HUNTINGTON -- For years, parents have been telling their children to clean their plates while grandmothers asked, "Is that all you're going to eat?"
Many in West Virginia have little trouble putting away the food, according to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey of 2007 estimates that 29.5 percent of West Virginians would be considered obese. That was the fifth-highest percentage among the states, and within less than a percentage point of being the second highest.
"Portion control's the biggest issue for most people," said Jenna Rose, nutrition coordinator at the Woman, Infants and Children (WIC) program office in Huntington.
Rose said most people overeat without realizing they're doing so. She advises people to take measuring cups to see how much food they need to eat to meet recommended serving sizes.
"I think a lot of people just don't realize what a half-cup looks like on their plate," she said.
A home-cooked meal consisting of a 10-ounce steak, a large, baked potato, 1/2 cup of green beans, two biscuits and 8 ounces of sweet tea quickly adds up to more than 1,140 calories, based on calculations from www.calorie-count.com.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines, most Americans need to eat fewer calories and be more active to reverse the trend toward obesity. For most adults, reducing 50 to 100 calories each day can prevent gradual weight gain. Reducing 500 calories per day could lead to gradual weight loss, according to the International Food Information Council.
The USDA uses a 2,000 daily calorie diet for reference in its 2005 guidelines, but recommended calorie intake differs depending on a person's age, gender and activity level.
Recommended calories can be calculated at www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm.
USDA recommendations include having two cups of fruit and 21/2 cups of vegetables each day, and maintaining less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids. Total fat intake should be between 20 to 35 percent of calories. Calories from fat and saturated fat totals can be found on the top of foods' nutrition facts.
A person can quickly reach 2,000 calories in a day, though, especially when eating out.
"Fast food restaurants are notorious for the calories," Rose said. "Before you know it, you've got 600 or 700 calories in one meal."
Some fast food burgers have more than 1,000 calories in a single sandwich, according to area restaurants' nutrition facts. A double cheeseburger can have up to 600 calories and a large order of fries at some chains has about 500 calories. A side salad may have as few as 15 calories, but dressing may add up to 200 calories.
Morgan LeMasters, 25, of Huntington is watching her weight and said she now gets a to-go box even before she starts eating at restaurants.
"When you go out to eat, the portions are more set up for two people instead of one these days," she said.
She also uses measuring cups at home to measure out the appropriate servings.
There may be no quick fix to cutting back on food, but slowing down when eating makes a big difference, said Millie Snyder, area director of Weight Watchers of West Virginia.
Snyder said it takes 18 to 20 minutes for the brain to recognize that the body needs no more food. But many people sit in front of the television mindlessly inhaling their meals, she said.
"Does anyone know that there are seeds in cucumbers? That there's hair on strawberries? No, we don't know it because we literally throw the food down our throats," she said.
Snyder said overeating is a tradition that can be traced back generations, to when grandmothers and mothers made huge meals and encouraged second helpings.
"We all eat with our eyes and we also eat because of the way we were raised. Most of us come out of households that have told us time and time again, 'Waste not, want not,' and 'Clean your plate' and 'There are people starving in the world,'" Snyder said.
Brenda Saul, 57, of Huntington recently started trying to lose weight after having a stroke. She now makes an effort to eat slower so she can feel full before eating too much.
"People have a tendency to overeat. I know the right things to do. I just don't always do them," she said.
In an unscientific online poll this week by The Herald-Dispatch, readers were asked whether they thought their daily portion sizes were too large. More than 500 votes were cast, with 74 percent reporting yes.
Karen Courts, a Weight Watchers class leader, said portion control has always been an issue. She had to take a psychological approach, switching to smaller plates for meals, she said.
"We can have what we want. We just can't have all we want," she said.
Saul also said she uses smaller plates these days. She also purchases prepackaged meals that are already portioned out.
Snyder said overeating can also be prevented by more systematic grocery shopping. She advises people to never shop hungry and to make a list to avoid impulse buys.
Saul said maintaining a healthy weight isn't about dieting -- it's about making a lifestyle change.
"A lot of successfulness is planning," she said.
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