Portion Size Multiplied

There have been many lifestyle and dietary changes that have contributed to the rise in obesity rates worldwide (and especially in America), but one of the main undeniable reasons behind this growth in our waistlines is the growth in our food portions. In the 1950's, America's average portion size in restaurant meals was less than four times the size it is today, which really says something about why our body fat percentages are multiplying.
The Huffington Post discusses this phenomenon.

"The average restaurant meal is four -- four -- times larger than it was in the 1950s. In fact, 96 percent of entrees at chain restaurants exceed dietary guidelines for sodium, fat and saturated fat per meal, according to a recent study.
All those additional calories are a big problem -- for our waistlines. The average adult is now 26 pounds heavier than 60 years ago.
It's not always easy to tell when you're overdoing it, especially since we're used to never-ending bowls of pasta and burgers too big to bite into. The infographic from the CDC below, however, makes it pretty clear."

Read more here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/portion-sizes-infographic_n_1539804.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Here's an illustration created by the CDC to put into perspective just how extreme the growth in portion size really is.