Are US restaurants catering to our obesity problems!

[eyeoreismyhero]

I'm on a health kick and trying my best to change my eating habits to a more healthy diet. Met a gentlemen thru a lunch time business meeting and somehow got on the topic of US restaurant portions. He is South African by the way. We had been in the US for two months and talked about how much weight he had gained and I was telling him how I was trying to change my eating habits. We began to chat and some examples her brought up on the differences in South African vs US restaurants:

1) He ordered a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch and it had three pieces of ham and three pieces of cheese. He stated in SA if you order the same thing you will get one piece of ham and one piece of cheese no exceptions.

2) Almost every restaurant gives free refills of soda, tea, water, coffee etcc.
He stated in SA you get one glass and if you want more you pay full price for another.

3) At Mickey D's in any US city your gonna wait 3 minutes in the drivethru. He stated in SA, even fast food restaurants could take 5-10 minutes wait so its not really as convient to east fast food.

With all this said I know we have 10 times as many franchises and restaurants on ever corner so the competition is fierce. This is the reason the bigger the portions and faster the service the more business you will receive (disregarding food quality). With all this said we make it easier, faster, and more convient to eat larger portions. Any thoughts?

 

[curiouser]

My only thought is that this would be better posted on the Community Board.. or maybe the WISH board.

No flames, its a great discussion topic, just not right for this board.

 

[reeeoga]

The individual is the one that stuffs his or her face . Fast Food places are trying to make money. If making things huge brings in money, they will do it. I am a Pooh size on the way to a tigger size . I still eat fast food burgers and dessert , but I have lost 40 pounds in the past 2.5 years by eating less of everything.

It is up to the individual to decide what goes into their mouths.

 

[Webbie]

It is up to the individual to decide what goes into their mouths.[/QUOTE]


The OP brings up some valid points. Yes, our protion size is out of control but I have to agree with the above quote. Time for Americans to stand up and be accountable for what goes into their mouths..JMO.

 

[ptrbryant]

and think that it suits this board well because of the massive portions sometimes served at WDW! On our first trip, I ordered the fish and chips at Rose & Crown. The fried fish was so huge it hung over both sides of my plate! DH and I have been to England about 5x and never, never had portions like that. It was enough for 2-3 people! At non-WDW restaurants, I can never figure out how anyone could manage to eat an appetizer and dessert along with their huge entree (which invariably comes with salad and rolls). I know that when I start putting more weight on (and I'm trying to lose 20 lbs.!), it's when we've been eating out. At home, if I ever piled as much food on a plate as I get in a restaurant, I'd be grossed out!

Karla B.

 

[PrincessAurora]

I agree 100%. I do not eat fast food anymore at all. I do not drink soda. I rarely have dessert and that is usually fruit. I save my splurge for WDW. I DO cook and cook well so I make meals. If I eat out with those large portions, I only eat what I want and take the rest home to make more meals.

This applies at WDW as well. The only "bad snacks" got were an ice cream sandwich, a Mickey bar which I shared, popcorn which I shared, 3 rice krispy treats (I still have one) - all the rest of the snacks were water or fruit. I RARELY eat at Counter Service and only when I have to. When I do I seek out healthier meals and I NEVER eat McDonalds at the park or at other times.

When I eat at Table Service, I eat the left overs for breakfast or afternoon snack. My one sweet potato "tamale" was a nice snack. Just heated it in the microwave down at Roaring Forks.

I'm glad that the park is offering more healthy choices. That is a step in the right direction. However I would like to see more of this in Magic Kingdom. We were going to eat at the Asian Noodle Place but it was closed. That was VERY disapointing as it seemed to be the healthiest food we could find.

 

[Soprano]

The OP brings up some valid points. Yes, our protion size is out of control but I have to agree with the above quote. Time for Americans to stand up and be accountable for what goes into their mouths..JMO.

Agreed.

As a Brit, I was amazed at the size of the portions you get EVERYWHERE in the U.S. The portions range from 25%-60% more than here in England.

As for Free refills?? Not likely! A few places do, but they are few and far between.

I am fortunate enough to be able to east a lot and put very, very little weight on, but who knows what it could be doing to my heart!

 

[aladdinsgirl]

I completely agree with the OP, the portion sizes are out of control and I think that's part of the obesity problem in America. Have you seen the documentary "Super Size Me" by Morgan Spurlock (I think that is his last name)? It's a real eye opener.

 

[melomouse]

Alladinsgirl - you beat me to it!

Supersize Me should be required viewing for parents, just like we have instructional videos on bathing, feeding, etc.

They are actually catering to the concept of greed and the disease of "more" so prevalent as human nature.

melomouse

 

[PrincessAurora]

Larger portions, preprocessed food filled with salt, sugar, fat and chemicals and lack of exercise are all to blame. Now at WDW you can get in your exercise so that is a good thing. Most people walk about 7 miles a day and that helps burn calories. To just make better food choices, have treats but limit them and have them mid-day so you can walk them off is a good way to eat responsibly. And don't forget those doggie bags!

 

[cdpa4d]

You've probably hit on the biggest problem and that is portion size/buffet availability. The portions in the U.S. compared to other countries can be 3 to 4 times greater. In the U.S. we've been "programmed" to believe the larger the portion the better the restaurant experience.

WCC is a good example of this. Have you ever seen the bucket of soda you get when you order it!? People get excited when they see it! Bottomless milkshakes! Another crowd pleaser!

 

[phyllis1966]

Supersize Me should be required viewing for parents, just like we have instructional videos on bathing, feeding, etc.

