Why are US meal portions so big??

sparks787

Dear Sarauk,

So you speak for science??

Dear MB and 3 dogs, Of course I don't look fit, or slim, or great in any way, I wouldn't be here if I did. If Otterluv is not offended then why are you?

Cranquistador

:yawn:

Sarauk2sf

sparks787, you are awesome. love your profile pic. surely your body is perfect. come back and make snide remarks when you are ready to show yourself, X X X

Don't you love it when you get these charming newbs (they are usually newbs as they don't last long) making ridiculous and catty comments about someone, and yet do not show pics of themselves!

Sarauk2sf

Dear Sarauk,

So you speak for science??

Dear MB and 3 dogs, Of course I don't look fit, or slim, or great in any way, I wouldn't be here if I did. If Otterluv is not offended then why are you?

? Was there a question there?

People are offended as you are rude. Simple as that.

LorinaLynn

First off, Otter is awesome, and getting more awesome all the time. :flowerforyou:

Secondly, this reasonably small American finds the portion sizes at most restaurants to be just fine. I can't think of the last time I had leftovers.

I feel ripped off if restaurant portions aren't big. We went to TGI Fridays recently and my husband ordered their "Three Cheese Ravioli." You should have seen the look of despair on his face when it was THREE raviolis, not three different cheeses in a plate of raviolis. If I'm paying $10-15 for an entree, I want it to be more than a dollar's worth of food.

But I also only eat at restaurants once every few weeks, and want to leave in a food coma. If I ate out for every meal of ever day, it would be a different story.

MB_Positif

Dear Sarauk,

So you speak for science??

Dear MB and 3 dogs, Of course I don't look fit, or slim, or great in any way, I wouldn't be here if I did. If Otterluv is not offended then why are you?

Because she is one of my friends on here and was entirely unnecessary for you to talk trash about her picture because she posted a link to an article you disagreed with. How old are you, 13?

Sarauk2sf

Dear Sarauk,

So you speak for science??

Dear MB and 3 dogs, Of course I don't look fit, or slim, or great in any way, I wouldn't be here if I did. If Otterluv is not offended then why are you?

Because she is one of my friends on here and was entirely unnecessary for you to talk trash about her picture because she posted a link to an article you disagreed with. How old are you, 13?

54 according to her profile...I was rather surprised.

socajam

Haha I know what you mean, the portion sizes are ridiculous here. I guess its because people demand it and the restaurants want to bring in more people with the all you can eat buffets and giant portion sizes. What's good is that most restaurants nowadays, even fast food places, now offer healthy options as well (i.e. salads instead of fries, etc) so if you're conscious about things like that you generally will have some options. But I agree the portion sizes here are pretty ridiculous haha!

The thing I hate about all you can eat buffets is that I have a small appetite, and although I eat a healthy amount throughout the day, I cannot eat much in a single sitting. So I feel like I am not getting my money's worth. lol. I just try to taste a tiny bit of everything and make it into one small plate.

If you're full and happy, you just got your money's worth no matter how little you eat!

And why such venom with the Brit?? If she was an American, you'd all be agreeing with her.

That is so true. Us Americans hate to be criticized, after all we are the best at everything (supposedly).

Cadori

Dear Sarauk,

So you speak for science??

Dear MB and 3 dogs, Of course I don't look fit, or slim, or great in any way, I wouldn't be here if I did. If Otterluv is not offended then why are you?

Because she is one of my friends on here and was entirely unnecessary for you to talk trash about her picture because she posted a link to an article you disagreed with. How old are you, 13?

54 according to her profile...I was rather surprised.

Well if UK 14 is a US 10, maybe a UK 54 is a US 14 year old boy?

kbmnurse

That is why so many people are obese, so disgusting.:sad:

MrsFowler1069

The meals are larger because the market responds to what the consumers want,

Fat people with no control of appetite drive bigger portions then ? Self fulfilling prophecy.

Pretty much.

Absolutely correct.

I've lived in the US all my life and think it's hilarious that people are defensive about this. Of course there are places out of country that also serve large portions. And, yes, there are "gourmet" or "upscale" restaurants that serve tiny, overpriced portions, even outside of NYC. But yes, Americans are fat and our portions are big.

