Restaurants are serving much bigger portions than they did thirty years ago, according to a study from New York University's Department of Nutrition. Everything the food industry makes has gotten bigger: hamburgers, sodas, muffins, bagels, chocolate bars, etc. The only food that has remained the same size over time is sliced bread.

Drs. Lisa Young and Marion Nestle, authors of the study, sampled foods made for "immediate consumption" from take-out places, fast food chains, and family style restaurants. They compared today’s portions to portions served in the past and standard portions set by government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration. They found that sizes of portions began to increase in the 1970s, rose sharply in the 1980s and continue to increase. Foods like muffins, pasta, steaks and bagels have grown 200% to 700% bigger than standard portion size.

The trend to bigger portions may have something to do with the fact that Americans are eating out more than ever. Food eaten outside the home was 34% of the food budget in 1970; today it is 47%. Restaurants compete for diners by offering more food for the money.

"Restaurants are using larger dinner plates; bakers are selling larger muffin tins, pizzerias are using larger pans, and fast food companies are using larger drink and French fry containers," the researchers wrote. They conclude that larger portions contribute to America's obesity epidemic.

This study appeared in the February 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.