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It has long been suggested that the oversized portions offered to diners at many restaurants are responsible for the expanding waistlines of Americans. Now, the health/lifestyle watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is implying that "table-service chain restaurants," such as The Cheesecake Factory, T.G.I. Fridays and Ruby Tuesday, are cramming their dishes full of fattening, unhealthy ingredients on purpose, encouraging "extreme eating." Sometimes described as the "food police," CSPI cites the fact that these restaurants are not entirely forthcoming with the nutritional information on their foods, pointing out that Ruby Tuesday's Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta entree has 2,060 calories and 128 grams of fat, while The Cheesecake Factory's Chris' Outrageous Chocolate Cake (layers of chocolate cake, brownies, coconut pecan filling and chocolate-chip coconut cheesecake) had 1,380 calories.
However misleading it may seem to call a dish "Fresh Chicken and Broccoli Pasta" and cram it with (mostly) cheese, it doesn't sound like there is any ill intent there, does it? The restaurants say that their menus change so frequently that it would be impractical to put together nutritional stats for individual dishes and change the menus all the time. They cite value-conscious consumers, who view large portion sizes as one of their highest priorities when eating out. Looking at both sides of this issue begs one question: which came first, huge portion sizes or the desire for them?
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3-04-2007 @11:38AM Lulu said... what about restaurants that promote gluttony, like the Olive Garden with all of its unlimited refills on soup, salad and breadsticks. every entree includes unlimited salad or soup and bread. when people think they are eating healthy because they get the soup and salad combo but have 6 bowls of soup 3 salads and basket and baskets of buttery garlic breadsticks, they would never eat that amount of food normally they just do it because they can. Red Robin even has unlimited french fries, ugh.
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3-04-2007 @12:11PM George Smith said... We continue to blame the restaraunts and no one has to take responsibility for over eating. We have gone from a nation who's President started a Physical Fitness program (JFK) to a nation of children who have no PE thanks to the school systmes and they sit in front of a computer/X-Box/wii for hours when they get home, and adults who do not excersize, lead largely couch potato lives and sit in front of the same computers and televisions and inhale all of this food and wonder why we are getting fatter?
Yeah it's the restaraunt's fault-Right
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3-04-2007 @12:35PM kim said... Who cares? If people are so worried about how many calories are in their food - easy, cook your own! My family goes out to eat once or twice a month and I like having a big meal someone else cooked - I don't worry about the calories - since it is once or twice a month! The only people who should care are the ones eating out every night. I work 10 hr days, have a three year old and a one year old and still cook dinner myself every night - when we eat out, it is a treat not a daily thing.
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3-04-2007 @12:44PM aggie said... Come on, we're not STUPID; we all know the meals are full of calories, fat, etc., and LOVE it. We all have a choice......
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3-04-2007 @12:51PM Morgan said... How absurd. Who goes to the CHEESECAKE Factory and orders something called the 'Outrageous' Chocolate Cake and thinks it's going to be anything less than extrememly and obscenely BAD for you. lol. That's WHY people order it.
Americans really don't need groups coming in to wipe their chins and hand them sippy cups. If they want to eat food, that's their decision. Oi.
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3-04-2007 @1:00PM Diana said... I'm sick and tired of all these watch dog groups and gvt. agencies telling everyone what they should and shouldn't be eating or doing. If you don't like the menu choices eat somewhere else or eat at home. Many people who frequent these restaurants take home half of their meals for another day esp. people on limited incomes. Why pay $20 for a meal and get a small portion if they can pay $20 and get a meal large enough for two meals, one at the restaurant and take home part for lunch or dinner another day.
People need to start taking responsibility for themselves and leave the rest of us alone!
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3-04-2007 @1:14PM Marilyn said... Of course restaurants are encouraging 'extreme eating' and therefore making and keeping their clients plump and out of shape!!! Now pray tell, who can we blame for the dorritos, twinkies, frozen pies, cartons of ice cream, boxes of donuts, packages of cookies, and bags of candy in our grocery carts??? Who can we blame for forcing us to sit in front of the TV at midnight after a bit dinner and wolfing down a half gallon of Breyer's triple chocolate nut fudge directly from the carton and popping oreos like potato chips...
