07 Sep The Supersizing of America

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When you lead a busy life, you’re likely to eat out more. And when you eat out, the portion that arrives on your plate is often much too big.

Sounds familiar, right? Portion sizes began creeping up in the 1970s, ballooned in the 1980s, and have shrunk only modestly since, if at all—even though nutrition experts continue to warn that large portions, as well as larger plates, encourage people to eat more.

The chart here shows the calorie count of some popular items at chain restaurants in 1982, 2002, and 2015.

To eat less when eating out, try ordering a salad and sharing the entrée with your dining companion.

1. In-N-Out Burger, cheeseburger with onion
2. Arby’s curly fries, medium
3. Applebee’s classic turkey breast sandwich
4. Godfather’s Pizza, pepperoni on original crust, large, 2 pieces
5. Au Bon Pain blueberry muffin
6. A&W regular root beer, regular size
7. Black Angus fire grilled chicken Caesar salad