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Ever wonder who decides how many Gummy Bears = 1 serving? (18) Or that one cup of Wheaties = 1 serving? Well, nationwide food consumption surveys do, but also the NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). So if you’re wondering why a serving of ice cream is usually only a ½-cup (on their Web site the NHLBI says no more than the size of half a baseball), it’s because that’s what they’ve determined is the right amount to stay healthy. Meanwhile, we all know how many baseballs Baskin Robbins scoops into their hot fudge sundaes–enough to fill a small bathtub, right?
The NHLBI has studied portion explosion over the last 20 years and has done a lot of groundbreaking research. The good folks over at DivineCaroline.com used that research, re-purposed some NHLBI photos from a fun portion explosion quiz, and tell us that “in the 1970s, around 47 percent of Americans were overweight or obese; now 66 percent of us are. In addition, the number of just obese people has doubled, from 15 percent of our population to 30 percent.”
Scary stuff, right?
This all starts to make a lot of sense when you look at the following images, culled from the NHLBI site and DivineCaroline.com. Clearly the majority of us are eating more than 18 Gummy Bears.
1. Two Slices of Pizza
You’d have to play golf (walking and carrying your clubs) for an hour to burn the extra 350 calories.
2. Bagel
You would have to rake leaves for 50 minutes to burn the extra 210 calories added over the last 20 years to the average bagel.
3. Movie Popcorn
You’d have to do water aerobics for 1 hour and 15 minutes to burn the extra 360 calories.
4. Cheeseburger
You’d have to lift weights for1 hour and 30 minutes to burn off the 257 calories.
5. Chicken Caesar Salad
Yes, even “healthy” food has exploded in size over the last 20 years. You’d have to walk your dog for 1 hour and 20 minutes to burn the 400 calories. (If you don’t have a dog, you’d have to buy one first.)
6. Cup of Coffee
You’d have to walk 1 hour and 20 minutes to burn the extra 305 calories.
7. Soda
In the early ’70s, 6.5 ouncers were popular. Today it’s 20 ounces, or more (Super Big Gulp = 44 oz = 700 calories!) You’d have to work in the garden for 35 minutes to burn the extra 165 calories.
8. Turkey Sandwich
You’d need to ride a bike for 1 hour and 25 minutes to burn the extra 500 calories.
9. French Fries
You’d need to walk leisurely for1 hour and 10 minutes to burn the extra 400 calories.
10. Spaghetti and Meatballs
You’d need to houseclean for 2 hours and 35 minutes to burn off the extra 525 calories.
Comments (42)
Comment
- Follow mental_floss
“Meanwhile, we all know how many baseballs Baskin Robbins scoops into their hot fudge sundaes–enough to fill a small bathtub, right?”
No, and that’s the problem.
Portion control has been a big problem for me and in the last month I’ve been much better about it. I eat what I know should fill me and wait for my hunger to shut off instead of eating until my hunger shuts off. Works great. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the last 4 weeks by controlling my diet alone: gone from 192 to 182. I even lost weight over Thanksgiving break!
posted by Admiral Byrd on 12-10-2009 at 10:24 am
I cry foul on some of these comparisons. Comparing a GRANDE mocha to a simple cup of regular joe with cream and sugar isn’t a reasonable comparison. How about a tall regular coffee at Starbucks with cream and sugar? I bet it’s similar.
posted by nihil on 12-10-2009 at 10:38 am
@nihil – valid point, but i think the idea behind the comparisons is to show what the average person consumed then vs. now. how many people go into starbucks for a tall regular coffee? probably more go for the grande latte, and the more caloric option, is my hunch.
posted by David on 12-10-2009 at 10:44 am
Coffee is for men; milk is for children. Whyinthenameofhell would you even want to drink something called a “Super Grande Cafe Mocha Frappacino Latte” (or whatever the hell they call it), with or without whipped cream on top? What’s next, crushed nuts and a cherry?
Coffee was meant to be drunk black, straight out of the pot; just like Scotch whiskey was made to be drunk neat, without ice or mixers.
