Do you think that portions in U.S. restaurants are too big?

Question

I live in Europe and the portions that you receive in restaurants here are much smaller than in the U.S. I think the portion sizes at restaurants in the U.S. play a large role in the obesity levels in the U.S.

I understand that people want a good value for their money when they go out to eat but maybe smaller portions would be good for people's health.

I agree that it is up to the individual to control how much they eat. But if a restaurant did not offer such large portions chances are that people would not each as much in one sitting.

Answer 1

Yes, I think our want of more for less is slowly eating away at the health of our society (pun intended =P). I understand the medium pizza here in America is the largest size in Asian countries, too. We've grown accustomed to huge portions of fatty, oily, salty foods, and we're paying for it.

Answer 2

Most of the restaurants in the U.S. do serve portions that are very large. If people dont have the self control to stop eating when they are full then this can be a problem. The exception is that some high end restaurants that are very expensive end up giving you almost nothing for the money you spend. Everybody should learn that it is okay to get a to go box and take some home to eat later.

Answer 3

Yes. The servings are way to big. One of the problems is that people are so obsessed with getting a good value, they will super size for like 50 cents for whatever it is but they get so much more calories and fat. Then they feel like they should eat the whole thing in order to get there monies worth. Even though in the end it is not the restaurants fault that people dont have self control.

Answer 4

I do believe the portion sizes are too big in the US (watch Supersize Me to really have an eye-opener), but I will also say that when I dined in both Spain and in Ireland, the portions were just as big. I wonder if Western Europe is falling into the same trap now?

Answer 5

It really depends on the resturant. I have been to some that have really small portions and some that have huge poritions. But I do not blame anything on obesity except the indivdual. Just because a resturant serves a large portion does not mean they need to eat it. Or not workout afterwards.

Answer 6

Yes, that's why I always end up with a doggie bag (and lunch the next day). Restaurants are trying to draw clientele with good value for their money. If you go to a more upscale restaurant, you'll get smaller portions. They realize that their customers want quality, not quantity.

Answer 7

yes. I notice when I go out to eat (CA) most everyone also walks out with a to-go box. This should be plenty of reason to look into portion control. People don't realize if they eat slower the will also feel more full by the end of the meal.

Answer 8

yeah I agree, I'm aussie and lived in the states for 4 years. Over there you always get a large side of fries and a salad, and big servings, which i loved. But you always get that feeling towards the last 30% of the meal, that you seriously don't need this and you should probably stop eating lol, but i never do.

Answer 9

There is not a such thing as standard or big portion in USA. Depends on type of place or amount of food you are use to eat or comparing.

Answer 10

Yeah dude look at all the fat ppl in this country, it tells you several things:
People eat to damn much
Ppl are apethetic about their health
Ppl are lazy
I've dropped 30 pounds in the last several months 'cause I'm tired of being tired, and feeling sh*tty. I wish our plate sizes were more Euro, but it's not likely to happen soon. Ppl just need to learn to push the plate back...not eat everything on it then snatch your kids plate away and eat theirs too...