Many Americans are desperately looking for way to cut calories. In the last twenty years the percentage of overweight Americans has skyrocketed. In the seventies 47% of Americans were overweight or obese but today the percentage has risen to 66 percent. What is even more alarming is that obese individuals have doubled from 15 to 30%. The reasons for this are partly due to portion changes in the food industry. Twenty years ago many of the largest portion sizes in restaurants, coffee shops and supermarkets were a lot smaller.

Today, everything seems to be “super sized.” The food industry has made it extremely easy for Americans to overeat without even realizing it. Not only have portion sizes increased, plate, bowl and cup sizes have also increased. Studies have been done that have revealed that when people are given food in larger containers they eat more. Studies also show that when people at self serve restaurants have larger plates they serve themselves larger portions at end up eating more.

Reports have been published stating that serving sizes in restaurants are 2 to 5 times larger that when they first became available. Twenty years ago the calories in a cheeseburger were around 325, today many of the burgers are much larger and have over 600 calories. The largest size of popcorn was about 275 calories, the largest tub today is about 625. Pizza slices have gotten bigger. Twenty years ago, two slices were about 500 calories, now the larger slices are around 850. Original soft drinks came in 8 ounce sizes at about 100 calories per bottle. Today, much larger sizes are available. A 20 ounce bottle of Coke has 242 calories. Studies show that Americans are consuming about 10% more calories than they did in 1970. which is about an extra 200 calories per day or 20 pounds per year.

Another temptation in our food buying decisions is the price. Why buy the medium size drink when the large size is only .25 cents more and you get whole lot more for your money? This same reasoning leads many people to shop at bulk food discount stores to save money and often leads to buying to much which can increase food consumption.

Some studies are now suggesting that regular overeating depresses dopamine levels. Dopamine is a chemical that allows us to receive pleasure from eating. When this chemical is depressed we need greater amounts of food to feel satisfied which leads to more eating. Another problems is with the food itself. Most of the super sized foods and beverages are low in fiber and pass through the stomach quickly which may allow you to feel full only for a short time.

Add to this the fast paced lifestyle of most Americans who are always in a hurry even when eating a meal. This in itself is one sure way to overeat because your body doesn’t have enough time to signal the brain when it’s full. You may have felt the discomfort of overeating, but individuals who continue to eat super sized portions will come to the point where they no longer feel this discomfort because the stomach will have stretched to accommodate these larger meals. This creates a new problem. If you happen to eat less than this large portion of food you find that you are still hungry and go back for seconds. Fortunately, there is something you can do to correct this problem, simply watch your portions. At first eating less will be uncomfortable because you will feel hungry. Resist the urge to overeat because eventually your hunger will shrink even if your stomach does not, your dopamine levels will return to normal and you will be full and satisfied on less food once again.

Some suggestions for change when eating out would be to choose the smallest sizes available or share one portion between two people. Being aware of what a normal meal portion size should be will help. For example, 3 to 4 ounces of meat is recommended for a healthy meal. This is about the size of a deck of cards. Don’t try to finish it all if you are feeling full. Ask for a container and eat half of it for lunch the next day. When eating snacks at home, don’t eat from the bag. Place a few items you like in a bowl and put the bag in the cupboard. Another thing you can try is to buy single portions of snacks. When adding butter or sour cream to your meal use half the amount. Increase your daily portions of fruit and vegetables. Because these foods are high in fiber, they digest more slowly leaving you feeling full and satisfied longer.

Keeping and eye on your portions and making a conscious effort to reduce them when eating out or at home is one of the easiest and simplest approaches to weight loss and weight management. Taking the time to eat more slowly will help you to feel full and satisfied at the proper time, which is another simple and easy step towards weight control.