Monumental portions a menace: Food24: News And Guides: Features

Monumental portions a menace

by: Jasmin Melvin: Reuters

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Americans have been branded the main culprits behind the sky high demand for more food worldwide.

With soaring food prices sparking protests in many countries and more than 800 million people going hungry every day, US food portions are under scrutiny.

A lightening of the American plate could ease pressure on worldwide demand, but not everyone is hopeful change will be coming any time soon.

With a bombardment of food ads, many aimed at children, Americans are tempted with an array of food choices.

One fast-food chain calls its massive burger a "monument to decadence" while the Wendy's chain calls its "Baconator" a "mountain of mouth-watering taste."

Portion sizes in the United States not only exceed those in less-developed countries, but also in the developed world.

According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation, Americans have the highest per capita daily consumption in the world, eating 3,770 calories a day, more than a Canadian at 3,590 calories or an Indian at 2,440.

"We've looked at large portion sizes almost entirely in terms of whether it's healthy for us, and now we have to consider is that sort of a demand going to be sustainable," said Paul Roberts, author of "The End of Food."

Fewer groceries
High food prices coupled with a slowing economy have led 71 percent of Americans to eat out less and 48 percent are buying fewer groceries, according to the Food Marketing Institute.

Meanwhile, restaurants are also being hit hard by the rise in food prices.

But restaurants are not making big reductions in portions, making only small moves like not automatically refilling bread baskets or introducing calorie counter options.

The Centre for Science in the Public Interest said large portion sizes are unlikely to fade away despite increasing food costs since the actual farm value of food is low for restaurants compared to other costs, such as labour, advertising and transportation.

President George W. Bush caused a stir earlier this year when he blamed India's growing wealth and demands for better food for raising food prices.

But many pointed the finger back at Americans' tummies.

Are Americans eating the world dry?

- None

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Bryan
8/1/2008 10:04:38 AM

Please get over it, not everything is Americas fault. Grow our own food for goodness sake. We all complain about America but as soon as we need financial Aid they must for over Billions.. its all nonsense. If they want a bigger meal let them eat it.

Bush
8/1/2008 10:28:17 AM

If its not too much food, it's oil! Americans blah!

Lejane
8/1/2008 10:50:20 AM

I'm all for smaller portions and less expensive food. Every single time I go out to eat, I end up taking home food in a doggy bag. Sometimes I can have another TWO meals out of the food and in general, I think its a bit of a waste.

Gary
8/1/2008 11:08:44 AM

Quit blaming the US for everything. Who gives a rats ass if they are unfit, unhealthy or plain overweight. I don't know why people just don't take matters into their own hands and grow their own food items as Bryan said. Our family grows 100% of our own veg in a modest garden. But I guess that the Americans are to blame for this continent being too lazy to try and help ourselves.

Jannie
8/1/2008 11:41:39 AM

It would be to the benefit of all if the media would think and research before they publish. That so-called "massive burger, a monument to decadence", is smaller than Spur Restaurant's "Hunga Busta Burger". The latter boasts two 160g patties (320g), whilst the "monument" has two 136g (272g) patties. So, it's not always that big in America, is it?

There are 3.78 times more Indians than there are Americans, yet you are trying to tell us that the Yanks are the reason why there are food shortages? Are you insane?! What about the Chinese? Don't they have an effect on the world's food consumption, simply because of their numbers, or do they live on smog and polluted water?

Cheeseball
8/1/2008 11:49:07 AM

Why is everybody always jumping on the American's case. They provide food and aid for millions of "sufferers" all over the world, people who are too useless to work, but never useless enough to breed. "If you can't feed them, don't breed them" Let the American's eat what they want to, they can afford it.

Jan
8/1/2008 12:38:30 PM

In general the US should get over its obsession with "bigger" and "more" simply for the sake of "bigger" and "more". Yet, with a free market mechanism in operation, prices will eventually start to regulate their demand. If they do cut down, it will have to be for their own sake, not for "the rest of the world".

sudika
8/1/2008 12:46:05 PM

There maybe more Indians on this planet, but they consume very little meat. Meat as all you educated people know has a huge carbon footprint, and also results in deforestation because of demand of land to plant soy beans as food for the animals. This is why the rainforests are disappearing. The average Indian eats only once a day, this too of a meal of home grown rice/wheat/cereal, home-grown lentils and home-grown veggies. The average is about 1/2 the size of a normal American. And the average Indian does not own a car,let alone a huge petrol guzzling one. So there you go. I hear the Chinese are eating a lot of meat, but then they are following the Big Mac/KFC culture, and who started that? India?

robin
8/1/2008 1:34:50 PM

US gets more and more rich/fat using the brains and intelligence that are imported from India. The only thing other thing that has made the US rich is brute force i.e invading resource rich countries, killing innocent woman and children in the process. Why should we get over it? Don't they have enough?

