Although more Americans realize that food portions have gotten bigger and are often oversized, over half of all Americans clean their plates no matter how much food they find on them. Only 25 percent of Americans say that the size of the portion they eat a restaurants has gotten smaller since 2003. Only 37 percent of Americans say the size of food portions they serve and eat at home have decreased. In 2003, a flurry of media and scientific attention was directed on portion distortion and Americans overeating. However, few Americans are putting this awareness into action by cutting down on the amount of food they eat. With 64 percent of Americans overweight or obese, getting control of the amount of food they eat is important for weight management.

Source: February 2006 Portion Size Awareness and Eating Habits Survey, American Institute for Cancer Research.