Mr. BigMacMiller

Former Big Mac Chief for McDonald's, now proud Public Health Officer. We're onto healthier things now.

[wendyavilez]

Portion Distortion (Loss Frame)

BIGGER IS BETTER!!!

…right?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Would you like to upgrade your drink to the Large size for just 25 cents?"

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Nowadays, especially with inflation, everyone's looking for the best bargain for their buck. But when you do the “upgrade,” do you ever ask yourself how costly that "bargain" is?

A 1986 to 2016 study revealed that fast-food restaurants have been increasing their portion sizes throughout the decades at an astonishing rate. Portion sizes have increased by a whopping (no pun intended) 226%! Your Big Mac, Whopper, or Club sandwich used to be cut in half and then sold just a few decades ago. 

But if it's more than twice the size, why are we eating so much?

A concept known as "portion distortion" explains that our hunger cues are ruled more externally than by our internal body cues to determine when we are "full."

We eat all of the food on our plate, even if we reach past “fullness.” When we order the Big Mac combo, which comes with large fries and a large soda, we are more drawn to finishing the entire burger and digging through the fries rather than listening to our bodies when we are full.

Ingesting more food than necessary can lead to an ongoing habit of overeating, which increases our risk of:

- Unwanted weight gain

- Heart disease

- Obesity

- Diabetes

- Elevated blood pressure (increased sodium intake)

- Stroke

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Don’t just have a great tasting meal or bargain,  ensure it’s not costing your body a price too.

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Know your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and out the baseline amount of calories you truly need:

BMR for female-aligned bodies:

(10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161

BMR for male-aligned bodies:

(10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) + 5

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References

Ld, L. W. M. R. (2022, January 18). Understanding ‘Portion Distortion’ and Learning How to Eat Mindful Servings. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/portion-distortion#examples 

[wendyavilez]

Portion Distortion (Gain Frame)

BIGGER IS BETTER!!!

…right?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Would you like to upgrade your drink to the Large size for just 25 cents?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nowadays, increasingly with inflation, everyone's looking for the best bargain for their buck. But when you do the “upgrade,” do you ever ask yourself how costly that "bargain" really is?

A 1986 to 2016 study revealed that fast-food restaurants have been increasing their portion sizes throughout the decades at an astonishing rate. Portion sizes have increased by a whopping (no pun intended) 226%! Cut your Big Mac, Whopper, or Club sandwich in half and that’s how hamburgers were sold just a few decades ago!

But if food is more than twice the size, why are we eating so much?

A concept known as "portion distortion" explains that our hunger cues are ruled more externally than by our internal body cues to determine when we are "full."

We eat all of the food on our plate, even when we reach past “fullness.” When we order a huge Big Mac combo coming with large fries and a large soda, we don’t question how many people it should truly serve. Forget that, let’s eat!!

Try this the next time you have a meal:

Pay attention to:

the way your food tastes while you chew

how your body feels while eating

how full you feel as you eat

This will help you be more mindful of the way you feel after a meal and help you achieve healthier portions for your body.

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Want to do more for your health?

Knowing your BMR can help you avoid unnecessary calories and achieve a healthier intake of food!

BMR for female-aligned bodies = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161

BMR for male-aligned bodies = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) + 5

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References

Ld, L. W. M. R. (2022, January 18). Understanding ‘Portion Distortion’ and Learning How to Eat Mindful Servings. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/portion-distortion#examples