Yum Yum
8/1/2008 1:39:37 PM

The Yanks eat what they want because they can. The Indians eat what the have. That's why you don't see rat burgers in the States.

Marras
8/1/2008 3:06:53 PM

Food prices have gone up recently mainly because of the rising cost of oil & not because the Americans have big portions or the Indians wanting better food. We should be concentrating on the right places.

gregory
8/1/2008 4:34:57 PM

For the first time in the history of the world there is more food being produced for farm animal consumption than for human consumption. i.e the meat people are eating. That is the true problem, so get real. If people stopped eating meat all those food resources would feed the population of the world 4 times over and then some more. So stop complaining, put your food choices where your mouths are and STOP eating meat. Or shut up and pay the price.`

CTheB
8/1/2008 5:59:13 PM

There are numerous factors and there is clearly some distortion going on here. After all, it's not what the proportionate sizes of products are, but also how many are eaten. If burger A is half the size of burger B, but three times as many are consumed then there's a potential issue. As pointed out, the farming of meat is a significant contributor to food requirements. Indians eat less meat in general as far as I know and the Chinese eat a lot less red meat (the occasions I've been there the meat has been almost exclusively duck and chicken), which, also as far as I know, has a higher food input requirement. But food price increases go beyond the stomachs of the world's obese and further than oil - poor farming practices, unfortunate weather conditions and everything else that have led to low recent crop yields have a substantial impact. There is, however, no need to stop eating meat, but it should be eaten sensibly - eat less meat in general, particularly red meat, and a lot of the problem will be mitigated.

Andrew
8/2/2008 8:34:35 AM

The food shortages are a direct result of nations consuming yet not producing. Africa is a prime example of this. When Africa decides to get off it's bum, produce it's own food rather than standing cap in hand waiting for handouts pressure on current world food shortages will cease. Let the American eat what they produce. Let other nations eat what they produce. If this article was about gluttony, a different story, but to blame food producers that for years have subsidised lazy and incompetent nations through continued food donations is more than unfair.

Stephanie
8/2/2008 11:10:28 AM

So everything is the fault of Americans? Thanks for telling me. Now I know who to blame for the fact that my cat had kittens.

dpc
8/2/2008 1:57:16 PM

To me, it looks as if the whole world is blaming the "stupid" and fat Americans, but in the mean time we all want to "develop" to be just as they are. Firstly, they should set a better example, and secondly, we should look at sustainable ways to have a high quality of live.

Rene
8/2/2008 8:31:28 PM

It is true that American portions are outrageous. I was amazed at the proportions of portions of food that was served in diners, restaurants and hotels on my visit to New York New York during 2007. I was shocked to encounter the amount of food that go to waste. It was not strange to see a person take a few bites and leave the rest uneaten on a plate. Hamburgers are gigantic, steaks huge and a salad for one person can easily be consumed by four people. The quality of fresh consumables are outstanding as well as the variety was a pleasure to see. We frequented a greengrocer which reminded me of a shopping group in South Africa but as big as the Jo'burg Market! No one buys one doughnut, it comes in boxes of eight ,etc. They drink coffee by the bucket full Oh yes, I enjoyed it very much because I love a good table, but it was the waste that bothered me. I could'nt help wishing I could have half of it to feed hunger people in my suburb back home I sat in the concourse of Grand Central Terminal watching street sleepers eat from the bins. They developed this offence to a fine art. There was one guy who did it with utmost grace and panache! Because if caught it meant jail. Loitering is prohibited. Yes America is eating as though they are still in the depression of the thirties. I think they should start by wasting less food and remember that food is after all a gift from God.

Jane Good
8/3/2008 7:40:00 PM

How pathetic Robin. The US produces food and what they do with it is their choice. If the unproductive misers like you want some, either produce it or buy it. Indians obviously disagree with you as they rush to move to the US.

David
8/3/2008 8:06:21 PM

Thanks Bryan, a voice of reason. Typical blame-the-rich mentality. We have the capacity to grow much more food in Southern Africa than we do now through our own destructive policies/politics. The Americans pay for what they eat, it's their choice. Nobody is entitled to food, it takes work to produce or pay for it.

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