I agree 100% - DD is almost 7 now, and while DH and I are Pooh-sized, she is quite healthy and slim, partially because we did not want her to experience what we have as a result of our overeating. We have worked hard to instill in her a healthy attitude toward food, so she actually stops eating when she's full, instead of finishing everything on her plate, no matter where she is. She has fast food maybe once every 3 - 4 months and doesn't crave it. We don't keep too much junk food in the house, so she enjoys healthier snacking, and loves fruits and veggies (no spinach, though! ). She loves chocolate and candy, like most kids, but she eats it in moderation.

I'm trying to be more like her!

 

[phyllis1966]

Larger portions, preprocessed food filled with salt, sugar, fat and chemicals and lack of exercise are all to blame. Now at WDW you can get in your exercise so that is a good thing. Most people walk about 7 miles a day and that helps burn calories. To just make better food choices, have treats but limit them and have them mid-day so you can walk them off is a good way to eat responsibly. And don't forget those doggie bags!

So true! I've also found that (at breakfast buffets especially) starting off with a nice plate of fruits will prevent me from indulging in too much of the more fattening fare. This, together with all the walking, has prevented me from gaining weight on our last 3 trips to WDW (DH gained 5 pounds on our last visit).

 

[mickeywho?]

Sitting in a food court at WDW and "people watching" what the average american is feeding themselves and their families for breakfast will tell you what is wrong with the american diet. (Pop at breakfast time - gotta get your money's worth out of those refill mugs!)
After our second morning at WDW this year, after not being down in six years, my hubbie and I just looked at each other and remarked "are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
I don't know what the cause or even the cure but every family around us was overweight - some even obese. This wasn't something we had seen on previous trips but for some reason it really was glaring at us this year. You could pick out the foreigners by their slimmer size.
I can compare it to our trip to Cuba last year. At the pool - everyone in bikinis - everyone fit - munching on fruit and drinking plenty of water. No americans there, right?
What has changed and what can be done?

 

[blueroses]

I completely agree with the OP, the portion sizes are out of control and I think that's part of the obesity problem in America. Have you seen the documentary "Super Size Me" by Morgan Spurlock (I think that is his last name)? It's a real eye opener.

I completely agree with you and the OP. While individual responsibility is very, very important, the restaurants do have some responsibility as well to control their portion sizes. Studies have shown that people will pretty much eat as much food as you put in front of them.

I deal with people with food and weight problems daily. It's really sad that they have to overcome society's problems (too big portions, suburbs where there are no sidewalks to walk anywhere) in addition to all the work it is to lose and maintain weight.

And, yeah - "bottomless milkshakes?" That's just yucky. Does anyone out there really think a milkshake is a beverage?

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Each person is responsible for what they eat. Restaurants respond to consumer demand, so portion sizes have increased over the years due to our demand for more food. It's all about supply and demand: if we demand it, restaurants will supply it -- in super-sized portions or larger.

 

[jmsvss]

I tried to just lurk through these posts but I can't help myself. The "growing" problems in the US is one of my greatest peeves and concerns. I work in a health clinic that sees a large number of chronically ill people whose diet is the number one contributor to their health problems. I agree with everything the previous posters have said and will add one other item. We, being the general US population, do not exercise enough. That combined with our "super-sized" menu is a deadly combination.
Having just returned from WDW yesterday I did notice that many menus are now flagged with healthy choices. Also, you can always make special dietary requests.
My thoughts here are not a condemnation of overweight people. As tired as I get of hearing the word "crisis" come up in the media I do believe this is a national crisis. Obesity is a serious health concern that effects not only those who are overweight but the general public as well in the form of greater health care costs.
As a consumer driven society I do believe that when the people talk the businesses and government will listen. Starting with WDW, a mammouth in the business world, is a great place to start.
My two cents

 

[Planogirl]

People are responsible for what they eat. No one is forcing them to clean their plates. (Remember that?) Restaurants simply offer what people want and it's up to each of us to actually control how much food we put in our mouths.

As for drink refills and buckets of soda, those could just as easily be diet drinks or tea. People aren't necessarily filling up on the high calorie drinks.

 

[froglady]

Does anyone else find it ironic that, in general (and in the US) the more you pay for your food, the smaller the portions? Think about the last high end restaurant you visited.

 

[NMAmy]

Agreed.

As a Brit, I was amazed at the size of the portions you get EVERYWHERE in the U.S. The portions range from 25%-60% more than here in England.

As for Free refills?? Not likely! A few places do, but they are few and far between.

I am fortunate enough to be able to east a lot and put very, very little weight on, but who knows what it could be doing to my heart!

You know, I had to laugh at this. DH is British and when we went to visit his family, his brother and SIL were talking about the huge portion sizes in the States and how did I manage to stay so slim. First off, we don't eat out often--maybe one meal on the weekend when we're out and about running errands. Secondly, when we do eat out, at fast food places, I order small sizes and at sit-down restaurants, I usually take half my meal home in a doggy bag for lunch the next day. Refills are not a problem if you're drinking diet soda, water, or tea/coffee without sugar. My SIL laughed and said if you asked for a doggy bag in England, the waitstaff would put you out on your ear.

Now, the funny part was, we went out for two meals in northern England with them. One at a Chinese restaurant in Richmond, one at a pub in Haworth. BOTH times, the meals were just ENORMOUS. The fish and chips I ordered at the pub had 3 huge planks of fish--it filled the entire plate with the chips and peas underneath. I just looked at SIL and said, "You were talking to ME about U.S. portions?"

I think Americans need to take responsibility for their own eating habits. The occasional fast food or restaurant meal isn't going to hurt you particularly if you don't feel obligated to eat the entire thing and eat healthy meals the majority of the time.