More and more Americans are losing their battle against obesity, and the size of their plate may be to blame. Analyzing data from three national surveys involving more than 60,000 Americans, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that serving sizes have grown 23-60% over the past 20 years, not only at fast-food places, but at other restaurants and even in homes.

"Between 1977 and 1996, food portion sizes increased both inside and outside the home for all categories except pizza," wrote the study's authors, Samara Joy Nielsen and Barry M. Popkin. "The sizes of the increase are substantial."

The data revealed that over the past 20 years:

• Hamburgers have expanded by 23 percent
• A plate of Mexican food is 27 percent bigger
• Soft drinks have increased in size by 52 percent
• Snacks, whether they be potato chips, pretzels or crackers, are 60 percent larger

Not surprising, the prevalence of adult obesity in the United States during the coinciding 30 years has increased from 14.5% in 1971 to 30.9% in 1999.

Another related study, published last month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was led by Barbara Rolls.Barbara discovered that "It didn't matter if it was men or women, dieters or non-dieters, people who were overweight or not, people who habitually clean their plates or not," she said. "Everyone responded to the increased portion size by eating more." On average, the volunteers ate 30 percent more from a five-cup plate than from a serving one-half its size, without reporting feeling fuller after eating. Perhaps even more troubling, most of the volunteers never even noticed when the portions were getting larger.

The skinny on super-sized portions is simply cut them in half and take half home. Americans typically eat twice as much as they need to eat for the amount of energy that they are expending. I have recommended the "Half-Diet" to many of my patients for years. The truth is that food is big business. Food and beverage makers are scheming up new and more tempting ways all of the time in order to get you to buy more of their products. Don't give in. The key to a healthy diet is to stay away from refined sugar, white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc. Eating 100% whole grain breads, pasta and rice packs in the nutrients and the fiber to satisfy your hunger without the excess of calories. You should be eating 6 servings of whole grains every day, plus 3- servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit.
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