Week 4: Portion Distortion
Pick a weekly goal and track your progress.
Last week we learned about the importance of choosing a safe activity or sport for someone with hemophilia. This week we are going to learn about how to make healthy food choices.
Making healthy food choices can help your body feel strong and energized. Eating healthy is important because it can help you keep a healthy weight. Being overweight is a problem for someone with hemophilia because the extra weight puts additional stress on joints. It can also increase the chances of having painful bleeds.
Did you know that food portion sizes have grown? It is often enough to feed 2 people! Research has shown that many popular food and drinks are now up to 5 times bigger than when they were first introduced in stores.
What is a portion?
A portion is the amount of food that people choose to eat for a snack or a meal. A portion size can be big or small.
What is a serving?
A serving is a measured amount of food or drink that is recommended on nutrition labels.
Portion Distortion Explained:
The amount of food eaten in 1 portion is often several servings. The portion sizes in America have grown so much in the past few years that the amount that people think is “normal” has changed. This is called portion distortion.
Take the Portion Distortion Quiz:
1. A cheeseburger 20 years ago had 333 calories. How many calories do you think are in today’s cheeseburger?
a. 650 calories
b. 590 calories
c. 725 calories
d. 450 calories
The correct answer is: b. 590 calories.
2. A bagel 20 years ago was 140 calories and 3 inches in diameter or length across. Today’s bagel is:
a. 400 calories and 5 inches in diameter
b. 250 calories and 4 inches in diameter
c. 350 calories and 6 inches in diameter
d. 450 calories and 7 inches in diameter
The correct answer is: c. 350 calories and 6 inches in diameter.
3. 20 years ago a portion of spaghetti had 500 calories. How many calories are in today’s portion?
a. 750 calories
b. 810 calories
c. 925 calories
d. 1,025 calories
The correct answer is: d. 1,025 calories.
4. Soda or soft drinks were served in sizes that were 85 calories and 6.5 ounces 20 years ago. Today the serving size is?
a. 300 calories and 25 ounces
b. 250 calories and 20 ounces
c. 200 calories and 15 ounces
d. 275 calories and 24 ounces
The correct answer is: b. 250 calories and 20 ounces.
How can you and your family eat smaller portions?
When eating out, split a main dish and a salad with a friend.
Read the nutrition label to learn what a recommended serving is. Remember that food makers package food in larger sizes to sell more!
Use a measuring cup when preparing food to get an idea what a serving size looks like.
Eat from a plate instead of directly from the package so you can clearly see your serving of food.
Physical Therapist Weekly Tip
“When exercising you should be able to talk back and forth with a friend. If you can sing loudly when you are exercising, you probably aren’t moving enough. If you are gasping for air, slow down a little but keep moving to help your heart handle the change. Don’t just stop suddenly when you are out of breath. ”
— Molly Mays, Hemophilia Physical Therapist