If you want to see how inflated our portion sizes have become, don’t go to the supermarket – head to an antique shop. You may spot a tiny goblet clearly designed for a doll, only to be told it is a “wine glass”. What look like side plates turn out to be dinner plates. The real side plates resemble saucers. Back in your modern kitchen, notice how vast everything is – 28cm has become a normal diameter for a dinner plate, which in the 1950s would have been 25cm. Just because we are eating off these great expanses of dish does not of course mean that we have to serve ourselves bigger portions. But as it happens, we usually do.
Back in 1993, the average muffin weighed 85g, whereas now it is not at all uncommon to find muffins weighing 130g. Prepared meals have also ballooned in size, with chicken pies expanding by 50% and the average shepherd’s pie nearly doubling in size since 1993 (from 210g to 400g). Unsurprisingly, we have been expanding in size right along with our food portions.
To overeat in such an environment may be less about
lacking willpower than being set in our ways. Food psychologists talk
about “unit bias” meaning that we are inclined to think that a portion
equals one of something, no matter what the size. You may be shocked to know that food manufacturers take advantage of this to make you eat more without even realizing it. Ever notice a can containing 2.5 "servings"?
It isn't about how hungry you are. Its about how much food is in front of you. People eat more when they're given
big servings which of course affects calorie intake and weight. Now that you realize this, you don't have to continue to be a victim of the deceptive ways that food is packaged and sold. Learn what a serving is. Get a doggie bag. Order an appetizer instead of an entrée. Share your food. You may be amazed to find that you are no hungrier for eating a bit less.
Yes, size does matter.
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