"This trend toward larger marketplace portions parallels the rising rates of obesity in our country," says registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Keith Ayoob.
Researchers from New York University compared portion sizes to federal standards, finding that most marketplace portions exceed standard sizes by as much as eight times. The researchers also found that portion sizes of many foods and beverages nowadays are two to five times larger then when the item first became commercially available.
"Because marketplace portions are consistently so much larger than Department of Agriculture standard servings, consumers need to be aware that one bagel can easily comprise six grain servings," Ayoob says. "This discrepancy explains why many Americans view six to 11 grain servings per day as 'too much to eat.' At our current portion sizes, it is too much."
The researchers found that portions of some foods exceed the serving sizes recommended on the package's food label. The labels list the number of calories per serving, but the researchers point out that individually packaged items sometimes contain 2.5 or more standard label servings. The Food and Drug Administration's rule that a food weighing less than twice the standard serving amount may be labeled "one serving per container" adds much confusion to Americans' already distorted image of portion sizes, according to the researchers.
"A standard soda serving is eight ounces, so both eight-ounce and 12-ounce sodas are labeled as one serving, while a 20-ounce soda is labeled as 2.5 servings," says Ayoob.
Other resu
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Contact: Bridget McManamon
bmcmana@eatright.org
312-899-4769
American Dietetic Association
31-Jan-2003