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You are what you eat -- to a great extent. Or, as some nutritionists see it: Your weight depends on your plate.
Are you the type to smother a dinner plate with meat and potatoes, or can you still see the plate before you dig in? Do you push your plate away if you've had enough, or are you a member of the clean plate club?
"It's not what you eat but how much you eat that counts most when it comes to weight reduction," says Melanie Polk, consultant at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).
But many Americans haven't gotten the message. In a survey sponsored by AICR, 78 percent of adults said the opposite -- that eating certain types of food is more important than eating less food when trying to lose weight. In the same survey, only 1 percent of the respondents could answer questions about serving sizes correctly.
Today, at least 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the National Institutes of Health. One in every four is obese and at increased risk for obesity-related diseases such as certain cancers, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.
Hold the meat, not the pickle
To help Americans slim down and eat healthier, the AICR has created a new approach to eating called "The New American Plate." Very simply, it advises people to focus on portion size when making meals at home or ordering out at restaurants.
What should be on the New American Plate? Nutritionists agree that vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans should cover two-thirds or more of the plate. Meats and other animal-source foods should cover one-third or less. Research has shown that fruits and vegetables have a protective effect against cancer because of the phytochemicals they contain. Phytochemicals interfere with cancer cell growth and reproduction.
The New American Plate is almost a reversal of the Old American Plate, which typically featured 8 ounces to 10 ounces of steak with buttery mashed potatoes and peas. Where's the beef under the new plan? People are urged to think of meat as a side dish or condiment rather than the primary ingredient.
Americans have done better at reducing fat in their diets, but Polk says there's a wrinkle. "As they eat more low-fat products, they gain weight," she says. "That wasn't supposed to happen, but because they are eating more of these products, they are getting more calories."
Saying "no" to super sizes
The AICR notes that obesity became an epidemic in America at the same time that portion size grew. The food industry's "value marketing" strategy of offering more for less has also affected Americans' waistlines as well as their wallets.
Fast-food restaurants lure in diners with "value meals" and "super sizes." Even table-service restaurants have swapped the traditional 10-and-half-inch plate for a 12-inch plate, according to the AICR.
"Value marketing has confused Americans about what a normal and appropriate portion of food should look like," Polk says.
"Foreigners coming to this country express amazement at the amounts of food heaped on American plates. Food adopted from foreign cuisines, such as the croissant, bagel or quesadilla, double or triple in size when they reach our shores. Even the traditional American muffin has ballooned from a standard 1-1/2 ounces to as large as 8 ounces," she adds.
U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show that the average daily caloric intake of Americans has risen from 1,854 calories to 2,002 calories during the last 20 years. That increase - 148 calories per day - theoretically works out to an extra 15 pounds per year.
Practice portion control
If you're a member of the Big Plate Club, Polk has some advice to regain perspective on serving sizes.
- Use the "eyeball method" for portion control. Fill a measuring cup or spoon with a single serving of a favorite food (the precise amount is found on the "Nutrition Facts" label) and empty it onto a clean plate or bowl. By "eyeballing" the plate or bowl, you can get a sense of what single servings look like. Polk says many people will be surprised to learn that the bowl of cereal they eat every morning contains twice or even three times more servings (and fat and calories and sugar) than they realize.
- Make substitutions. Choose a regular burger instead of the quarter-pounder for a savings of 160 calories. Use sunflower seeds instead of a handful of greasy croutons on your salad and low-fat milk on your cereal.
- Think small, divide in half and share. If you're given the option when dining out, order half an entree or order small - a cup of soup instead of a bowl, for example, or an appetizer and soup instead of an entree. Also, ask for an order to be divided between two people. "You have to let them (restaurateurs) know there's too much food on that plate," Polk says.
- Doggie-bagging dinner. At table-service restaurants, ask the server to put half of your entree in a doggie bag before bringing it to your table. This strategy, says Polk, is not only calorie effective, but it provides two full meals for the price of one.
Polk says she believes if enough people call for it, restaurants could be cajoled into offering reasonable portions. "Tell them you don't want more for less. Tell them you want less for less - less food for even less money. You want to sit down and enjoy an amount of food that you can finish without feeling stuffed at a fair and reasonable price."
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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