from the Mayo Clinic June 1, 2012
The new (ab)normal — Are bigger portions the norm?
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
The average restaurant meal today is more than four times larger than in the 1950s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which created a graphic to drive home the changes. Check it out at http://makinghealtheasier.org/newabnormal
The graphic and the quiz that goes with it call attention to the massive increase in restaurant portion sizes since the 1950s — and the corresponding increase in average adult weight.
Here are some examples of how serving sizes have changed since the 1950s:
Then: The average burger sandwich was 3.9 ounces. Now: A burger is 12 ounces. (I’m not even going to comment on the toppings and sauces.)
Then: The size for fries was 2.4 ounces. Now: The size is 6.7 ounces
.
Then: Soda came in a 7-ounce cup. Now: The average soda is 42 ounces. (If this is a sugar-sweetened cola, calories have gone from about 90 to 530!)
to read the rest of the story: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/comments/MY02121_comments#post
Dr. Wilson replies:
Portion sizes and average food intake have increased for several reasons. We now know that excessive fructose primarily from sugar and HFCS is the driving force behind insulin resistance and central obesity. When someone with insulin resistance consumes a high glycemic carbohydrate, their brain is subjected to magnified glucose spikes.
Over time these magnified glucose spikes seem to trigger a chronic brain disorder we now call Carbohydrate Reversible Brain syndrome or CARB syndrome. Because the brain plays a key role in auto-regulating fat stores, people with CARB syndrome begin to store excessive fat even when they don’t overeat. The first symptom of this disease is craving sweet and starchy foods so people with CARB syndrome end up eating more of the very food that is frying their brain.
Their hunger drives also become disrupted and they lose a sense of satiety, leading them to eat more food than their body needs. The solution? Eliminate sugar and HFCS and reduce intake of high glycemic carbohydrates, especially from grains.