Plates, portions gaining girth

Along with the American waistline, the American plate and portion size have grown too.

A study at Rutgers University supports earlier research that people today eat bigger servings than they did 20 years ago.

“People aren’t realizing how much they are eating,” said Jaime Schwartz, a registered dietitian and a study coauthor. “The larger portion size they’re eating -- even if it’s a healthy food -- is still more calories.”

The research, done in 2003 and described in a recent issue of the American Dietetic Assn., replicated a 1984 Penn State University study.

Both studies asked students to take food portions of various items. Diners were offered three sizes of plates, bowls and cups in a buffet-like setting. There were 177 students in the more recent study at Rutgers and 147 students in the 1984 Penn State study.

In a comparison of breakfast servings, the students in 2003 took 20% more cornflakes than students took in 1984, Schwartz said. Ditto for milk.

The glass of orange juice grew by more than 40% compared to 20 years ago. That translates into 50 additional calories, or a weight gain of 5 pounds over the course of a year, if consumed on a daily basis. Dinner and lunch servings grew too -- 50% more fruit salad wound up on the plates of the Rutgers students.

“People are eating with their eyes and not their stomachs,” Schwartz said.