We are, in general, very food-centered and very spoiled and the common expectation to sit down at a restaurant and eat like pigs and leave with a doggy bag on top of it.

I went to breakfast with a friend a few weeks ago at a local cafe and he ordered a seven-egg, multi-meat, multi-cheese and veggie omelet, a large portion (roughly 3 cups) of hash browns with sausage gravy, two slices of buttered toast, a side of two bacon AND two sausage, and two roughly six-inch pancakes with butter and syrup. It was $9.95. This is not the biggest "regular item" on the menu. He also had several cups of coffee with 2 creams and two sugars per cup.

I had two fried eggs, a portion of hash browns that was only a little smaller, two sausage patties, and two pieces of buttered toast, and black coffee for $7.95. It was tiny compared to his and I couldn't eat it all. I gave it my best shot, though! lol

The point is, the place is packed every day and the portion sizes are the main reason. And I could name a couple of dozen places just in my town where you can get portions like that (although their prices are good at that place), without even resorting to fast food.

As for the McDonalds example, sorry that's incorrect. The portions are not the same - they are larger in the US.

The Big Mac referenced? A sandwich served in the US is 560 calories. The UK version has 490.
A large fry in the US is 500 calories. In the UK, it's 460 calories.
The large Coca-Cola to "wash it down with" - 280 calories in the US; 225 in the UK.

McDonalds answer to why is: "Thank you for your question. McDonald’s is a global brand and each of the 122 countries we operate in all have different needs, cultures and expectations. Portion sizes may vary from each country as will menu items, interior restaurant)designs and packaging. In the UK we feel our portion size is great value for money and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet." (from McDonalds UK site) [read: Americans would riot; just ask Ruby Tuesdays]

And the UK isn't even the most glaring contrast. Nor is Japan, but they are a well-fed people and yet when we have had several visiting student and friends stay with us from there, they've never ceased to be amazed that the sheer size of our food. Whether it's a pizza served at a local restaurant or a box of cereal taken from the cupboard, the standard response is, "Oooohh! Big!" This is often accompanied by the taking of a picture with their hand next to it for size reference. They also start out very excited to politely try a tiny bit of every snack that makes its way around a get-together, only to end up a little green around the gills and apologetically declining as they realize they never end!

France, too....famous for its buttery croissants, wines, and cheese platters. Why aren't they all fat? Because they don't eat giant portions and they don't snack constantly!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030822/french-secrets-to-staying-slim

http://www.centives.net/S/2012/do-french-people-snack/

http://karenlebillon.com/2012/09/17/french-kids-dont-get-fat-why/



The portions are big and getting bigger, both in restaurants and at home:

http://www.today.com/id/38959769/ns/today-today_health/t/stuffed-weighty-truth-behind-restaurant-portion-sizes/#.UjSv1tJf3Z4

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20825325/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/any-other-name-its-still-supersize/ (fast food)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/post/a-fast-food-soda-is-six-times-bigger-than-it-was-60-years-ago/2012/05/24/gJQA23JxmU_blog.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/Food/2011/03/13/why-are-restaurant-portions-so-big.html

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-02/health/sc-health-1102-portions-20111102_1_food-prices-double-cheeseburger-food-costs

http://boingboing.net/2010/10/25/king-size-drinks-the.html

What I found quite interesting after a recent trip to North America is how "in your face" all the fast food chain restaurant signs are! No avoiding dunkin donuts, Macdonalds, Wendy's etc etc...HUGE signs everywhere...it made even this non-junk food loving Brit's mouth water....honestly, imho, with such huge signs the average junk-food loving person dosnt stand a chance!!

Because signs have hands and grab you and force feed you food????? I'm sorry....I don't get the connection. Small signs, big signs, North America, Britain.....we all have free will and can choose what we eat.

I am firmly outside the "we don't have a choice" camp. We do indeed have the need and the responsibility to do so. But education is part of making that choice. And let's face it: there is such a thing as conditioning and these companies don't spend millions and millions of dollars on advertising because it doesn't work. The growth in what people view as a "standard" portion size is proof of that. Re-booting our individual thinking is part of achieving success.

socajam

Haha I know what you mean, the portion sizes are ridiculous here. I guess its because people demand it and the restaurants want to bring in more people with the all you can eat buffets and giant portion sizes. What's good is that most restaurants nowadays, even fast food places, now offer healthy options as well (i.e. salads instead of fries, etc) so if you're conscious about things like that you generally will have some options. But I agree the portion sizes here are pretty ridiculous haha!

