Americans eat too much!!!
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TavistockToad wrote: »Koldnomore wrote: »Mots industrialized countries are well on their way to the same sort of obesity issues that we have here in North America. What people here consider a 'normal' portion size is grossly overstated. Plates are getting bigger and so are our waistlines!
Surely no one thinks a litre bottle is meant to be a single serving though?!
It's not like someone sits down to a drink like they do to a meal. Plenty of people go through multiple liters of pop a day, because they drink it instead of water. Instead of carrying a water bottle with them, they carry a Mt. Dew or Coke with them. They use 2 liter bottles because it's more convenient than going back to get another can once an hour.
People do that??
I don't carry a water bottle, I certainly can't imagine carrying a 2 litre bottle of coke round! But to each their own I suppose!0 -
Not only are restaurant portions huge, but until relatively recently, I could routinely eat those entire portions and think it was perfectly normal. Why would I ever have thought it was ok to eat the same amount of food as my husband? I'm surprised at how unconcious I have been about this. I suppose this is part of the explanation for the obesity "epidemic."0
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TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Koldnomore wrote: »Mots industrialized countries are well on their way to the same sort of obesity issues that we have here in North America. What people here consider a 'normal' portion size is grossly overstated. Plates are getting bigger and so are our waistlines!
Surely no one thinks a litre bottle is meant to be a single serving though?!
It's not like someone sits down to a drink like they do to a meal. Plenty of people go through multiple liters of pop a day, because they drink it instead of water. Instead of carrying a water bottle with them, they carry a Mt. Dew or Coke with them. They use 2 liter bottles because it's more convenient than going back to get another can once an hour.
People do that??
I don't carry a water bottle, I certainly can't imagine carrying a 2 litre bottle of coke round! But to each their own I suppose!
I don't do this either. When I'm thirsty I go get something to drink. I do see some people carrying around water bottles, though. That's a fairly frequent thing, at least where I live. I've always wondered why everyone around me seems so thirsty all the the time. I've just never been a "constantly thirsty" person, I mean I'm not carrying refrigerators on my back through the desert daily or anything.
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Here in Texas, there are 2 things people really like to do: eat and shop. There's always a restaurant somewhere. Same with CA, where I am from...although I feel like CA tends to have a lot more healthy options. There always seems to be a drive-thru popping up somewhere in the town I live in. Contrast that to Ireland, for example, where I had to work a week or two every year. I saw ZERO drive-thru's, and their supermarkets are tiny!! Also, many restaurants did not accept credit cards...so I had to carry cash everywhere. I tend to think that having to use cash, rather than plastic might make it easier to stop from eating out (?). At least it would for me. As someone else said, they don't do doggie-bags there. And the portions they served were a lot smaller. Now, the volume of pubs in Ireland on the other hand...that's a different story.
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And Americans have gotten lazy, don't want to workout, want everything handed, bunch of cry babies. Even Sonic has a drive through! A drive through on a chain that's suppose to have people bring the food to you while you wait in the car!
Well, now that's just laughable. It's well documented that working Americans work harder and have much less time off than workers in similar nations. I actually think that, from a health perspective, this is one of the major culprits. Fast food, frozen meals, prepared meals, drive throughs are abused because they save time and they are easy.0 -
Agree. And yet another piece of the complicated puzzle.And Americans have gotten lazy, don't want to workout, want everything handed, bunch of cry babies. Even Sonic has a drive through! A drive through on a chain that's suppose to have people bring the food to you while you wait in the car!
Well, now that's just laughable. It's well documented that working Americans work harder and have much less time off than workers in similar nations. I actually think that, from a health perspective, this is one of the major culprits. Fast food, frozen meals, prepared meals, drive throughs are abused because they save time and they are easy.
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AngInCanada wrote: »Yes most of us who are overweight eat too much but portion sizes be damned. If I want 10 oz of chicken breast and it fits in my calories, I'm going to have it
Correct. Small portions suck and ruin a meal. If Im behaving and sticking to my workouts then its 8oz of beef, chicken, fish, or MORE. Too damned bad! 0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Koldnomore wrote: »Mots industrialized countries are well on their way to the same sort of obesity issues that we have here in North America. What people here consider a 'normal' portion size is grossly overstated. Plates are getting bigger and so are our waistlines!
Surely no one thinks a litre bottle is meant to be a single serving though?!
