Little adjustments can help families beat fat

TO mark National Nutrition Week from today until October 15, the Heart and Stroke Foundation is warning the country's increasingly tubby families to watch for "portion distortion" and control how much they eat.

The foundation says obesity is a rising epidemic in South Africa and, worryingly, more than two-thirds of South African women are overweight or obese.

"Our eating habits are changing, with processed foods, takeout meals, fatty meats and refined starches and sugars becoming a regular part of our diet. Along with this, people have lost touch with what a healthy amount to eat is," said a spokesman. "This is called portion distortion. Simply put, we are eating too much!"

To combat this, the foundation has released guidelines for how to control portion size, which in turn will help cut your risk of developing high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. The following tips may help:

• Use smaller plates, bowls, and serving utensils. Plates with a darker-coloured rim can also help, since we tend to only serve food on the lighter-coloured portion of the plate.

• Use a smaller glass to limit the amount of drinks consumed at a time.

• Avoid being tempted by second and third helpings. One way to do this is to serve the right portion amounts on to individual plates, instead of putting serving dishes on the table. Keeping excess food out of reach may discourage unintentional overeating.

• Be aware that your body may only experience feeling "full" sometime after eating your meal. This means it will help to eat slowly, and pay attention to your body's internal cues to avoid overeating.

• Do not eat in front of the TV as this may lead to being distracted and not paying attention to signals of becoming "full", also leading to overeating.

• Stick to regular meal and snack times.

The foundation also warns that many restaurants serve more food than is appropriate for one person. You can control the amount of food that ends up on your plate by sharing a meal with a friend or asking the waiter to put half the meal in a "doggie bag" or "take away container", before it is brought to the table. Alternatively order a salad and a starter as your main meal.

Back at home, if your family really loves to eat or snack in front of the TV, then put a small amount in a bowl or container and leave the rest of the package in the kitchen. Snack foods that are bought in bulk should be portioned into individual-sized bags – then store large containers out of sight in a storage closet, cabinet, or garage.

Better still, don't buy snacks: if you don't buy it you won't be tempted to eat it.

Place fruit in a large bowl on the counter and serve cut vegetables as the family arrives home from school or work.

Keeping healthier foods within easy reach means you'll eat more of those foods.

Good luck!