Size Matters

Posted February 1, 2008 by Diane Henderiks

Most of us are all too familiar with the experience of having eaten much more than we meant to at a favorite restaurant. Since supersized portions are contributing to our country’s rising incidence of obesity, instead of just eating whatever is placed in front of you, think twice about the amount of food on your plate before you begin your meal.

Remember, the plates at most restaurants are much larger than a typical dinner plate, so what’s on them is not the amount meant to be eaten at one sitting. After conducting more than 50 experiments, including the one showing that bigger plates made people eat more, Professor Brian Wansink, founder of the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois, coined the phrase “portion distortion.”

Don’t go out to eat when you’re famished; curb your appetite with a salad, piece of fruit, or cup of broth-based soup beforehand. Share an appetizer. Eat slowly; it takes about twenty minutes for your brain to register that your stomach’s full, so your mother’s admonitions to put down your fork between bites and chew your food twenty times before swallowing are actually good advice. When you feel satisfied, just leave any remaining food on your plate, and don’t be embarrassed to ask for half of the meal to be wrapped up before it’s served.

For more stories about: Restaurant, Health