It's not like someone sits down to a drink like they do to a meal. Plenty of people go through multiple liters of pop a day, because they drink it instead of water. Instead of carrying a water bottle with them, they carry a Mt. Dew or Coke with them. They use 2 liter bottles because it's more convenient than going back to get another can once an hour.
People do that??
I don't carry a water bottle, I certainly can't imagine carrying a 2 litre bottle of coke round! But to each their own I suppose!
"Carry around" may be less common. Perhaps a better way to put it would be sit at their desk all day drinking from a giant bottle, then replacing it with another bottle. When it's time to go home, they take the bottle to the car, and drink it on the drive home. Once they're home, they sit on the couch or at their home computer, and keep drinking. Then there are the convenience stores like 7-11, where you can get a 64oz cup self-serve to go.0 -
As long as we are on the subject, how many portions are in a pint of ice cream? I've always assumed it is one serving.
I have no idea, but even as an American I have to say, isn't that quite alot? I mean isn't the caricature of the PMS-y chick or the person crying and getting over a breakup and overeating, a whole pint of ice cream? Or eating directly from the pint carton with a spoon or whatever?
I have always scooped out portions and when the pint it was done it was done...I suppose somebody around here could not be lazy, and could do the math...but that person won't be me.
No, that would be the half gallon container.
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It's true that most restaurant portions in the US are out of control huge. But at least for me, I've never expected them to be single-serving. I don't think I've ever eaten an entire portion of something I was served in a restaurant, ever. Unless it was upscale or a small plate. Most people I know have this mentality too. Maybe it's just lack of education of what an appropriate amount to eat is? Then again my weight problems have been mostly caused by snacking or overeating high calorie foods (like candy), rather than overeating at meals.0
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flippy1234 wrote: »I am finding that to really lose weight, you need to weigh or measure everything. Seriously. An American portion is so much bigger than we should be eating. Think about it...a serving of chicken is the palm of a woman's hand. NOT the fingers, but the actual palm. I bet most of us are or at least were, eating a whole chicken breast. It is so easy to go over the calorie count of the day. Through my diet, I am learning how much food I actually need to feel good and still lose weight. The first few days, I was starving because I was use to eating more. Now, I am feeling much better and my body is adjusting. So, my advice to all starting out is get through the first few days of hunger, it gets easier and then, weigh or measure everything...properly. Don't estimate. It will drive you crazy at first but then it becomes routine.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this...
Yes, you need to pay attention to the calories in your food and determine the serving size of that food that fits your calories. You might only get a woman's palm size piece of chicken while a larger or more active person could eat a lot more and still lose weight.
A restaurant or store is not in charge of figuring out small portions sizes for each person. Their business is to make money. If consumers all complained that servings were too large I'm sure they would be happy to sell smaller portions at the same price. Right now bigger value meals are what people buy. You have to watch out for yourself.
It doesn't have to be hard to stick to your calorie goal. Yes, measuring and weighing stuff is important. Look up calorie counts in advance, order or buy smaller portions, divide food into smaller portions, don't eat out as often. Move more.
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AngInCanada wrote: »Yes most of us who are overweight eat too much but portion sizes be damned. If I want 10 oz of chicken breast and it fits in my calories, I'm going to have it
I eat 10 oz of chicken breast because...PROTEIN
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As long as we are on the subject, how many portions are in a pint of ice cream? I've always assumed it is one serving.
I have no idea, but even as an American I have to say, isn't that quite alot? I mean isn't the caricature of the PMS-y chick or the person crying and getting over a breakup and overeating, a whole pint of ice cream? Or eating directly from the pint carton with a spoon or whatever?
Agree and disagree. When I was at my fattest I would sometimes decide to treat myself and buy a pint of ice cream and I'd eat it straight from the carton. Even then, though, I'd typically eat maybe half, not a whole one (and I was certainly aware that I was eating much more than a serving).
The funny thing is I never kept ice cream at home then--it was always an impulse buy that would be consumed immediately (over 2 nights). Now, that I think of ice cream as something to be scooped out and eaten by the serving, I keep lots of it at home and never eat more than intended.
