'Portion distortion' is why we're all getting fatter!

Sep 4 2006

According to U.S. researchers young people are eating bigger meals that they were twenty years ago.

Dieticians say the perception of what constitutes a normal portion of food has changed in the past 20 years and as serving sizes have increased, waistlines have expanded.

The scientists at Rutgers University, New Jersey, carried out a study which compared current portion sizes typically chosen by young adults, to those from data recorded in 1984 in a similar study based on standard portion sizes on the nutrition facts labels found on food products.

The purpose of the study was to determine if and how current portion sizes typically chosen by young adults had changed over time.

For the study 177 college students ranging in age from 16 to 26 were enlisted; three-quarters were women and two-thirds were freshmen.

Eight menu items were on offer at breakfast, and six at lunch or dinner; the foods mirrored those used in the 1984 study.

The students were asked to serve themselves 'typical portion sizes' at either breakfast, lunch or dinner, then the portions were weighed.

Apparently most of the differences in portion sizes were for foods served and consumed from a cup or bowl, which supports previous research which found people eat and drink more when bowls, spoons, and glasses are larger.

It seems that typical portion sizes of foods such as, jelly, milk on cereal and cornflakes tended to exceed reference portion sizes by more than 25 percent, while typical portion sizes of butter, tuna salad, tossed salad and salad dressing tended to be more than 25 percent less than reference portion sizes.

The researchers say they found that portion sizes of virtually all foods and beverages prepared for immediate consumption have increased over the last two decades.

The portion size of individually packaged and ready-to-eat prepared foods have also increased as well as the portion sizes served at fast-food, chain and privately owned restaurants.

The researchers say that consumers now regard the larger portion sizes as the norm which they say equals 'portion distortion'.

What is more disturbing is that the researchers say that a similar study conducted in 1984 also found that portion distortion was occurring then.

So is it any wonder we are all getting fatter?

The study was partly funded by the Association for Dressings and Sauces and is published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.