Worried about obesity but fancy a night out but why do they serve such huge food portions in restaurants? Maybe you’ve chosen go to a restaurant for a romantic meal for two for Valentines Day or some other special occasion?
Well based on a recent survey you better watch out what you eat because it seems that the chef and restaurant owner won’t be on your behalf. They are encouraging you to eat more and consequently become even more obese!
Let me explain, at a recent meeting of the obesity society it was found by it’s member and a team of researchers that the average meal consumed in a restaurant is between 2-4 times the recommended size of that suggested by nutritional and healthy eating and obesity experts.
According to the researchers findings, chefs provide increasingly large — and sometimes unhealthy — portions because they believe consumers expect it. In fact customers will go to establishments which offer larger portions before those that offer more sensible portions in their restaurants.
Human nature, I guess we like to think we are getting more for our money but all it means is we increase our risk of health problems due to obesity and subsequently our health insurance premiums and medical bills will continue to soar.
Not exactly value for money then?
We have all seen it the crowds flock to the all you can eat diners and restaurants piling their plates so high you need a ladder to get to the top. Plus who can resist those all you can eat chicken wings during the ball game at the bar or those endless refils of sodas (packed full of sugar).
We have all been there .. It’s a conspiracy they just want us to be tempted …they are us just dying to make us fat, the trouble is it’s the other way round, we are making ourselves fat and are just dying, from heart attacks and other weight loss related problems. When asked, chefs and restaurant owners said “The competition to attract diners through the door, is so fierce it’s the main reason we dish up large platefuls of food, people just expect it!”
This result of this unhealthy eating and excess food consumption may very well be a major contributor to Americans expanding waistlines and the ever increasing problems with obesity. The NPD Group estimates the typical meal served in a restaurant is 60 percent or higher in calories than a comparable meal at home.
For example, government dietary guidelines say a proper serving of meat is three ounces. Yet 60% of chefs in the survey said their steaks are 12 ounces or larger. Several steak house’s pride themselves in offering a 32oz steak as some sort of challenge to their customers it seems at some point this has to stop. 58% of chefs said if customers are served too much food, it’s the diners’ responsibility to eat the appropriate amount. Which I guess is true but we seem happy to blame cigarette manufacturers for selling us cigarette’s so why don’t restaurants take a responsibility as well?
NPD says American consumers purchased 209 meals a person from restaurants last year, both eating at restaurants and buying takeout. Worrying isn’t it ? What are your views on this subject…?
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