Portion Distortion

Even before the advent of "super-sizing" meals, portions were beginning to grow. At first, people were glad to get their money's worth of food. But now portion size is out of control, leading to increased obesity and other health risks. One of the best resources for seeing how our portion sizes truly have changed is the Portion Distortion Interactive Quiz, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). There are two fun aspects to the quiz: comparing portion sizes from 20 years ago with today's and guessing how much time you have to spend at an activity to burn off those extra calories. It's an eye-opener to learn that it will take an hour and thirty minutes of weight-lifting to burn off that large fast-food burger.

To learn more about eating healthy, talk to your physician at St. Luke's, visit the nutrition education information on the St. Luke's website or go to choosemyplate.gov.