Supersized weight gain

Weight gain is simply a matter of energy balance; if this energy balance is positive we gain weight. Americans are eating more both in the home and at fast food restaurants and this has been contributing to the positive energy balance portion of the ledger.

We are all witness to the “supersizing” phenomenon we see at restaurants. Food portion sizes have increased for all food categories except pizza from 1977 to 1996.¹ Some examples include: salty snacks from 1 to 1.6 oz (22 calorie increase), soft drinks from 13.1 to 19.9 oz (12 calorie increase), hamburgers from 5.7 to 7 oz (23 calorie increase), French fries from 3.1 to 3.6 oz (16 calorie increase) and Mexican food from 6.3 to 8.0 oz (31 calorie increase). Remember every calorie counts; creating a positive energy balance of just 2.4 calories a day translates into an extra pound of weight per year.