According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States is the most obese nation in the world. In 2018, a whopping 39.6% of adult Americans were considered obese (NHANES). Our obesity rates have been steadily rising over the years. For comparison sake, in 1960 only 13.4 percent of American adults were obese (sourced from the CDC). How did we get here? 
We know that processed food and sugar consumption has risen alongside the obesity trend over the years, but portion sizes have also risen dramatically. The original size soda cup at McDonalds held 7 ounces in 1955, whereas nowadays a small cup holds 16 oz, and the large holds about 32 ounces. According to the CDC, the average size of a restaurant meal has quadrupled since the 1950’s. From King Size Snickers bars to 30% more in your potato chip bag, to Venti (and the secret Trenta) iced latte’s at Starbucks, we have been taught to value the ‘more for your money’ mentality when it comes to food. And yet, although we’re eating more, our biological need for calories has certainly not increased. In fact, with more people having sedentary jobs and modern conveniences, I imagine our need for calories has actually decreased.
But we Americans have developed a sort of dysmorphic understanding of what a normal portion looks like. My clients from other countries confide that they were shocked at the size of our portions when they first moved here, and subsequently, they gained weight. From our super-sized movie theater popcorn, to all you can eat buffets, it’s clear that America has a portion crisis.
But it’s not just the U.S. Our entire world has experienced a steady rise in obesity since the 60’s. I was curious as to how we compared to other countries in terms of portions and obesity, and I found this fascinating graphic created by National Geographic, which not only shows the amount of calories consumed in America from 1961-2011, but also compares us to twenty one other countries: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/what-the-world-eats/ The overall arc for calories consumed over the years is upward for every country I checked.
In the United States the chart shows that the average person consumed 2,882 calories in 1961, and in 2011 we were up to 3,641, an almost 800 calorie spread over the years. When we compare America to Japan, the average person ate 2,717 calories in 2011. That’s a difference of 924 calories each day. In India, the average person consumed even fewer calories: 2,458. That’s a difference of over 1,100 calories per day in comparison to Americans!
No wonder the U.S. ranked so high (17th) for average BMI worldwide in 2014 (according to WHO), and Japan ranked 166th, close to the bottom of the list. India ranked 178th, even better than Japan. *It should be noted however that rates of obesity in India have risen dramatically since 2011, with the lightning speed spread of fast food amongst the contributing factors.
While there’s a clear relation between the number of calories consumed and BMI rates for the different countries, the graph also breaks down where the calories come from (grains vs meat vs sugars, etc). In the U.S., the largest portion of the calorie pie came from sugar and fat in 2011 by a long shot (37%, up from 29% in 1961), whereas the largest part of the Indian diet came from grains (57%). Sugar and fat made up only 19% of the Indian calorie pie.
I’ve never been a fan of calorie counting; I believe that what you eat is way more important than how much (i.e. the same caloric portion of twizzlers vs avocado affects our health in vastly different ways). All calories are especially not created equal when it comes to how high a food spikes your blood sugar (check out my previous blog post on calorie counting vs the glycemic index for more info: https://healthyjaime.com/calorie-counting-vs-glycemic-index/). But regardless, the bottom line is that we are eating too much food!
So, the question is, how much should we eat? The answer to this is a little tricky. Everybody is different in terms of metabolism, lifestyle, size, and caloric needs, although it’s generally suggested that the average man eat 2,500 calories/day to maintain weight, and 2,000 calories for the average woman. But because everybody’s different, and since we’ve shown that serving size is arbitrary (the standard has changed with the food industry over the years), the best way to know how much we should eat is to start paying attention to our real hunger.
It’s no surprise that in our fast paced, eat-at-your-desk, social media distracted society, that we’re eating way past full; we have simply stopped hearing our body’s signals. Eating mindlessly is a ubiquitous problem in our country.
Want to know what sized portions to eat? Follow these five tips:
1- Increase mindfulness. This is easier said than done, but I believe it’s one of the missing ingredients in most diets. How can you increase mindfulness? Invite more stillness into your life. Take time to ask your body how it feels… and listen to the response. Spend time in nature where the pace is naturally slower. Meditate. Try deep breathing exercises that will force you into the present moment and into your body. Take time to chew your food more, put your fork down halfway through your meal and breathe, and try not to eat in front of a screen. Do a body scan for tension and release your breaths on an elongated exhale. Check out Eckhart Tolle, the master of the present moment. Look for mindfulness apps like Insight Timer and Calm. Don’t underestimate the power of mindfulness when it comes to portions and weight.
2- Don’t starve yourself. It’s very important to get enough nutrients daily for optimal health. Depriving yourself of the nutrients and calories you need can cause health and performance issues, and strong cravings for too much food, usually not the healthy kind, whereby a backlash of bingeing will occur.
3- Eat real, whole food. Generally speaking, if you eat nutrient-dense foods, they will fill you up much faster than refined/processed/junk food, and will naturally contribute to smaller portions.
4- Eat from smaller containers and plates. There’s a weird psychological effect that happens when you eat out of a big container vs a small one. Your idea of how much you’re eating gets distorted. Studies have shown for instance that people pour less out of a smaller bottle of olive oil than a bigger one when free pouring. So choose your plate wisely, and portion snacks into a bowl rather than eating from a full bag.
5- Leftovers are King and Queen. Getting full? Box it up! It’s like a little gift to your future self to have a ready-to-eat snack or meal the next day.
And remember that there are more benefits to eating fewer calories than just weight loss. There have been numerous studies over the years that suggest ‘calorie restriction’ diets help people live longer; there’s less wear and tear on your system when we eat fewer calories, and less oxidative damage to our cells from the process of digestion. We also tend to have more energy when we don’t over-eat; the energy it takes to digest extra food is freed up for other tasks.
So, whether it’s for your general health or to lose weight, reconsider how much food your body actually needs, and choose your portions accordingly.
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