¶ … predicaments associated with the modern way of life unfortunately consist of many different natures. But perhaps the most pressing genre is that of deteriorating health conditions. People are generally susceptible to a number of hazardous medical conditions and the prime reason for that is the type of diet that everyone adopts. According to the research conducted by Young and Nestle, "Overweight and obesity have increased sharply since the early 1980s in the United States and worldwide." (Young and Nestle 1) This is a source of major concern since weight problems simultaneously give rise to chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease, thereby reducing general level of life expectancy.
Due to the rapid augmentation of such concerns, the government of the United States has brought forward certain regulations that control portion sizes offered in restaurants. The implementation and reception of such a decree are open to debate, but needless to say, that this is a step that requires some sort of a middle ground in order to achieve it's basically conceived goals. The general criterion for food portions is regulated around necessary caloric intake. According to the afore mentioned article by Young and Nestle, The U.S. food supply provides a marginal 700 kcal/day in contrast to the required caloric intake of 200-300 kcal/day. This only proves that regardless of opposing views, this is a serious and pertinent matter to consider.
But first we have to comprehend what portion sizes actually mean. Portion sizes are meant to denote a suitable quantity of food which in turn is an indicator to people about authentic nutritional content and appropriate intake. In the research compiled by Raats and Wills, titled "Consumer Response to Portion Information on Food and Drink Packaging" it is explained that consumers often describe portions as what they should be having as opposed to what they are likely to consume whence served a certain quantity. (Raats and Wills 23) This is a challenge because people may interpret what they want and what they need differently.
The question is not whether the American government should intervene and take...
The question is associated with the response that people have formed towards this maneuver. In order to understand the lines along with concerned parties have received this notion, we must first grasp the factors that shape portion determination.
As authenticated by Thomas and Mills, there are six elements which make a consumer shape their expectations with regard to dining. These elements are, "consistency, accuracy, ingredients, nutritional information, value and competency." (Thomas and Mills 11) This refers to reliability, true information, health content, honest nutritional values, presentation, cost effectiveness and popularity. Chefs and consumers are expected to make rational trade-offs when trying to side with or against the U.S. Government.
Most chefs have been found to be of the opinion that large portions undermine health indeed. They also agree that cultural values and economic effectiveness make it absolutely necessary to supervise food portions. And they also seem to agree that smaller portion sizes not only encompass health concerns but also attach the grandeur of fine-dining to their food. (Condrasky et al. 1) Chefs recognize the significance of planning their menus, ingredients and presentations meticulously; therefore they are largely in support of the regulation in question. Also, they seem to be of the rather blunt opinion that it is up to the customers themselves to govern their eating behavior and hence it is customers' own responsibility to eat out of what is served to them. Statistics in Condrasky's article show that a vast majority of chefs, restaurant owners, and culinary entrepreneurs agree that portion sizes should be kept under a stringent check in order to help people monitor their health without compromising on the dining experience that they wish to attain utility out of.
The credibility behind this school of thought is easy to appreciate because it not only gives due importance to the problems of health but also keep quality and sophistication in check. So, health and utility both are taken complete care of, without compromising any element of the restaurant experience. According to this…