-”BB”-
posted by Bicycle Bill on 12-10-2009 at 10:50 am
In the Coca-Cola museum in Altanta, they have an ad from probably the 1970′s or so, displaying a 16 ounce bottle of Coke, with the tag line of “Serves 3″. Now, a “small” soft drink at most fast food places is a minimum of 20 ounces.
posted by Karen on 12-10-2009 at 10:52 am
On a more serious note, I believe the reason is that we are paying more money for prepared food these days — whether it is eating out in restaurants and fast-food places, or buying ready-made, heat-and-eat meals for home consumption. We feel that we “need to get our money’s worth” so we demand the larger portion and eat like a condemned man at his last meal.
Frankly, most people these days are so inactive that I think society as a whole would gain still weight, even if we were eating the ’20 years ago’-sized portions.
-”BB”-
posted by Bicycle Bill on 12-10-2009 at 10:57 am
I read an article a few years ago that even the portions in cookbooks like the standard, “The Joy of Cooking”, are increasing.
My biggest pet peeve in this increased portion size thing is drinks at fast food places where a “small” is now what “large” used to be. Fortunately, I usually am getting either plain iced tea or Diet Pepsi but still. And how the “small” is more expensive than a “medium”, especially at Burger King, to get you to buy the larger size. I just suck it up and spend the few extra cents.
All of these increasing portions at fast food and restaurants makes it hard to teach my son that you don’t have to eat all that you get, that what they are serving you is more than you need, or why we share many things when we go out because it used to be to save money, now it’s to save calories.
We are also working on our attitude toward fast food and eating out in general. It was a rare treat when I was a kid while now it is the norm to eat out 4-5 times a times a week so we’re are going back to eating out being a treat and limiting it to two times a week, only on the weekends, with some exceptions like when we visit my mom because she hardly ever has any food for us, ha, so we go out alot with her but we choose the better options.
posted by Sarah in CA on 12-10-2009 at 11:01 am
Looking at this makes me wonder about people 20 years ago…I’m a healthy weight but even with SOME of the “larger” portions shown here, I’m still hungry. Weren’t people more active back then, too? Were they getting enough calories or do I have a metabolic disorder? Haha…oh well
posted by Nicole on 12-10-2009 at 11:09 am
I hate it when you order a meal at a fast food place and switch your drink from soda to water and they give you the smallest cup they have in the place.
posted by BobB on 12-10-2009 at 11:42 am
Re: number 6 – I can understand that a lot of people love to go for the mocha, or the latte, or whatever, but when I go into Starbucks it’s a venti, BLACK coffee. And most of the other regulars get coffee too. I imagine the caloric intake is similar to the 70′s.
Also, 330 calories – 45 calories is 285 extra calories, not 305.
posted by Bert on 12-10-2009 at 12:05 pm
Maybe the solution is to not eat food that comes in a brightly coloured waxed paper wrapper. I think blaming and boycotting fast food restaurants for the supersized, “more bang for your buck” mentality is definitely the way to go!
Recaptcha: Amsterdam frostier
I do love Frosties, though…
posted by linda on 12-10-2009 at 12:12 pm
I was once told that the proper food portion should be about the size of your fist. Taking that into consideration, and the fact that I don’t cook, whenever I go to a restraunt, I immediately ask for a box to take half of it home. If I don’t see it, I won’t try to eat it.
posted by Addie on 12-10-2009 at 12:16 pm
Wasn’t it 1989 20 years ago? Are these portions from 20 years ago or from the 70s? (Which 30 to nearly 40 years, depending on where you stick your pin.)
They look to me like 70s portions. I’m pretty sure 1/2 liter sodas were introduced well before ’89.
