Perception of Portion

There's really no doubt that Americans have no perception of portions. We routinely gorge on super-sized meals and it's no challenge to find meals in sit-down restaurants that are well over a thousand calories.

But there is something that can help. Use smaller plate.

That's the whole idea behind the undiet book, The 9-Inch "Diet": Exposing the Big Conspiracy in America. The idea behind this book took root when the author and his wife purchased a rather old lake home and in the process of furnishing it went to the local We-Stock-Everything-Mart and bought new dishes. Upon returning home, he couldn't fit the dishes in the cupboard. At first he thought the cupboards were too small; he realized that the cupboards were the correct size for his grandparent's generation.

Since that time our portions gradually grew larger and larger. Today's dishes won't fit in yesterday's storage areas.

The book reads as a sad commentary on how large America has really become and how other countries, lagging behind our obviously advanced western culture, can't quite fathom how Americans can eat so much. The book reviews everything from airline seats (and weight surcharges and allowances because of our expanding waistlines, as well as challenges of Americans fitting on planes in the rapidly aging airline fleets) to movie theaters having trouble "packing them in" when renovations call for larger seats to fit expanding patrons. It even packs in several anecdotes like the one about a certain European company that rhymes with eye-tree-ah trying to figure out why they were selling out of vases when they opened a store in America.

Our portion sizes fit nicely on a 10 to 12 inch plate. Other countries that don't have the obesity problem we have in the US (although they are apparently starting to show our western influences) use plates that are...you guessed it...nine inches. This simple change fools our brains into thinking we're eating more than we really are! Over time the minor savings really adds up.

I definitely recommend reading this book. It is chock full of "food for thought" and is a very quick read. Whether you are dieting or just interested in food there's something you can take away from this book and it will leave you with something to think about next time you hit the buffet or walk by the concession stand at the theater.