The thing I hate about all you can eat buffets is that I have a small appetite, and although I eat a healthy amount throughout the day, I cannot eat much in a single sitting. So I feel like I am not getting my money's worth. lol. I just try to taste a tiny bit of everything and make it into one small plate.

If you're full and happy, you just got your money's worth no matter how little you eat!

And why such venom with the Brit?? If she was an American, you'd all be agreeing with her.

not venom. just pointing out that this is yet another "OMG! Americans are so fat!" thread masquerading as a "OMG! American portion sizes are so big!" thread.

we're all weary of it.

if i started a thread titled, "OMG! British people have such awful teeth!", how do you think folks from Britain would respond?

Because us Americans spent every cent we have ensuring that our teeth are perfectly straightened stays white regardless.

Cranquistador

sparks787, you are awesome. love your profile pic. surely your body is perfect. come back and make snide remarks when you are ready to show yourself, X X X

Don't you love it when you get these charming newbs (they are usually newbs as they don't last long) making ridiculous and catty comments about someone, and yet do not show pics of themselves!

dont know about the newb thing. something smells...

sparks787

]


Because she is one of my friends on here and was entirely unnecessary for you to talk trash about her picture because she posted a link to an article you disagreed with. How old are you, 13?
[/quote]

Dear MB

Actually I am on the same page with otterluv as regards the article. Again, if she is not offended why do you take offence on behalf of others,

Sarauk2sf

sparks787, you are awesome. love your profile pic. surely your body is perfect. come back and make snide remarks when you are ready to show yourself, X X X

Don't you love it when you get these charming newbs (they are usually newbs as they don't last long) making ridiculous and catty comments about someone, and yet do not show pics of themselves!

dont know about the newb thing. something smells...

You could be right...I should clarify - posters with accounts that do not have much longevity.

DrunkenFaeGirl

This is what gets me. I'm old enough to remember when restaurant meals were the same size as some of today's appetizer plates. I mean really, you can get a plate of "appetizers" costing $9.00 and it will fill you up.

What also gets me is the restaurants that "supersize" ,,, 5 dollar footlong Subway for $5.00 and the 6 inch for $4.75 but if i eat the footlong it will be too much. I dont care about the 25 cents savings to buy a whole bunch of other food i dont need.

Also, if you want a medium soda, at the theatre, they say $3.00, but for 50 cents more you can get a humungous size. Again, the extra size is not wanted.

i was at a restaurant which gives large portions for the money..which is good if you want that.. however, I just wanted an appetizer of 3 shrimp and rissoto. The guy tried to talk me into getting a lunch plate which was better value. but it ended up too much. so he was trying to give me the "better value" but its not what i wanted... i wanted portion control.. with just the smaller items.

You could always portion control the better value options yourself. Eat or drink some when you order and bring the rest home for a later time. It's common sense and frugal to boot. I love getting the 2nd inch sandwich at Subway for only a quarter more. Either I split it with someone or have the 2nd half the following day. 2 meals for $5 is a hell of a lot better value than 1 meal for $4.75.

whierd

Actually I am on the same page with otterluv as regards the article. Again, if she is not offended why do you take offence on behalf of others,

I'm pretty sure that she was mocking you with that article. Hence the "missed the point" gif.

MB_Positif

Dear MB

Actually I am on the same page with otterluv as regards the article. Again, if she is not offended why do you take offence on behalf of others

Because I LIKE her. And if you said that to one of my friends in my physical presence I would have to hold myself back from totally losing it on you. Believe it or not it is ok to care about your friends and want to defend them.

Let's turn this around on you. Why do YOU think it is ok to verbally attack someone's picture? Would you have the balls to say that to her in public? Highly unlikely.

MrsFowler1069

And to the idiot with the

bingo wings

comment:

When you can post a similar Success Story to hers of yesterday, then maybe we will listen to you. Oh, no, wait....we won't because you have to resort to personal attacks to make your point. Oh, no, wait, you left off short of making your point, too.....hmmmm. Never mind.