No time to check out the source material right now (which might clear up my confusion), but I find this fascinating and will go there later.
posted by R.M. Koske on 12-10-2009 at 12:24 pm
Me and my wife split a meal down the middle (saves money too!) We order one thing and cut everything in half. So even if we splurge for desert, we aren’t stuffing ourselves silly.
posted by Marty on 12-10-2009 at 12:29 pm
I just watched a lady this morning driving her dog in her car to find a place to poop instead of walking it…wow…what does that say about our society?
posted by kelly on 12-10-2009 at 12:34 pm
Amen BobB
I have not had a pop in over 3 years. It is a pain when I am making that conscious decision to drink water which is good for me and stay away from the sugar laced drinks, but you insist on giving me a shot glass for it. Panera Bread is the worst about this. I have to fill 2 or 3 complimentary cups up just to have enough water for my meal. Sure, sure I could go back and fill up one cup X number of times, but that doesn’t allow for a nice meal with my wife. Just give me a normal size cup and trust I am gonna be honest and not steal drinks from the fountain. Sorry, I am done venting!
posted by JW on 12-10-2009 at 12:43 pm
All I know is that pizza (either portion size) and that popcorn sure look good!
My eating habits have changed drastically the last 10 years… primarily because I now live in Eastern Eur and do 90% of my own cooking. And I love it! I can still gain weight, mind you, but it’s just not convenient to go out and grab a bite so I don’t… and I feel a lot better. And guess what? It’s not all that hard, really. More a matter of habit… I was quite surprised, actually…
posted by ann on 12-10-2009 at 1:29 pm
The fast food places look at me crazy when I order water with my daughter’s kid meals. She always goes for the fruit side option and only drinks water with the meals. They don’t get it that while we have to eat out from time to time because of busy schedules, I still want a healthy as possible option for my daughter.
posted by Kim on 12-10-2009 at 1:44 pm
These examples are all BS. So why run this again? Although there may be 20-somethings reading these articles, let ME assure them that: pizza slice sizes have never changed – in fact, pies are now smaller than 20 years ago. Bagels were NEVER bought from stores at 3″ unless they were Lender’s minis. Tubs of popcorn are very far from new, and large cheeseburgers, as well as large orders of fries, also are not a recent development. Serving size recommendations have not changed in all these years either, but restaurants like to give you more so they can charge you more. End of stupid discussion.
posted by Bubba on 12-10-2009 at 2:34 pm
Come on!
This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen on MF.
Surprise! More food has more calories!
I’ve never seen a bagel that is 6 inches in diameter. Sure, they might exist, but when I go to my neighborhood bagel shop, I’m given a 4-incher…which is what, a perfectly reasonable 250 calories?
It’s lists like these that contribute to people developing such a warped view of food. Once someone tried to tell me that bagels were 800 calories each and that if a woman wanted to eat one, she should only eat half.
Healthy eating has nothing to do with all of these arbitrary rules. Things like that lead to an UNhealthy view of food.
And healthy eating has nothing to do with complaining about “people these days,” either.
This “article” seems like it was written for Cosmo, not Mental Floss. I’m starting to lose faith.
posted by HRB on 12-10-2009 at 2:34 pm
I really like the 20 years ago portions. When I go to the movies, I always get the kid-size tray of popcorn. Small amount of popcorn, very small cup of soda, and a tiny treat like a tootsie roll. More than plenty.
hahaha recaptcha: primary junky
posted by Fran on 12-10-2009 at 2:48 pm
Who cares about portion size. STOP eating fast food. It’s pretty simple. There is no one forcing you to go through the drive thru, there is no one forcing you to super size it and there is no one forcing you to eat it all. America is FAT. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women and type two diabetes is right behind. I think it is soooo strange that people think just because they’re 40 pounds over weight that they won’t have medical issues. If you are that desperate to get fast food go to Subway and stick to their low-calorie menu. I promise it’s just as quick as any other place and will fill you up.
