Lately, the problem of portion size has been all over the news. Unsurprisingly, the general consensus is that in order to curb the "obesity epidemic" and improve the heath and nutrition of most people, especially Americans, portion sizes need to be kept under control.
Great idea - but how can it be put into effect?
Since it is impossible to control how much people pile onto their plates when they're at home, thoughts are turning to restaurants to monitor how much they dish out to patrons. The theory is that if a diner isn't served 3 pounds of pasta, s/he can't eat 3 pounds of pasta. But this means that every single restaurant would have to reduce their portion sizes and risk losing customers, because customers are attracted to whatever they feel is a good value. If only one restaurant did not reduce portion sizes, customers would continue to patronize it because the temptation of a good value (and thus the opportunity to overeat) is incredibly hard to resist.
Though it make take more time, continuing to educate people about proper nutrition and healthy eating habits is a better way to go. Trying for force people to accept smaller portion sizes won't resort in happier, healthier people, but in a lot of people who resent being told what to eat. Once everyone wants to maintain a reasonably healthy lifestyle (one without 3-pound dishes of pasta), things like portion size will sort themselves out. Value will be in the quality and taste of the food more than the quantity.
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