Diet Talk from the Doc
by Dr.Diet, Diet.com's Medical Director

People overeat because they're confused about what constitutes a normal portion size, according to one study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Growing portion sizes over the last 2 decades seems to have confused people, say the Rutgers researchers.


To read the full article, click here:
'Portion Distortion' may contribute to expanding waistlines, study reports

Dr. Diet weighs in:

It is so common for people to think that the amount of food they're being served on a single plate is a single serving. However, this seemingly simple concept couldn't be further from the truth.

Restaurant pasta portions, soft drink cup sizes, candy bars, single serving cereal boxes, popcorn containers at the movies and even entrée salads are just some examples of portion sizes gone wild.

Not only have portion sizes grown in the past 2 decades but so have our plate sizes. No wonder people are confused.

The food industry has stepped in to help. I encourage everyone to try some of the latest portion controlled foods in an attempt to retrain your eyes and stomach as to what constitutes a normal portion size:

100 calorie snack packs

Frozen entrees like Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice

Meal replacement bars that can be a quick breakfast or lunch on the run

And the best portion-controlled snacks come in their own fresh fruit or veggie wrapper

Another trick is to use mental images as visual cues to help you become more portion-savvy. Here are some examples:

1 serving of bread is the size of a cassette tape

1 serving of cereal is a large handful

1 serving of cooked cereal, rice or pasta is size of a cupcake wrapper

1 serving of fish, chicken, or meat looks like a deck of cards

1 serving of fruit looks like a tennis ball

1 serving of cheese looks like a 9 volt battery

1 serving of peanut butter looks like the size of a ping pong ball