And I don’t think people were “more active” than we are – I just think they didn’t have as many options to get fat. Fast food wasn’t as available and there weren’t as many choices as there are now. Next date you plan with your family or kids – please stay away from the diner down the street and choose to go ice skating or rollerblading or biking or hiking or if all else fails take the $200 you spend on fast food, invest in a Wii and get some Wii fit games everyone can play.
posted by Susan on 12-10-2009 at 2:48 pm
I could eat my weight in pizza, and drink my volume in Diet Pepsi. Good thing I’m small, and do cook most of my meals.
posted by Hannibal Schlechter on 12-10-2009 at 3:04 pm
When my husband and I eat at Panda Express, (we eat out once or twice a month), we split a three-entree meal and always feel satisfied. Truthfully, the impetus for this wasn’t health conscientiousness but was the result of our being bona fide cheapskates.
posted by Becky on 12-10-2009 at 3:25 pm
Hey JW re: Panera tiny water cups,
I totally feel you on this. I started asking for a regular cup for water and they give it to me. They never even bat an eye when I ask. :)
posted by Brooklyn on 12-10-2009 at 3:53 pm
An average size person should shoot for a 2000 calorie diet. Knowing healthy serving sizes helps, but if Breakfast is going to be just a Bagel, then 350 calories probably isn’t enough fuel to get you through the day.
I suppose this comparison is useful so people have a better eye for calorie counts, but not all consumption is a crime, or even unhealthy (except for the soda. Empty sugars with no fiber or nutrition just throw the whole body for a loop)
posted by SpecKK on 12-10-2009 at 5:00 pm
I’m Canadian and I’ve been visiting my boyfriend here in the States for a few weeks; one of the things that surprised me the most? A Small soda here is the size of a Large back home… You can imagine my shock when I saw for the first time in my life a 44 oz two weeks ago! lol
posted by Michèle on 12-10-2009 at 5:04 pm
When I ordered a Big Mac in Japan, I had to do a double take because I thought they gave me a regular old cheeseburger.
I didn’t want to seem like a fat American, so I didn’t order another one. It just opened my eyes to how used to I was to see BIG Big Macs.
I’ll give hats off to Mcdonald’s though. I quit ordering Big Macs years ago because I thought they were super greasy and I felt terrible after eating one, but then I ordered one about 6 months ago on a whim and it was prepared differently…less greasy, less 100 pounds feeling.
I ordered another one about a month to go to make sure the Big Mac thing wasn’t a fluke and sure enough, I had another Big Mac that was way less greasy than it was years ago.
posted by holly on 12-10-2009 at 5:26 pm
It seems like there are only two types of comments being posted here.
1. About a million people are trying to say how they are the exception to the increases in the volume of food consumed. They advocate not giving in to these unhealthy choices, while secretly knowing we all do at times. As a college student, I know what it is like to have limited food options, and I am doing the best I can. I know others are in the same difficult boat.
2. Some are complaining about the actual topic of the article. I do have to somewhat agree. Small bagels and thin pizza slices are still available at some places. Also, the 70s were thirty years ago. While the population as a whole might be less healthy now than they were then, such a critizing article is not doing anything to change that. It also has a negavite imact on those with eating issues already. We as a society get so worried about losing weight to lower the obease percentage of the population, that we end up warping some in the normal range to believing they too are hefty. I spent this summer fighting anorexia nervosa. The last thing I need to read is another article trying to scare me out of going near food.
posted by Mike on 12-11-2009 at 7:41 am
Hey someone get HRB a new bowl of cheerios, I think somebody pissed in his/her first serving. Seriously it is more about illustrating how our society has supersized everything. Your cynicism would have been only 1/4 of what it is today in 1970!
posted by JW on 12-11-2009 at 8:19 am
Actually, I’d say my comment was the LEAST cynical one here…at least, less cynical than the people complaining about everyone else being lazy, gluttonous fatties. At least I’m only criticizing the “article,” not society as a whole!
posted by HRB on 12-11-2009 at 10:21 am
fat, fat, fat
fat, fat, fat
fat, fat, fat
fat, fat, fat
Don’t forget all the processing that goes into those extra calories.
fat, fat, fat
fat, fat, fat
fat, fat, fat
fat, fat, fat
posted by Thad on 12-11-2009 at 12:15 pm
This piece, while in my opinion has it’s heart in the right place, makes a mockery of its subject.
The problem of obesity in the United States is serious, and has roots in just about every part of American life. Portion control is definitely among those roots.
