Portion distortion occurs when people consider excessive portions as normal, leading to unhealthy eating habits and obesity. Restaurants and food vendors in supermarkets are major contributors to this issue. Overeating and health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, are common consequences.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) defines a serving as “the amount of food you choose to eat for a meal or snack.” Portion distortion is a term used to refer to situations in which people tend to consider excessive portions as normal amounts. These situations are believed to contribute to unhealthy eating habits that can lead to obesity.
Health professionals, such as those at the NHLBI, believe that the portion distortion results are, in large part, due to the influence of restaurants. Many people are looking for value and most companies are looking for profit. When both of these objectives are met in a foodservice environment, the result is customers seeking bargains and restaurants that offer excessive portions so that people believe they are getting those bargains.
The Check Your Health organization notes that in 1955 a McDonald’s soda contained 7 fluid ounces (207 ml). In 2002, McDonald’s was serving soft drinks as large as 42 fluid ounces (1.25 l). The organization further noted that, in many cases, food served in commercial settings is more than three times the serving size recommended by the US Drug Administration (USDA).
The problem, according to the NHLBI, is that this behavior often leads people to develop excessive serving and portioning habits at home. Food vendors in supermarkets are also following the trend of overfeeding people. As a result, foods that are already portioned tend to be much larger than they once were, exposing people to more instances of harmful portion distortion.
These habits are harmful because they commonly lead to overeating. For example, if a person normally eats two hot dogs, it is likely that he would still eat two hot dogs if the vendor increased their size and labeled them “jumbo.” This issue is commonly encountered with pre-split items that are marked as “single.”
Some items marketed as single servings actually contain enough food for more than one person. However, most people don’t take the time to check the nutrition label for the number of servings. Many people finish all the content in a single-sized pack, even when it displays an ad label like “now with 25% more”.
Adverse effects of portion distortion are increased health problems and increased obesity. Heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis are some examples of health conditions thought to be associated with unhealthy eating. Furthermore, obesity related to portion distortion affects not only adults, but also jeopardizes the health of an increasing number of children.
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