Many Americans eat a lot and they eat out a lot.
We’ve always prided ourselves on our generously portioned dishes, but since Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Super Size Me came out in 2004, those portions are no longer always viewed positively, even if little has changed.
With rising awareness of obesity and now a global food crisis , U.S. food portions are under increasing scrutiny. Soaring food prices have sparked protests in countries around the world and more than 800 million people go hungry every day. Lightening American plates would help ease some of the pressure, but don’t hold your breath that changes will come anytime soon, despite the rising cost of food.
Correspondent Jasmin Melvin writes, “Portion sizes in the United States not only exceed those in less-developed countries, but also in the developed world. In fact, Americans have the highest per capita daily consumption in the world, eating 3,770 calories a day … according to data from the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization. ”
Do you eat out a lot or stay in? Do you enjoy the large restaurant portions or does a lot of it go to waste? What are your eating habits?
(Caption Top: A man takes a bite from a hamburger in Hollywood, California October 3, 2007. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
(Caption Left: A menu for fried chicken and french fries is displayed on a wall at a fast food restaurant in New York, October 30, 2006. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
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15 comments so far
I tend to NOT eat out nearly as much as I used to…and have lost over 15 pounds as a result. As a family, we have switched to more raw/organic foods and eat as little processed junk as possible. My two sons are rarely sick, are full of life and energy, and we feel great. We occassionally dabble with pizza or ice cream, but that is more of a rare treat than a daily meal. The only thing I eat at McDonald’s is a hot fudge sundae.
When we do go to eat and we receive mammoth portions, we make it a point to only eat half and doggie bag the rest for later. That way, our spending goes further and we actually end up getting two meals for one price.
I try to eat fresh fruit for breakfast and lunch (usually a juicy sweet orange and some bananas or a large smoothie) and then a large salad of all sorts of greens and veggies with a light vinagrette for dinner. Maybe some grilled chicken strips on top for variety. But eating less cooked/processed has made my digestion much better and more “regular” and I don’t feel nearly as bloated or lousy as I used to feel eating the typical Western diet. I support my local farmstands and NOT the fast food giants!
- Posted by RobDo you eat out a lot or stay in?
I do both, and I make sure that I have smaller portions. I spent much of my childhood in Africa, so I am accustomed to smaller portions. When I moved to the US, I couldn’t and still can’t handle the large portions.
Do you enjoy the large restaurant portions or does a lot of it go to waste?
When my husband and I go to restaurants that serve large portions, we split the main meal. Since we normally share out meal, we rarely have leftovers.
What are your eating habits?
- Posted by KelseyI eat everything I need, like, and crave, but all in small portions. Also, unless I am running late, I don’t skip meals.
Lunch is almost exclusively an eat out affair.
- Posted by jamesbFood in the US is still cheap and the restaurants pile it on in order to justify their price markup. Just eat some of it and then have the rest later. Big deal. When I went to Ireland in 2000, it didn’t seem to be much different than the US. In fact, I recall getting ‘leftover boxes’ more there than I do at home in the US (at one restaurant, the chicken dinner was an entire chicken plus side dishes!).
The number of people going hungry around the world has more to do with many areas being extremely over-populated, not the portion sizes in the US.
- Posted by kwsworld hunger has to do with people living where there is no food and the greed in their government, not the fat americans in the street. americans need to learn self control and understand calories intake and utilization better. americans need to exercise more. americans need to read more and listen to ads less. however, 66% of england is obese compared to 33% of americans. i heard it was 50% in Egypt, but i cannot confirm that.
stop trying to pin world issues on common americans. Common Americans wish to close the borders and adopt a more isolationist policy to take care of our own.
- Posted by stevegreedy leaders and business of all nations are the ones pushing and/or providing the “decadence” and taking focus away from educating and being socially responsible. media moguls such as this one are just as guilty.
I’m curious about the claim that Americans eat 3770 calories a day. A moderately active person (and aren’t Americans lazy slobs and therefore less-than-moderately-active?) burns fifteen calories per pound per day. At 3770 calories a day, the average American weighs over 250 pounds! I guess I only know the skinny ones.
- Posted by cathyl2World hunger has nothing to do with Americans or anybody else overeating.
However, it is only good to be prudent about food and energy - or for that matter, anything that zaps earth of her resources. It is also only good not to waste food as a sign of respect and consideration for the people who go to bed hungry for whatever reasons. It is also a sign of respect for oneself not to overindulge and cause harm to oneself.
I am delighted to know so many of you share the huge portions or bag it for later - no wastage, no over-eating. May more people do likewise.
- Posted by yvonneI’m somewhat heavy, but I have cut down on eating due to the cost of food recently and lost 4 lbs. Sometimes I do religious fasts and pray, which cuts down on food intake. Starvation in the rest of the world is more due to politics and disasters than it is to overweight Americans, but most Americans could afford to be a little more generous with the less advantaged.
- Posted by sylviaSteve, according to annecollins.com, in the UK 39% are overweight and 19% are obese. The statistic you sighted seems to be for overweight or obese, not just obese.
- Posted by KevinI’ve never travelled internationally to anyplace where the restaurant portions weren’t as large or large than as in the U.S. . Also, American food is much less greasy than food in Asia. Curries in Pakistan are almost as thick as cement with fat. Chinese food practically floats in oil - its disgusting! Only in American and/or Western-style restaurants can you escape in the tidal wave of grease in Asia.
- Posted by Michael E. Piston, Troy, MII agree with a number of posts here. How can you blame portion sizes in America with world hunger? That is completely unfair. I live in Europe, and on a recent first trip to America I did not get the impression that their portion sizes were any larger than the portion sizes in cheaper, down-market restaurants in Europe. In fact quite the contrary. Corruption, greed, and many other factors contribute to world hunger - but we should not try to make the developed world feel guilty just because we don’t starve.
- Posted by SeamusI think,full is not the best state for body!
- Posted by LED displaylitter hungery will be more better and long life.
Its unlikely that cutting down on restaurant portions will feed people in developing countries, and no, you dont have to feel guilty for not going to bed hungry.
- Posted by HHowever, someone should tell George Bush to keep his comments about increasing food and fuel consumption in developing countries to himself. I recently read a statistic on a news website that the state of California consumes more petrol in a year than several countries, including India, a nation of a billion people. As for food portions, overeating is unhealthy, and waste is just irresponsible, so it makes sense to share or take away.
I go out to eat often for lunch and at least once a week in the evenings. The lunch specials are generally too big for me to finish and I see a lot of food go uneaten. When possible I take the leftovers home to eat that evening. Without a doubt my portions are larger than they should be especially considering I try not to waste food.
One trick I know to help reduce the amount of food we consume is to drink a full glass of water before each meal. We also should not eat till we feel full but until we are no longer hungry. Eat a reasonable portion and if after 10 min you are still hungry then seconds are always available.
This, however, is not likely to solve the world food shortage as much of the food we eat is perishable. Whats sad is that places like North Korea have rich soil totally capable of producing their own crops. How the population of places like North Africa ever supported such numbers is simply amazing and they manage to breed as though it will solve their problems.
It used to be believed that we could teach the people of Africa to cultivate their lands and grow their own food and today we hear very little of such projects. Why do you suppose such efforts have all but ceased?
- Posted by VaughnNot the idea, that’s why. As long as the beer and cheeseburgers keep flowing, no one will care about anyone else other than themselves. Sad. You should read this article which states that the global food prices situation was caused by the biofuel boom, the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations.
http://warofillusions.wordpress.com/2008 /06/02/how-to-manufacture-a-global-food -crisis/
- Posted by Stefan