Before you go ahead and supersize your burger meal, chew on
this: the average restaurant meal today is more than four times
larger than in the 1950s. That's according to the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, which examined the average size
of a fast food meal and found that the hamburger, for instance,
has grown from 3.9 ounces in the 1950s to three times that size
at 12 ounces today. What used to be a modest 7 ounces for a soda
60 years ago is now six times bigger, averaging 42 ounces. And
those sides of fries used to weigh in at 2.4 ounces but now
averages 6.7 ounces. The result? Adults, on average, are 26 lbs
(12 kg) heavier than they were in the 1950s. To avoid overeating
when dining out, the CDC suggests ordering smaller meals,
splitting a meal with a friend, eating half and taking the rest
home, or asking restaurants to offer smaller meals. It's not
just portions of restaurant meals that have become supersized.
In the last 20 years, the standard size of a dinner plate has
likewise increased