Our sense of scale and proportion is determined by our surroundings and I think we have adjusted to the sizes and weights of those we see everyday. According to a recent nationwide Associated Press survey three out of four obese people do not consider themselves very overweight and six out of ten overweight people consider themselves at a healthy weight. Only one out of eight said they were on a diet, six out of ten reported they try to restrict their fat intake, while one in three are cutting carbohydrates.
The French eat a lot of saturated fat, and are famous for their good food and the pleasure they take in it. Yet they are leaner than Americans and far less likely to be obese. Their mortality rate from heart disease is half that of Americans and lower than that of any other country in the EU. Some say it's French wine, others claim it's the current popular scapegoat for our shortcomings , the genes. Still others say the French get more exercise. The answer is much simpler. The French eat less than Americans- that is, they consume less calories.
Dr. Paul Rozin of the University of Pennsylvania and his colleagues measured portion sizes in restaurants in Paris and Philadelphia. They included chains like McDonald's and Pizza Hut that exist in both cities and other comparable eateries (bistros, Chinese, pizzerias, creperies). Invariably, portion sizes in France are smaller, hence less calories. Chinese restaurants in Philly served portions nearly twice as large as their Parisian counterparts.
The researchers found other evidence, too. In one very popular international restaurant guide, big portions were mentioned as a plus much more frequently in reviews of American restaurants- and all-you-can-eats were not to be found in Paris. Cookbooks also showed a difference. What was considered a suitable serving of meat on American recipes was larger than in French recipes. Ironically, American cookbooks had smaller servings of vegetables. Though the French buy food in about the same quantities as Americans, they don't eat as much.
One difference in lifestyle is probably a major factor in overall calorie consumption. The French take a lot longer to eat their smaller meals. Even in McDonald's, a French person takes 22 minutes to consume their smaller burger and fries, compared to 14 minutes for an American. In fact the average French person spends 100 minutes per day eating, while Americans consume greater quantities in only 60 minutes Thus the French eat less and enjoy it more, which may account for the fact that only 7% of them are obese compared to 30% in America. It all comes down to calories, and portion sizes are the most effective control for calories. Don't eat everything they bring you in restaurants. To resize your waist, resize your plate. Replace some high calorie meats and sweets with fruits and vegetables and carbohydrate starches. Patronize restaurants that offer smaller portions, and even then take some home. Split a main course with a companion. Make home meals a more pleasant experience by thinking of how great you're going to look when you're finished.