Think about how small a half cup of ice cream, a standard
serving size, looks in a large bowl. When it doesn't look like
much, the tendency is to compensate and add more. The more room
on your plate, the more food you are likely to eat. If a smaller
plate is not available at your next holiday party, resolve not
to fill your plate to overflowing. Most of us have the tendency
to eat whatever amount of food has been offered. Researchers
call this "compulsion completion." It means that when you see a
portion of food, your mind drives you to finish the entire
amount regardless of the size of the portion. Food portions have
increased substantially in the last 20 years. You can see the
change yourself by going to http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion
and taking the portion distortion quiz. One example given is for
cheesecake. The typical piece of cheesecake is now more than
twice as big, which translates into 380 extra calories. Another
reason you may eat more is because there are more choices. The
challenge to control