JUNK FOOD NATION: an appetite for More

Portion size matters when it comes to good nutrition.

The London Free Press 2004-11-01

Bigger isn't always better, food experts caution. Beware large plates, fast-food combos and, in some cases, bulk foods. In a study published in the Journal of Marketing, Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois, found if a package size is doubled, people will eat 42 per cent more. In the case of a one-pound bag of M&M candies, participants ate 80 pieces. But given a two-pound bag, participants ate about 112 in the same period of time. Big deal, some might say. It's only 125 calories. But those extra calories a day over the course of the year adds up to about 14 pounds of extra weight. Regardless if it's milk or laundry detergent, people will use 18 per cent to 25 per cent more from a large container. Almost twice as much is consumed when junk food is involved. Large buckets of popcorn, tubs of ice cream and bags of chips lead people to consume up to 48 per cent more in a sitting. "Nobody believes these things happen to them -- that's what makes them so dangerous," says Wansink, a professor of nutrition and marketing. We see ourselves as getting value for our money and that's a perception that's lined the pockets of junk food companies and packed pounds of paunch onto the population. Value marketing and the move toward "supersizing" might provide larger portion sizes at a small additional cost, but customers are loading up on too many calories as a result, he says. Plate diameter is also a factor in how much we eat. The larger the plate, the more food it takes to make it look full. Given the growth in plate size, it's not surprising we're eating more at each sitting. Those who tend to buy in bulk should also beware. While everyone who stockpiles food will eat more in the first three days, it's where the food is stored that will effect how much is consumed in the subsequent 10 days. Wansink has compared those who stored the bulk in their cupboards and those who put it downstairs. Those who put food in the basement ate "dramatically less." "It really becomes out of sight, out of mind," he says. Not only are we eating too much, we're eating too many of the wrong foods. So are we a nation lacking in willpower? Not quite.

We've got great uncle Ned's willpower and our physiology is the same. We even crave the same sweets, fats and salt, a throwback to the days when we had to hunt for food. Sweets were sought because sour things tended to be poisonous. What's changed since Ned's time? The sweets are more accessible and more affordable. Compounding the problem is the tyranny of the moment. Wansink says that allows us to rationalize anything, even when we know it's bad. The tyranny can dominate any common sense about food. If we want it, we'll justify it. In Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, author Marion Nestle says because food comprises only about 20 per cent of retail costs, the larger portions don't cost companies much at all but they still turn a pretty penny. And price isn't the only incentive. Staff often ask customers if they'd like to buy a bigger bite. "People will eat the supersized meal because they see it as value and they want to eat that value," says Dr. Brian McCrindle, director of the Vascular Disease Prevention Clinic at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. When it comes to cost, smaller portions just don't offer the value of their larger counterparts. A McDonald's hamburger, small fries and small drink bought individually cost $4.27 and packs 620 calories, while the Big Mac combo packed in 1140 calories and cost just 92cents more. The problem with all this? As studies like Wansink's have shown, the more food in front of a person, the more they'll eat. The American Institute for Cancer Research found 67 per cent of people eat their entire entree when they eat out -- not a good thing considering the size of today's restaurant portions. "Supersizing is a great bargain," says Dr. David Katz, an associate clinical professor of public health at Yale University. "Many people pay 10 times as much money to lose weight that they gained for at no extra charge. Hello? You almost want to slap people." In 2001, 30 cents of every food dollar in Canada was spent in a restaurant, up from 28 cents five years before. While eating out could be an opportunity to eat well, most people do the complete opposite, says nutritionist Beth Mansfield of Ottawa. No one ever recommends a place because of its small portions. Rather, people want to go where the portions are large and the food is cheap. Invariably, that's going to mean a ton of fries, no legumes and little protein-rich food. "People destroy their best efforts by this perception that they have to have a lot when they go out," Mansfield says. "They want value for their money." Restaurant meals generally have more calories and sodium than homecooked fare and it's estimated kids consume about almost twice as many calories when they eat out. No surprise considering little folk's menus usually consist of chicken fingers, pizza, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.

TOP 10 RESTAURANT FOODS IN 2003 1 French fries 2 Unsweetened baked goods (bread, bagels, croissants) 3 Hamburgers 4 Salads 5 Chicken (nuggets/strips, wings, grilled, baked, roasted) 6 Pizza 7 Sandwiches 8 Sweet baked goods (muffins, doughnuts, etc.) 9 Desserts (cakes, pastries, pies, cookies) 10 Ice cream/frozen yogurt Source: CRFA Foodservice Facts 2004

SUPERSIZE US: IS THIS VALUE FOR MONEY?

MOVIE POPCORN Regular Weight: 46 oz. Costs: $4.80 Calories: 478 Large Weight: 85 oz. Costs: $5.20 Calories: 600 DO THE MATH: 26% more calories for 9% more money McDONALD'S Big Mac combo Costs: $5.20 Calories: 1,140 Supersize Mac combo Costs: $5.80 Calories: 1,460 DO THE MATH: 28% more calories for 11% more money Part two in a seven-part series. CINNABON Minibon Weight: 2.1 oz. Costs: $2.10 Calories: 300 Classic Cinnabon Weight: 5.5 oz. Costs: $3.10 Calories: 730 DO THE MATH: 143% more calories for 48% more money 7 ELEVEN 454 ml Slurpee Costs: $1.10 Calories: 227 1.18-litre Slurpee Costs: $1.60 Calories: 590 DO THE MATH: 160% more calories for 46% more money