For me, there is still some weird "eat what's on the plate" thing where if my serving is huge I'll overeat (unless I carefully decide to eat only some specific amount, as at a restaurant), but if my serving is small I typically eat it and am satisfied. This is why I do believe that for many crazy portion sizes (not the existence of multiple-serving items in the grocery store, though) likely contributes to overeating.0 -
spilledmilk wrote: »It's true that most restaurant portions in the US are out of control huge. But at least for me, I've never expected them to be single-serving. I don't think I've ever eaten an entire portion of something I was served in a restaurant, ever. Unless it was upscale or a small plate.
I go to a decent number of restaurants (more upscale) where the serving size isn't really off what a normal serving is (although I'm sure the calorie count still is). People end up ordering multiple courses or doing the tasting menu or some such, so probably lose track of the total amount of food they eat.
And in restaurants with massive servings definitely one of the perks is bringing some home, but I strongly suspect that while people typically don't eat the whole thing, the huge amount on the plate means they eat a lot more than they normally would, without necessarily realizing it.
Not saying this is anyone's responsibility but the eater's, however.0 -
TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »Coming from Holland, the first time i went to a dinner out in the US i was shocked about the portion size. The refills of soda's etc. Was totally unfamiliar with it. People in Holland dont take left over food from restaurants home, well it is rare. Also the buffets are not so common as in the US.
A lot of people do gardening or some sort of mini garden. Which means moving more ( after work) keeping up your garden and fresh foods.
But what is worrying most is the whole commercial industry around the food in the US. The US food commercials are everywhere. And a lot of people see this as normal, children grow up with a couple of "take outs" a day. Go to school by bus ( well a lot) etc etc
Were i come from a take out like McDonalds is for special occasions like birth days. Or just sometimes. Going out for dinner is mostly on Sundays People still cook.
Going to work or school they take the bicycle if they can. People move more in general.
Drive through's ???? only Mac has it...mostly restaurants dont have it. btw there are less restaurants and take out services too. Less advertising for them also.
People pay for their shopping card and have to bring it back to get their money back. etc et So they move more
Children bike to school or walk sometimes the bus.
In general they are member of 1 or 3 clubs and are active. So less tv watching and video games
Aldo everything is changing slowly too. And with the change the overweight people percentage will grow.
Really a shame
Thanks for sharing that. I love hearing other perspectives.
I just got back from Mexico. While there are plenty of fattening foods to be had there is virtually no fast food. It was so refreshing. I want to go back so badly. Fresh fish everywhere, little taco stands....
And yet Mexico is every bit as fat as the US.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »spilledmilk wrote: »It's true that most restaurant portions in the US are out of control huge. But at least for me, I've never expected them to be single-serving. I don't think I've ever eaten an entire portion of something I was served in a restaurant, ever. Unless it was upscale or a small plate.
I go to a decent number of restaurants (more upscale) where the serving size isn't really off what a normal serving is (although I'm sure the calorie count still is). People end up ordering multiple courses or doing the tasting menu or some such, so probably lose track of the total amount of food they eat.
And in restaurants with massive servings definitely one of the perks is bringing some home, but I strongly suspect that while people typically don't eat the whole thing, the huge amount on the plate means they eat a lot more than they normally would, without necessarily realizing it.
Not saying this is anyone's responsibility but the eater's, however.
I think how fast people eat plays a part, too. At the higher end restaurants, there's not as much as a push to get you out the door and someone else at your table. Family places, the server is offering dessert 5 minutes after you get your plates, and has the check ready if you say no. If you get soup or salad, you have to rush to finish it before they bring the food, again with appetizers. A lot of people already eat too fast, so they don't register being full until it's too late to stop, and that pressure makes it even more likely.0 -
and in other news, water is wet, and the sun continues to come up in the east, and set in the west.0
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Yes, it's a problem central only to America, no where else. In fact, every time an American orders a chicken breast, anywhere in the world, the server is required by law to hold a gun to their head until they eat the entire thing.0
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And Americans have gotten lazy, don't want to workout, want everything handed, bunch of cry babies. Even Sonic has a drive through! A drive through on a chain that's suppose to have people bring the food to you while you wait in the car!
Well, now that's just laughable. It's well documented that working Americans work harder and have much less time off than workers in similar nations. I actually think that, from a health perspective, this is one of the major culprits. Fast food, frozen meals, prepared meals, drive throughs are abused because they save time and they are easy.
Good point
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Of course.I don't think we can say it's just Americans which you can see by the fact that there are not only Americans on this and other sites like it
But in all honesty, I have noticed a difference in the portion sizes in the US. I live in Canada but very close to the US border and travel to the US frequently, at least once a week. I am always surprised at the serving sizes when I eat out in the US.
