Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Want to improve your health or personal finances? Say “no” to super-sizing. In other words,
avoid over-eating and over-spending habits that can cause problems over time.
Just because you’re served a large platter of food at a restaurant doesn’t mean you
have to eat it all at once. Share the entrée with a companion or take some home for another
meal at a later time. In recent years, large food portions have
caused many people to forget what normal size food portions look like. Nutrition experts
call this “portion distortion.” Super-sized food portions often seem like
a bargain to consumers. It may cost less than a dollar more to order a larger serving of
food. The cost of food is relatively cheap so many restaurants and food processors can
sell larger quantities for pennies more than smaller servings. This is especially true
for “sides” such as French fries and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Unfortunately, when you super-size food and beverage servings, you get more fat, sugar,
and calories. This can cause weight gain if a person gets in the habit of regularly consuming
more calories than they are expending. So more food for less money is not necessarily
a healthy purchase. Eating just 100 extra calories per day can
result in weight gain of 10 pounds per year. Over the years, this can unexpectedly turn
into an extra 20 or 30 or 40 unwanted pounds! Be cautious with super-sized portions that
have the potential to contribute to unwanted weight gain. For example, a plain 3 inch bagel
contains 140 calories compared to a 6 inch bagel with 350 calories.
Thirty years ago, 6 ½ ounce bottles of soda with 85 calories were common. Today soda bottles
are likely to be 20 ounces and contain 250 calories.
In just a few years, someone can go from a normal body mass index to being considered
overweight….just by eating super-sized food portions.
With respect to finances, super-sizing can occur through enticements to spend more money.
An example is “Buy two, get one free” sales. Another is a store coupon to “Spend
$100 and get $20 off.” Like larger food portions, there is a downside
to marketing offers based on increased purchase amounts…debt.
When people overspend and make low monthly minimum payments on credit cards, it can take
decades to repay what they owe. This phenomenon has been called “perma-debt’ because the
outstanding balance barely budges over time. Perma-debt can lead to financial distress
and associated health problems such as anxiety and insomnia.
The best way to avoid it is to set spending limits and pay more than the minimum payment
on credit cards each month. Ready to get started on the path to good health
and increased wealth? Say “No” to super-sizing. For additional information, visit the Colorado
State University Extension Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ Web site at www.ext.colostate.edu/smallsteps.