Heavyweights on the Menu: How Restaurant Portions Fuel the Obesity Crisis

LOS ANGELES – Angel Chen, a master’s student in nutritional sciences at California State University, Los Angeles, expressed her surprise at the portion sizes in American restaurants after moving from Taiwan. “Everything is double the size,” Chen remarked, noting that fast food is both cheaper and comes in larger portions than what she was used to.

The trend of oversized portions in restaurants gained traction in the 1970s, leading establishments to compete for customers by offering more generous servings. This practice has significantly contributed to rising calorie consumption. According to a study by Deborah Cohen, an obesity research scientist at Kaiser Permanente, the average daily caloric intake for Americans increased from 1,807 calories in 1978 to 2,093 calories in 2018. Eating out more frequently plays a significant role in this increase.

Cohen asserts that excessive food servings often lead patrons to eat more than necessary. In her book, “A Big Fat Crisis,” she attributes the obesity epidemic not solely to personal choices but largely to the marketing strategies and portion sizes promoted by restaurants. The consequences are stark: in the 1960s, 13% of Americans were obese, but that number rose to 42% by 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research reveals a desire among many adults for smaller, less expensive portions when dining out. Kathryn Hillstrom, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Cal State, LA, pointed out that restaurant meals are often larger and unhealthier compared to home-cooked options, being higher in sugar, salt, and fat.

The situation was exacerbated in 1980 when Congress removed the Federal Trade Commission’s power to regulate food advertising. By 2016, food brands and restaurants collectively spent around $13.5 billion on advertising their offerings, urging consumers to opt for larger portions. “You eat less when you’re at home,” Hillstrom noted, suggesting that dining out often leads to relaxed personal food rules.

This year, Cohen initiated the Standard Portions Study, recruiting three restaurants in the Los Angeles area to explore healthier choices for diners. The participating establishments developed “Balanced Portions” menus featuring 700-calorie meals complemented by vegetable and fruit sides, with a focus on reducing carbohydrate-heavy items and sugary beverages.

First Szechuan Wok created a unique option, providing a “dinner today, lunch tomorrow” deal, allowing customers to take home extra food without compromising the quality of their meal. Dave’s Deli had already been meeting customer demands for smaller portions and embraced the experimental menus, while Delhi Belly focused on healthier cooking methods.

Following the trial, feedback from participants indicated satisfaction with the smaller portion options. “We found that ordering from the standard portions menu often resulted in significantly fewer calories consumed without sacrificing satiety,” Cohen noted.

Other restaurants have also started adjusting portion sizes. Road to Seoul, a Korean barbecue venue, capitalizes on a self-serve model that allows diners to control their own serving sizes. Meanwhile, smaller portions remain a tradition in Japanese dining, though American customers often expect larger servings.

Hillstrom advocates for a comprehensive solution to the obesity crisis, emphasizing the need for smaller restaurant servings, improved nutrition labeling, and education around healthy eating habits. “Restaurants need to do their part. Schools need to do their parts,” she said, underscoring the necessity of making healthier choices easily accessible.

Cohen supports adopting a holistic approach to address these issues, comparing it to anti-tobacco campaigns that effectively reduced smoking rates. She emphasized the importance of shifting the responsibility for dietary habits from individual choices to the food environment itself, advocating for greater awareness of how portion sizes influence health outcomes.