That's not to say that the US is the only country with an obesity epidemic, just an observation of mine.
When I visited Canada for three weeks I put on a stone. The portion sizes there are enormous, so I can only imagine what the US portion sizes are.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »
I just got back from Mexico. While there are plenty of fattening foods to be had there is virtually no fast food. It was so refreshing. I want to go back so badly. Fresh fish everywhere, little taco stands....
And yet Mexico is every bit as fat as the US.[/quote]
I didn't notice any large people, just....chubby. Then again maybe I wasn't paying enough attention.
My perception is very skewed because I live in one of the fittest towns in America. It's seriously insane how fit people are around here.
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TimothyFish wrote: »Perhaps the problem isn't that we east too much, but that we don't work hard enough.
Doubtful. Yes, we're lazy as all git the more technology we acquire, but weight gain does come down to how much you're eating. It's hard to out-exercise a bad diet.
While true, people who are busy don't have as much time to sit around snacking.0 -
I have no idea, but even as an American I have to say, isn't that quite alot? I mean isn't the caricature of the PMS-y chick or the person crying and getting over a breakup and overeating, a whole pint of ice cream? Or eating directly from the pint carton with a spoon or whatever?
Shoot. For me, a pint of icecream was always a single serving. And I ate it right out of the carton. New York Super Fudge Chunk, baby!0 -
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lemurcat12 wrote: »spilledmilk wrote: »It's true that most restaurant portions in the US are out of control huge. But at least for me, I've never expected them to be single-serving. I don't think I've ever eaten an entire portion of something I was served in a restaurant, ever. Unless it was upscale or a small plate.
I go to a decent number of restaurants (more upscale) where the serving size isn't really off what a normal serving is (although I'm sure the calorie count still is). People end up ordering multiple courses or doing the tasting menu or some such, so probably lose track of the total amount of food they eat.
And in restaurants with massive servings definitely one of the perks is bringing some home, but I strongly suspect that while people typically don't eat the whole thing, the huge amount on the plate means they eat a lot more than they normally would, without necessarily realizing it.
Not saying this is anyone's responsibility but the eater's, however.
I think how fast people eat plays a part, too. At the higher end restaurants, there's not as much as a push to get you out the door and someone else at your table. Family places, the server is offering dessert 5 minutes after you get your plates, and has the check ready if you say no. If you get soup or salad, you have to rush to finish it before they bring the food, again with appetizers. A lot of people already eat too fast, so they don't register being full until it's too late to stop, and that pressure makes it even more likely.
Yeah, I think this is true too.0 -
I've never considered a pint of ice cream a single serving, but I have been known to eat the whole thing and treat it as a meal. (All 800 calories of it.)0
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TimothyFish wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Perhaps the problem isn't that we east too much, but that we don't work hard enough.
Doubtful. Yes, we're lazy as all git the more technology we acquire, but weight gain does come down to how much you're eating. It's hard to out-exercise a bad diet.
While true, people who are busy don't have as much time to sit around snacking.
I haven't noticed this. In fact, it often seems that it's the MORE busy people who have quick "grabbable" foods constantly at hand. In the car, in the desk, in the purse, backpack, school locker, munching "something quick" at the child's soccer practice, running from the car to the store (yes, I have seen this), everywhere.
All. Day. Long.
Then they're jetting in and out of McD's, Taco Bell, etc. for breakfast, lunch and often dinner as well. Because "I need to grab something quick, I'm so busy, busy busy busy, just look how busy I am."
"Busy" seems to be a national badge of honor and even if you aren't busy, you're darned well going to look it. And you're going to be "grabbing something quick" the whole way. Well, unless your job is as a neurosurgeon or something and you're standing in one place for 11 hours with both hands filled with surgical instruments or something.
Nobody "sits around and" snacks as you stated, how many people do you know who sit down to a plate and napkin every time they want to eat something? The cool thing to do is to run around and shove in the food, not sit down to it. Actually taking time and sitting down is more likely to produce the opposite result, actually, than "quick" snacking.
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I like to eat more and shrink. To heck with the scales. I'll still weigh (not too often) for data and trends. But, any meat the size of my palm, no. If it fits my daily calories, I'll move more and eat more.0
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