How to Control Food Portions to Avoid Overeating

In the words of an Italian proverb, "Big mouthfuls often choke." In this decade where the food supply is abundant, Americans are consuming more than ever. According to a 2003-2004 National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey, 66% of American adults are overweight or obese. As the intake of calories exceeds the calories burned, weight gain steadily rises. Over time, excessive weight gain leads to chronic health problems including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, respiratory problems, and psychological disorders such as depression. An astounding 300,000 American adults lose their lives in a year due to the obesity/overweight epidemic according to the Surgeon General. These afflictions of obesity bring into focus a significant concept - awareness and control of food portions.

In the American culture, food is glamorized on a daily basis with commercials, billboards, and photographed flyers from restaurants such as those advertising delectable entrees loaded with both steak and shrimp along with steak fries drenched with cheddar cheese. Marketers tempt consumers with the terms "supersize" and "all-you-can-eat". Americans overlook the fact that a lavish meal containing a ¼ lb Thickburger, a large order of fries, and a cup of ice cream topped with whipped cream totals 1800 calories, rivaling the total daily calorie requirement for women.

Awareness of the consequences of overeating enables Americans to adopt healthy eating alternatives. A method that targets the portions of individual meals involves appropriately arranging items from various food groups on one's plate. For instance, on a nine-inch round sectioned plate divided into one large section and two smaller sections, fruits and vegetables belong in the largest section, one serving of lean protein belongs in a small section, and one serving of whole grain or starch belongs in the other small section.

A major proactive approach to daily portion control is to eat the recommended amounts of food group servings outlined on www.mypyramid.gov. "My Pyramid", is a diagram created by the USDA in 2005 as an upgraded version of the original food pyramid of 1992. It is individualized in that after providing your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level, one receives a personalized chart that recommends serving sizes for each food group and the number of total daily calories. Another similar diagram is the "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid" that specifies the daily recommended servings for each food group: four or more vegetables, three or more fruits, four to eight whole grains, three to seven lean meat/fish/beans, and three to five healthy fats. It is important to note that serving size refers to "recommendation" while portion refers to "choice". An additional step for managing portions is to look at the nutritional labels on food packages that denote the serving size in cups, ounces, and teaspoons as well as the calories per serving. Associating the units of measure with visual objects is a helpful method for learning to measure portions as described on the website of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX - www.bcm.edu/news/packages/visualcues.cfm. Specifically, one serving of cut fruit, cooked vegetables, or pasta equals one-half cup, which can be visualized by curving the palm of your hand; one-fourth cup of dried fruit equals the volume of a golf ball; one cup of raw salad or a piece of fruit is the size of a woman's fist or a baseball; three ounces of meat/poultry equals the size of a cassette tape or playing cards; one ounce of cheese equals four dice cubes; and one teaspoon of salad dressing is the size of your thumb.

By taking these portion-control approaches into account, consumers are practicing mindfulness. This further involves the following steps: 1) analyzing and tackling the reason for overeating such as boredom or a reaction toward stress; 2) planning personalized meals ahead with online menu planners such as that offered by mypyramid.gov; 3) scanning buffet bars and creating colorful plates with healthy selections from each food group; 4) eating five small meals daily to stabilize blood-sugar levels and prevent overeating during one meal; 5) eating salads before main meals; 6) eating slowly for 20 minutes to mentally process fullness; 7) eating half of an oversized meal from a restaurant; 8) going to diners that offer a variety of food group items; and 9) preparing your own meals. All of these methods involve willpower, which is needed to eradicate the demolishing effect of overeating.

Sources

"Mayo Clinic Pyramid." Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion.

www.bcm.edu/news/packages/visualcues.cfm

www.mypyramid.gov