Overcome the Super-Size Syndrome

We live in a super-sized world, where most food portions are larger than really needed. When children are young they typically only eat what they are hungry for but as they grow older they are more influenced by the amount of food presented. A recent study conducted by the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas showed that when five-year-old children where given a larger portion size that they ate
more than when served smaller portions. Three-year-old children were not influenced by portion size and ate the same amount regardless of how much they were given. The
findings found that children ate 25% more food when given super-sized portions and consumed 15% more calories. But what does this mean?

By the time a child enters grade school they have been influenced by the super-size syndrome. Instead of just eating until they are full they are more likely to eat the amount they are served. Yet the research also found that if the children served themselves they
took a smaller portion.

As parents it is important that we teach our children portion control, that we do not encourage the super-size syndrome. Clarissa Camus of Easy Kids Recipes gives
suggestions on how parents can overcome the super-size syndrome so prevalent in our society.

1. Be sure that the portion size is age appropriate. Remember a serving size of pasta or rice is 1/2 a cup.



2. Encourage your child to take small bites and completely chew their food. This will help give their brain time to tell their stomach that they are full.



3. Allow children to serve themselves and teach them how much a portion is. Remember in the study when children served themselves they took smaller portions.



4. Avoid high calorie meals from restaurants, especially where large portions are served.



5. Cook healthy meals at home and have a family meal with normal portion sizes.



6. Encourage your children to make healthy food choices at school and for snacks.