Simple Answer: WE ARE OUT OF PORTION CONTROL

OUT OF (PORTION) CONTROL  

Where have we gone wrong? It is not so hard to figure out. Our obesity rates have skyrocketed in the United States and the rest of the world. I hate to say it being an American, but we own the prize. The United States has the highest obesity rate in the world. We take home the gold, but I am not sure it is an award we want to win. Over 70% of the American population is either obese or overweight according to BMI numbers. A BMI of over 30 is considered obese and a BMI of over 25 is considered overweight. BMI or body mass index is not a perfect evaluation of our levels of body composition, but it gives us a good estimate.  

There is a significant difference between being overweight and being obese. Regarding health, being obese is far more problematic than being overweight. The obesity trend is what we want to start seeing decline. But how? Before we figure out how we need to look at how we got this bad. 

WHAT HAPPENED? 

What happened is portions have grown exponentially. We have gotten out of control as a nation with our portion sizes of food. When you go to a fast-food restaurant and sit-down restaurant the portions have increased drastically compared to decades prior.  Restaurants are a business. We can’t blame them. We must take responsibility for the foods we eat and how much we eat. We first take responsibility by learning the calorie content of the foods we eat and secondly by deciding how much to eat of it. Later I will give examples of how much the portions have changed.   

FOOD BASICS 

The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you eat. You must put in your mouth less calories than you put out. Period. It’s plain and simple. It’s simple. I understand that it’s not easy. It’s a simple concept but I know it’s very hard to learn how to eat moderately. I’ve worked with people for over 25 years in the personal training industry and I know that “diet” is the hardest part for some people.  

It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. This came come from eating less, moving more, or a combination of both (preferred).  If you create a deficit of 500 calories per day you will lose one pound per week. If you create a deficit of 1000 calories per day you will lose 2 pounds per week. Knowing this is easier than doing this but understanding this helps you get started. 

Another nutritional basic we should grasp is understanding macronutrients. It matters what type of food you are putting in your mouth.   The macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, fat, and water.  Carbohydrates have four calories per gram; protein has four calories per gram; and fat has nine calories per gram. Water is the final macronutrient, and it is calorie free.  Research shows that diet our diet should be 45-65% carbohydrates, 15-35% fat, and 10-20% protein. The ranges depend on your activity levels and type of activity. If you are active, you will need more carbohydrates. Protein is the most over-eaten macronutrient in an American diet. The myth is that we need more when we are active. What we need is more carbs.   

BACK TO WHAT HAPPENED 

How did we become so obese? Food sizes have gone up exponentially. In the 1960’s a basic McDonald’s meal was a hamburger or cheeseburger, french fries, and a milk shake. They only had nine items total on the menu. A hamburger at McDonald’s in the 1960’s had 250 calories and a cheeseburger had 350 calories. Today a Big Mac which is the more commonly sold item has 563 calories. French fries in the 1960’s at McDonald’s had 350 calories. A large fry now has 610 calories. A total meal at McDonalds in the 1960’s was 590 calories. The soda sizes were 12 oz and 150 calories. Today they are 32 ounces and 370 calories. If you order a total meal now at McDonald’s here is the calorie content: 1543 calories compared to 590 calories in the 1960’s. That is a simple increase in size my friends. What happened? It’s clear. 

I am not picking on McDonald’s. They are clear and open about their calorie contents. All restaurants and convenience stores have increased their serving sizes. They are simply responding to consumer demand. At Burger King a Whopper has 677 calories. The Baconator from Wendy’s has a whopping 970 calories. There are now places like WAWA and 7-11 where people can go in and get fast food whenever they want. In the 1960’s this “convenience” was not there.  

Now, let’s look at “coffees”. If you went to McDonald’s in the 1960’s our coffee would cost, you five calories. Good luck ordering a mocha Frappuccino in the 1960’s! They did not exist. Now if you get a latte at a Starbucks or similar place it will cost you 160 calories or 360 calories if you order a mocha! What happened to just a coffee? Back to the Frappuccino; it has 520 calories. These places wouldn’t make these super high calorie drinks if Americans weren’t demanding them.  

Next on the list is ball parks. We used to go to games and watch games! In the past a hot dog was 150 calories, and a soda was 150 calories. You won’t climb up the BMI scale too much with that home run. But now you can get it all. A common item at a ballgame are cheese fries with 629 calories. You can order a corndog with 460 calories and a basic hot dog has now grown to 290 calories almost doubling. Why? American’s want more beef! Or whatever it is! You can’t fault the companies. They wouldn’t serve it if American’s didn't’ buy it up.  

EATING TOO MUCH HAS BECOME TOO EASY  

It could be argued that people could have eaten more in the 1960’s and prior and obesity rates would have been just as high. This is true. It’s not like humans have simply learned how to eat more than we used to. It’s simply that it’s easier to eat more than it used to be. Again, I’m not making any excuses. The sizes have gotten bigger and we’re gobbling them up. Decades ago, if you wanted to consume those kinds of calories in a brief period you would have had to work for them. You would have had to make foods in your own kitchen or doubled up on serving sizes which would have cost you money. The fact is that it’s quite easy to now consume way more calories than you need. 

This isn’t the only reason that obesity rates have skyrocketed. Remember above where I mentioned that energy in must be less than energy out to lose weight. The energy out part is activity. We don’t move like we used to. We don’t have physical education in schools like we used to, kids aren’t moving outside like they used to and so many devices do simple things for us that we used to do.  Adults have far more sedentary jobs than we used to.  

Our portions our out of control and we don’t move like we used to. The obesity crisis has been explained.  

WHAT DO WE DO NOW? 

I believe the first step to any change is awareness. I believe that if most people knew how many calories are in these high calorie convenience foods, they wouldn’t choose them. The restaurants are giving calorie numbers now. It’s not like they’re hiding them. We need to be aware that these high calorie numbers are making us gain weight and we don’t need them.  

Another thing people really need to get is it’s not about carbs, proteins, and fats. Quit going on the internet and finding the next fad diet.  The enemy is too many calories! Period. If you always choose the lowest calorie food with the highest nutrients you will stop battling the bulge as much as you do. For example, broccoli is a very nutrient dense food because it’s low in calorie and high in nutrients. A Big Mac is the opposite. It’s extremely high in calories and extremely low in most nutrients. 

Also, be mindful. These places that have fast food are aware that you are choosing them because you are in a hurry. Slow down and don’t be. Do you really need that big drink when you're simply fueling up for gas? Do you have to stop at the 7-11 and grab food out of a bag? The other thing that’s quite different from decades ago is that families don't sit down and eat together anymore. It’s fast food. And food on the run. Why do you have to eat like that? I always tell my clients to delay the gratification. These food ads at these places pop up on purpose. These people get paid big bucks in the marketing department to know how to get you. They know we humans are very impulsive and will see that tasty drink sign and order it when we are not even in need. Say no. Delay gratification doesn’t mean forever. It means for now. Just wait unit your next meal that you are having at home and eat then. You won’t miss it. 

SUMMARY 

Our eating is a budget. We have gained weight over the decades worldwide because we consume far more food than we used to, and we need. The places that sell foods have made it easier for us to eat more. We can’t blame them. They sell food to make money. We need to be aware of what is best for us. We can all be better which is this case is smaller food choices. Fast food restaurants most likely will not change and convenience stores are not going to stop selling Big Gulps. We need to understand just how costly these choices are. I believe our best defense is understanding this as the problem.