several nutritionists I’ve talked to blame the growing obesity epidemic (and that’s what they call it, an epidemic) on “pig-out” portions. My dietitian daughter told me recently that what we now call a serving size is much, much bigger than it used to be. Look at a muffin you buy at the supermarket. It is at least twice, maybe four times the size of the one your mom probably cooked in her old muffin tin.
A 1950s fast-food burger contained little more than 1 ounce of meat; a soft drink was 8 ounces (1 cup). Today, a quarter pounder is at least four times that amount and a 32- or 64-ounce drink isn’t uncommon. Sit-down restaurant servings are also ballooning: Think of the last “serving” of pasta or chicken salad you ordered. Probably enough there for at least two people.
So here’s the deal, so the nutritionists tell me, don’t worry so much about what you eat—just eat about half as much as you’re used to. The Utah Department of Health has a good portion size guide on its web page (www.checkyourhealth.org/nutrition/Portion%Distortion/portion-visuals.htm) that I’m going to share to help you visualize:
1 dairy—the size of a container of individual yogurt
1 grain—1 slice of bread about the size of a casset tape
1 pasta—the size of an adult woman’s palm, stacked 1 inch high
1 meat serving—the size of a deck of cards
1 ounce piece of cheese—the size of your thumb
1 fruit—about the size of a tennis ball
1 vegetable—about ½ a baseball
1 fat—the size of 4 stacked dimes
Here are some suggestions for controlling your portion size from a recent USAWeekend:
- In restaurants, share entrees, or ask the waiter to put half the entrée in a doggie bag before you even touch it
- At home use smaller plates and bowls. It will look as if you’re eating more
- Check food labels for serving size. Eat one serving only
- Measure label servings to see their sizes. Examples: 2 level tablespoons of peanut butter, ½ cup ice cream
- Buy smaller packages of candy, popcorn and snacks
- Order lunch-sized portions. Many restaurants serve 4-6 ounces of meat at lunch, compared with 8-10 ounces at dinner
Of course along with eating half as much, consider exercising twice as much. Park further away from the mall, take the stairs instead of the escalator, walk around your block.
Losing weight isn’t easy, and it certainly isn’t quick. It takes dramatic, long-lasting lifestyle changes. How many of your friends who have been on Weight Watchers, South Beach or Atkins have lost and then soon gained it all back. That’s worse than not losing in the first place.
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