However, using absolutely ridiculous numbers pulled out of thin air while providing absolutely no frame of reference for your claims, even if you throw on your “science hat” (list a few “important” orgs), helps nothing. It discredits you, but more importantly it discredits those orgs and the notion that this is an important issue.
1 hour 20 minutes of “leisurely” walking burns 200 more calories than 10 minutes less of normal walking? And don’t even get me started on the portion examples here. Most of them incompatible, a bunch of them with no actual volumes, calorie amounts simply *guessed*.
Go start a blog about celebrities or something.
posted by Tyler S. on 12-12-2009 at 9:49 am
wow- some of you guys got excited! I know this- living in a major Eastern European city with no car of my own, I do a TON of walking… a lot more than I ever did in the States. Now, I’m not claiming everyone’s like me… but I do know that the ‘have a car’ vs ‘no car’ lifestyle has a huge impact on the shape/size of me. And, Yes there’s McDonald’s here, yes, I in fact, do love to go there from time to time- it’s a treat, after all, a taste of home. But- I do a whole lot less of that sort of thing than I ever did back home… it’s just not convenient. And I do a whole lot more of my own cooking- and that’s from scratch, again, not because I’m something wonderful- it’s just the option we have… there are no cans of soup, no frozen dinners. My point earlier was that eating less of what we see posted in this post has made a difference for me.
posted by ann on 12-12-2009 at 5:08 pm
This is just another example of how greedy corporate america is, and how they find clever ways to sell us more than we need, want or can use.
posted by Tracy on 12-13-2009 at 7:40 pm
Its not that they don’t trust you when you ask for a water cup, its that the cups sold for fountain drinks are more expensive than the water cups.
posted by Lilly on 12-17-2009 at 1:45 am
On the other hand, Candy bars have gotten smaller, but much more expensive.
And a Half Gallon of Ice Cream is now 1.75 Quarts.
posted by Mauser on 12-18-2009 at 12:10 am
This is care tactic distortation.
1. The Coffee only is that much bigger becasue that’s a Starbuck’s coffee. You’re not comparing the tiny diner coffee to another diner cofee. You’re using Starbucks. Similar coffee places DID exist in nineteen ninety.
2. You’re using a typical DINER style sandwhich against a Subway sandwhich (which DID exist in 1990)./
3. That’s a McDonald’s shoe string style fries side by side with a Nathans crinkle cut Fries. The same exact style of fries and portioning used in 1990!
4. You can still get the 6.5 ounce bottle of soda from vending machines or convenience stores. You don’t HAVE to use the bigger bottle. Also notice that the bigger bottle has less calories per ounce than the smaller bottle because they no longer use as much sugar. If it was the same ingredients as it was twenty years ago then the calories of the larger bottle would be triple what’s in the smaller bottle but they are not, proving that soda actually has less calories now than it did then. Clearly this article is for those who can’t do simple math or have BAD long term memory or product distinction.
This article is propaganda, distorted representations and scare tactics. And I say that as a woman who is a happy 120 pounds.
posted by Mandy on 6-26-2010 at 8:47 pm
Although I agree with most of what’s listed, the coffee comparison is just too biased. Even Starbucks still serves — admittedly large — cups of plain coffee, with no milk, cream or sugar. And that’s what you should have.
posted by Alex on 6-29-2010 at 5:33 pm
It’s true! Portion sizes are a lot larger these days which contributes to the obesity epidemic. There’s nothing wrong with eating a meal that’s not considered healthy once in a while as long as you eat in moderation.
posted by diana on 7-12-2010 at 4:42 pm
Although I agree somewhat with the premise, showing these disproportionate photos distracts from the point you are trying to make. I think it’s funny that they used the exact same image for the spaghetti just increased the size of it. A little bit of dishonesty blows away your credibility with people. At least SOME effort should have been made to make the images look fairly comparable.
posted by Aaron on 7-14-2010 at 11:52 pm
@david
no one goes to buy regular coffee at starbucks, for sure, but only because it tastes like balls
posted by Antoniopeter on 7-23-2010 at 11:13 am