Reports continue to tie expanding waistlines with ballooning restaurant and fast food portion sizes. Along with growing portion sizes, there continues to be a rise in the number of overweight and obese Americans. Although obesity is a complex disease and there are many factors that can contribute to the condition, it is likely that one of those factors is the dramatic rise in food portion size in the market. A common market strategy to get customers returning seems to be larger portions or more items in a combination meal. By increasing the portion size of food, consumers are given more for their money and it is a very small expense for the business therefore a large payoff. But a large payoff for the business can result in a large weight gain for the consumer. Studies show that the larger the container that is purchased the more that is consumed.

Everywhere you turn there are subtle suggestions to get you to purchase larger portions or more food. Marketing schemes include bigger candy bars; super sizing your fries and double meat, double cheese for the price of a single meat burger. Our desire to get more for the money causes us to be susceptible to these simple messages. Most fast food chains train the employees to remind you of the bargain in case you don’t notice. “Would you like to super size that for just .30 cents more?” These same marketing schemes also work in the grocery store. Studies show that people buy more, in fact twice as much when there is a numerical “limit” sign for the food product you are purchasing.

Even though you are bombarded with marketing tricks, there are a few ways that you can curb the urge to eat more. One thing to remember is to try and eat a salad with a light dressing before you begin your meal. The salad will provide you with a portion of your fruits and vegetables for the day and help to fill your stomach so you are not so hungry when the main course arrives. When you cook at home, remember to cook smaller portions as the less food that you prepare, the less tempted you will be to eat. Chances are with the smaller portion you will be satisfied and there will not be seconds available. You can use measuring cups to serve portions, as this will help you to be aware of how much you are eating. It’s also helpful to serve food on smaller plates so the portions appear larger. When dining at a restaurant, try ordering an appetizer as a meal instead of the larger sized meals. And remember to choose quality over quantity! A small piece of delicious rich gourmet chocolate can be entirely more satisfying than a cheaper but larger bowl of plain vanilla ice cream.

Remember that sedentary women and most older adults only need approximately 1600 calories per day which calories amounts to approximately 2 servings of lean meat, six of grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and a small amount of fat and sugar. Although in America we have been groomed with the clean-your-plate mentality, it doesn’t have to be the cause of perpetuating the trend towards obesity in our country. After all, the French are happy with smaller serving sizes and if Americans would try, they would probably be satisfied as well.