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3-04-2007 @1:10PM JKennamann said... Lack of activity has more to do with expanding waist lines than extreme eating does. Even if you used portion control and did nothing you would still get bigger
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3-04-2007 @1:17PM john said... ryan (#13) you made 1 little mistake ... it should read It's A Fact: People will make stupid decisions EVEN IF you give them information.
I knew the food wasn't as healthy as I could make at home but sometimes I was in a hurry or just too d*mn lazy to cook for 1. (I'm eating better since I married)
I could go to a buffet, eat 1 meal, get all the calories I needed for the day and still not shoot my food budget. As a cash poor single that was more important than that it was "healthy".
even now tho I don't go to restaurants to eat healthy ...
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3-04-2007 @1:38PM kathy said... They call oversize portions "value"? How is it valuable when I am paying for a portion that goes to waste (or should I say "waist") because it's too big?
Instead, why don't they serve less food and cut the price of the entree in half?? That would be my idea of "value."
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3-04-2007 @1:39PM James said... I'm not concerned about how an agency or a government feels I should eat. I know how I should eat in order to stay healthy and at a good weight. This all comes down to personal responsibility. Yes, I do enjoy eating out and on special occasions I will eat whatever I want and enjoy every bite knowing that it's not an everyday occurance. But for those times when I must eat out for necessity, all I ask for is that the restaurant provide me with the nutritional information so I can make informed choices. I ate at Mimi's Cafe last weekend. Fortunately they provide lots of information which allowed us to choose wisely. The Blackened Chicken Caesar weighed in at a whopping 1524 calories and 119 grams of fat, which surprised me since the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger had 999 calories and 57 fat grams. I knew I wouldn't order either of these but having the information made me feel better about my ultimate choice, the Veggie Burger and fresh fruit at 397 calories and 6 fat grams. It was large, very tasty and it filled me up. But the most satisfying thing of all was that I was able to feel good about my choice when I left the restaurant. I avoid at all costs restaurants that will not provide nutritional information and give my business to those that make it convenient and easy to find. There are numerous choices out there, just take control and be responsible for yourself and don't leave it up to the restaurant industry or the government to do it for you.
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3-04-2007 @2:35PM JustIn said... Everyone has valid points.
It would be nice if there were alternative preparatory choices. I'd like to have a baked potato with yogurt over sour creme or grilled corn on the cob with lemon and garlic over butter and salt as my flavoring choice.
There should be some common ground to eating out. The low cal restaurants do not offer the flavor and the high cal restaurants do not offer the real low cal choices. I may indulge on say the meat portion but do not want the grain and veggie portion smothered in fat or cooked in fat.
I think restaurants will charge a premium for choice because sales volume would have to be high enough to justify stocking the choice items in their limited space.
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3-17-2007 @11:59AM victoria said... To each is own, if you go out to eat ONCE in a while and enjoy such food, then work out, I dont see it as a huge problem...As someone previously stated "its all about personal responsibility"
Cali's in the house!
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3-04-2007 @1:59PM fran said... IT SEEMS LIKE HUMAN NATURE TO ALWAYS TRY TO BLAME
SOMETHING OR SOMEONE FOR OUR PROBLEMS.
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3-04-2007 @2:11PM Kurt said... What law is there that says you must eat everything that is served at your table in one sitting? When I order at a TGI Fridays or such, I usually have the server bring a 'to go' box with the meal and divide my portions into halves, or sometimes even thirds! It makes for sensible portions and saves a ton of money by turning one meal into three.
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3-04-2007 @8:29PM Janis said... I hope some changes are made in the restaurant business. I have been aware of the oversized portions for some time now. They need to half their portions and prices. Then everyone would be healthier. Overeating can cause as many problems as smoking in the long run.
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