Nearly 80% of people in the US believe that what they eat
is more important than how much they eat -- even as they scarf
down fast-food chain 'supersized' portions and corner-store
muffins that have ballooned in size from 1.5 to 8 ounces.
The finding suggests that when it comes to losing weight,
many people may be ignoring the importance of limiting overall
calorie intake, according to Melanie Polk, director of
nutrition education at the American Institute for Cancer
Research (AICR), which commissioned the survey.
And many people may not be aware that portion sizes -- and
even standard restaurant plate sizes -- have grown in the last
few decades, along with the average American waist line.
'It seems that with all this emphasis on fat over the last
few years, our focus seems to have been distorted at the
expense of portion size,' said Polk in an interview with
Reuters Health. 'We sort of lost our perspective. And that
would make sense given that more than half of Americans are
overweight at this point.'
In the survey, which was conducted by Penn, Schoen and
Berland Associates of Washington, DC, on behalf of the AICR,
more than 1,000 people aged 18 and older were interviewed
about their eating habits and weight-loss strategies. The
survey findings appear to confirm recent data from the
National Institutes of Health that suggest that 55% of
Americans are overweight and 25% are obese. The survey found
that:
-- 62% of people say they are above their ideal weight,
with 10% saying they need to lose 50 pounds or more;
-- only 1% could correctly estimate standard serving sizes
for 8 different major foods ranging from pasta to potatoes, as
defined by the US Department of Agriculture;
-- only 12% consider the Nutrition Facts food label
guidelines when portioning out food, and 67% of people say
they never measure out food;
-- 56% decide how much to eat based on how hungry they are,
and 26% eat everything on their plate no matter how much is
served;
-- and 34% continue to eat whatever they have become used
to eating, regardless of changing caloric needs due to drops
in daily activity levels or aging.
The good news is that most people can begin to change their
habits right away and on their own., Polk said.
'We don't want to be measuring out our food all the time,'
she acknowledged. 'That takes all the joy out of eating... but
one of the best things that you can do to become more aware of
what you are eating is to take a day and measure out some
serving sizes and see how much it takes up the plate.'
While consulting a registered dietitian can help, 'some
things people can do on their own -- saying 'hey, this is a
lot more than I need, and I need to cut down,'' she said.
People need to take into account their age, gender, and
activity level when choosing what -- and how much -- to
eat.
'So cutting down on portion size is one thing, and the
other thing that can set you in the right direction is eating
a more plant-based diet,' she said.
(30 Mar 2000 1:55:0 EST)