Otterluv

Because she is one of my friends on here and was entirely unnecessary for you to talk trash about her picture because she posted a link to an article you disagreed with. How old are you, 13?

Dear MB

Actually I am on the same page with otterluv as regards the article. Again, if she is not offended why do you take offence on behalf of others,

Ummmm, I was full o'crap when I posted that. It was really just the most ridiculous thing that I could come up with, I didn't actually expect to be taken seriously.


ETA: I'm not a big believer in conspiracy theories. Like, at all.

Hauntinglyfit

It's a conspiracy by Big Pharm. They are in cahoots with the restaurant industry (and in effect, bit ag) to make us ever fatter, ensuring a continuous market for their products. Do we really believe that with all of the advancement in pharmaceuticals that there is no cure for obesity? It's not in their best interests to have a healthy public.

Here is a really good article:
http://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/the-obesity-conspiracy

otterluv, you are awesome. love your bingo wings, X X X

Well, aren't you a little.. uhm.. joy to be around.

Myhaloslipped

The huge portions in many restaurants are ridonculous (and I VERY rarely use that word because it's so stupid)! Since I will end up paying the full price even if I ask them to only bring me some of it, I usually give my leftovers to a homeless person.

MB_Positif

Because she is one of my friends on here and was entirely unnecessary for you to talk trash about her picture because she posted a link to an article you disagreed with. How old are you, 13?

Dear MB

Actually I am on the same page with otterluv as regards the article. Again, if she is not offended why do you take offence on behalf of others,

Ummmm, I was full o'crap when I posted that. It was really just the most ridiculous thing that I could come up with, I didn't actually expect to be taken seriously.

Cadori

Dear Sparks (hey, this addressing people formally instead of quoting them is super fun!),

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and ask a genuine question. Do you know what bingo wings are? Do you think this is a compliment? Hypothetically, if I quoted...oh I don't know...someone...and said "You're awesome, love the double chin!" how is that NOT offensive?

PikaKnight

sparks787, you are awesome. love your profile pic. surely your body is perfect. come back and make snide remarks when you are ready to show yourself, X X X

Don't you love it when you get these charming newbs (they are usually newbs as they don't last long) making ridiculous and catty comments about someone, and yet do not show pics of themselves!

dont know about the newb thing. something smells...

You could be right...I should clarify - posters with accounts that do not have much longevity.

*nod nods*

ETA: Off thread topic but on topic in regards to Otter - It takes a lot of courage for people to show their progress and you'll find no matter who gets offended or not, when it happens, it's pointed out and vehemently disagreed with.

Taking digs at them on the forums isn't just a show of disrespect and telling of the sort of person you may be, but is against the CG and typically frowned upon by most, regardless of where they stand in a thread (paleo, iifym, clean, dirty, strength, cardio, etc).

JustAnotherGirlSuzanne

Yep, and the sugar is higher too in packaged foods. It's too bad.

I'm from Canada.

socajam

The meals are larger because the market responds to what the consumers want,

Fat people with no control of appetite drive bigger portions then ? Self fulfilling prophecy.

Pretty much.

Absolutely correct.

I've lived in the US all my life and think it's hilarious that people are defensive about this. Of course there are places out of country that also serve large portions. And, yes, there are "gourmet" or "upscale" restaurants that serve tiny, overpriced portions, even outside of NYC. But yes, Americans are fat and our portions are big.

We are, in general, very food-centered and very spoiled and the common expectation to sit down at a restaurant and eat like pigs and leave with a doggy bag on top of it.

I went to breakfast with a friend a few weeks ago at a local cafe and he ordered a seven-egg, multi-meat, multi-cheese and veggie omelet, a large portion (roughly 3 cups) of hash browns with sausage gravy, two slices of buttered toast, a side of two bacon AND two sausage, and two roughly six-inch pancakes with butter and syrup. It was $9.95. This is not the biggest "regular item" on the menu. He also had several cups of coffee with 2 creams and two sugars per cup.

I had two fried eggs, a portion of hash browns that was only a little smaller, two sausage patties, and two pieces of buttered toast, and black coffee for $7.95. It was tiny compared to his and I couldn't eat it all. I gave it my best shot, though! lol

The point is, the place is packed every day and the portion sizes are the main reason. And I could name a couple of dozen places just in my town where you can get portions like that (although their prices are good at that place), without even resorting to fast food.

