Food portions served in this
country have never been bigger.
YOU
might remember how many
pints are in a quart or how many
ounces are in a pound.
But how many servings are in a
portion?
When it comes to restaurant food,
packaged food and even food served
at home, portion sizes seem to be
growing. Not surprisingly, so are our
waistlines.
In fact, food portions served in
this country have never been bigger,
according to the American Institute
for Cancer Research. And the more
food we’re served, the more we eat,
which leads to weight gain and an
increased risk of heart disease, dia-
betes and some cancers.
How to avoid a supersized waistline
Portions
vs. servings
Just so we’re
clear: A portion
is the amount
of food you
eat. A serving
is a measured
amount of
food or drink. Your normal portion
may equal two or three standard
servings.
Making sure you’re eating the
right amount can be a little tricky
at frst. Here are some ways to visu-
alize what makes up an appropriate
serving size:
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A serving of meat is 3 ounces—
about the size of a deck of cards.
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A serving of cheese is 1.5 ounces—
about the size of three dominoes.
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A serving of peanut butter is
2 tablespoons—about the size of a
pingpong ball.
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A serving of most vegetables is
a ½ cup—about the size of half a
baseball.
Downsized dining
It’s easy to eat too much, espe-
cially when you’re eating out.
To cut portions down to size:
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Eat an appetizer as your meal.
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Split your meal with a friend.
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Eat slowly, and savor your food.
LESS
than one-third of adults in
the United States are at a healthy
weight, according to statistics from
the Centers for Disease Control, and
33.8 percent of U.S. adults are obese.
Tese are some heavy statistics
when you consider the signifcant
role that weight can play in a per-
son’s overall health and wellness. But
when it comes to diets, nutrition and
lifestyle changes, sifing through the
clutter of the latest fads and harsh
statistics can be overwhelming and
discouraging.
To understand more about diet
versus lifestyle changes, we invite
you to attend our
free
program,
“Wellness & Weight: Finding What
Make your wellness plan
Middle
management
WEIGHT
Works,” for a deeper look into the
scope of obesity in America and the
factors behind it, as well as weight-
loss options and lifestyle changes
that can work for you.
Te program will be presented by
Katie Conschafer, MS, RD, CDE, a
senior clinical manager for Animas
Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson
Company. Conschafer has more than
30 years of knowledge and experi-
ence. She has taught both nutrition
and weight-loss classes and has
treated patients of all ages.
To reserve your seat for the
presentation, call
434-517-3094
or
register at www.hrhs.org (click on
“Wellness Events”).
Wellness
&Weight:
Finding
What Works
Health Nite Out
Thursday, September 30, 6:30 p.m.
Leggett Auditorium
lifeand health
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