Fun fact.

A lot of fast food restaurants offer incrementally larger portion sizes.

So, if McDonalds first opened with a regular portion of fries that weighs 2.4 ounces, that serving size is later referred to as the ‘small’.

Then they introduce bigger medium, large and Supersize (RIP) options.

Whilst this is hard to notice, it has actually happened across a number of fast food chains and big snack food brands.

Sure, the bag of crisps (chips for our American friends) might be the same size it used to be, but you will also see larger and larger bags next to them, which are often cheaper to buy.

If it’s cheaper to buy a large share-size family bag than it is to buy those little measly individual bags, of course we are going to buy the share-size family bags, right?

This is an example of something called the ‘portion distortion’ effect. As we become more and more accustomed to larger portions, it can recalibrate our perception of what ‘normal’ is.

For example, as a foreigner that moved to America, portion sizes here are massive. The first time I went to Las Vegas I ordered a starter and when the waiter brought it out, I thought it was a main course (true story). It wasn’t a main course, American restaurants just tend to serve massive meals lol.

So, if you ever look at the calorie count on your favourite fast food menu items and think “what the holy sh*tballs, how is it this high?” (like this video from ‪@Rebecca.Rogers‬) trust me when I say, you are not alone lol.

P.S. My best-selling book, ‘Everything Fat Loss’ is currently on sale as a brand-new audiobook, plus digital/print versions from Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google, and Amazon with an extra 10% off in the USA and an extra 26% off in Canada. Feel free to grab it before the price goes up (Iink in profile).

geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

References:
- Expanding portion sizes in the US marketplace: implications for nutrition counseling
- Portion Sizes of Ultra-Processed Foods in the United States, 2002 to 2021
- The contribution of expanding portion sizes to the US obesity epidemic
- Calorie and Nutrient Profile of Combination Meals at U.S. Fast Food and Fast Casual Restaurants
- The energy content of restaurant foods without stated calorie information
- Energy Contents of Frequently Ordered Restaurant Meals and Comparison with Human Energy Requirements and U.S. Department of Agriculture Database Information: A Multisite Randomized Study
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effect of Portion Size and Ingestive Frequency on Energy Intake and Body Weight among Adults in Randomized Controlled Feeding Trials. Downsizing food: a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effect of reducing served food portion sizes on daily energy intake and body weight
- Portion distortion: typical portion sizes selected by young adults