portions news stories on Newser

Portions Too Big? Change Your Plate Color

Dustin Lushing — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:00:05 CST

Trying to cut back on calories? Pay attention to the color of your plate. A new study reveals that people who use a dish that matches the color of the food they're eating will pile on more grub than if the plate is a different color, reports Scientific American . A...

Dear America, Eat Less. Sincerely, Feds

Nick McMaster — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:30:55 CST

Not only are the feds picking on how many Twinkies vs. how many carrots you eat, but the New York Times reports that now they're picking on how much you eat, period. The newest federal nutrition guidelines, revised every five years, predictably admonish Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables...

Regular Portions Really 'Super-Sized'

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:19:00 CDT

Diet experts have been saying it for years, and now an official study confirms: That “single serving” meal you’re served at a restaurant is actually a double portion—or more. “Eating half of what the restaurant serves is often just about right,” says the nutrition director of the center that...

To Lose Weight, Just Eat in the Dark?

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:44:00 CDT

Out of sight, out of mind? And stomach? A new study suggests that our sense of feeling full has more to do with our eyes than our belly. A Swiss psychologist decided to test the sensory experience of eating by having 64 participants dine in a pitch-black restaurant; they were...

Last Supper Portions Super-Sized Over Centuries

Rob Quinn — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:51:00 CDT

Painters have been piling increasingly generous portions on the plates of Christ and the apostles over the centuries, according to new research. The size of the main dish grew 70% and the size of the plates grew 66% between the years 1000 and 2000, researchers who analyzed dozens of depictions...

How Thin People Make Other People Fat

Harry Kimball — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:55:00 CDT

Existing research suggests those trying to control their food intake should avoid dining with hefty companions with heaping plates. Not quite, says a new study. While the "I'll have what she's having" effect was confirmed in this experiment with college-age women, it was much more pronounced if the person supersizing...

Americans Have Less in Their Shopping Carts

Kevin Spak — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:04:27 CDT

Food prices are rising, but thanks to some chicanery on product labels, many Americans may not realize it. Instead of raising prices, manufacturers are slimming cereal boxes, juice cartons, and bars of soap, and they’re doing it very quietly. If asked, they’ll say it offsets rising fuel and commodity costs,...

Bigger Portions Weigh Down Healthy Choices

Sam Gale Rosen — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 10:49:28 CDT

Choosing Subway over McDonalds doesn't help if you eat more when you're there. A new study shows that people underestimate calories when eating relatively healthier food, leading them to eat more and get just as fat. "We have to move away from thinking of food in 'good food/bad food' (terms)...