As for the McDonalds example, sorry that's incorrect. The portions are not the same - they are larger in the US.

The Big Mac referenced? A sandwich served in the US is 560 calories. The UK version has 490.
A large fry in the US is 500 calories. In the UK, it's 460 calories.
The large Coca-Cola to "wash it down with" - 280 calories in the US; 225 in the UK.

McDonalds answer to why is: "Thank you for your question. McDonald’s is a global brand and each of the 122 countries we operate in all have different needs, cultures and expectations. Portion sizes may vary from each country as will menu items, interior restaurant)designs and packaging. In the UK we feel our portion size is great value for money and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet." (from McDonalds UK site) [read: Americans would riot; just ask Ruby Tuesdays]

And the UK isn't even the most glaring contrast. Nor is Japan, but they are a well-fed people and yet when we have had several visiting student and friends stay with us from there, they've never ceased to be amazed that the sheer size of our food. Whether it's a pizza served at a local restaurant or a box of cereal taken from the cupboard, the standard response is, "Oooohh! Big!" This is often accompanied by the taking of a picture with their hand next to it for size reference. They also start out very excited to politely try a tiny bit of every snack that makes its way around a get-together, only to end up a little green around the gills and apologetically declining as they realize they never end!

France, too....famous for its buttery croissants, wines, and cheese platters. Why aren't they all fat? Because they don't eat giant portions and they don't snack constantly!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030822/french-secrets-to-staying-slim

http://www.centives.net/S/2012/do-french-people-snack/

http://karenlebillon.com/2012/09/17/french-kids-dont-get-fat-why/



The portions are big and getting bigger, both in restaurants and at home:

http://www.today.com/id/38959769/ns/today-today_health/t/stuffed-weighty-truth-behind-restaurant-portion-sizes/#.UjSv1tJf3Z4

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20825325/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/any-other-name-its-still-supersize/ (fast food)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/post/a-fast-food-soda-is-six-times-bigger-than-it-was-60-years-ago/2012/05/24/gJQA23JxmU_blog.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/Food/2011/03/13/why-are-restaurant-portions-so-big.html

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-02/health/sc-health-1102-portions-20111102_1_food-prices-double-cheeseburger-food-costs

http://boingboing.net/2010/10/25/king-size-drinks-the.html

What I found quite interesting after a recent trip to North America is how "in your face" all the fast food chain restaurant signs are! No avoiding dunkin donuts, Macdonalds, Wendy's etc etc...HUGE signs everywhere...it made even this non-junk food loving Brit's mouth water....honestly, imho, with such huge signs the average junk-food loving person dosnt stand a chance!!

Because signs have hands and grab you and force feed you food????? I'm sorry....I don't get the connection. Small signs, big signs, North America, Britain.....we all have free will and can choose what we eat.

I am firmly outside the "we don't have a choice" camp. We do indeed have the need and the responsibility to do so. But education is part of making that choice. And let's face it: there is such a thing as conditioning and these companies don't spend millions and millions of dollars on advertising because it doesn't work. The growth in what people view as a "standard" portion size is proof of that. Re-booting our individual thinking is part of achieving success.

Interesting, thanks.

Sarauk2sf

Actually I am on the same page with otterluv as regards the article. Again, if she is not offended why do you take offence on behalf of others,

I'm pretty sure that she was mocking you with that article. Hence the "missed the point" gif.

Maybe this one would be clearer?

midwestmixtape

I dunno. I lived in rural Liberia, West Africa, and they will serve you HUGE portions of rice, I could never eat it all personally. I think restaurants in general give big portions because 6 bucks goes a long ways, they make a lot of money, and why not make you *think* you are getting a lot of bang for your buck? A 10 dollar plate at Chili's / Applebee's only costs them a small fraction of that in food costs, so they give you a lot, it really doesn't affect them too much.

Mr_Knight

I've just returned from a holiday in California and was amazed at the portion sizes on all the meals I had when eating in restaurants.

It's to make up for the calorie labels they put on food in grocery stores. So far this week I've seen the nutritional content of a package of hot dogs expressed in "1/3 of a hot dog" serving size and hamburgers buns expressed in "2/5 of a bun" serving size.