By CYN LoPINTO
Editor-in-chief, gerontologist

According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, portion sizes for both food and drink have increased substantially over the last 20 years. A plate of dinner served at a restaurant today contains the same amount of food that would have fed 2-3 people in the past. Drink sizes have also tripled. A serving size for a soda used to be 6.5 ounces and today people drink a whopping 20 ounce serving!

This is especially true for wine. Wine glasses were traditionally smaller and resembled more of a cordial-type glass. Today they are both taller and a whole lot wider. A normal restaurant/bar serving size for a glass of wine is 5 ounces, but with these larger glasses in our bars at home, we are drinking much more. In the same way we eat more food if served on a larger plate, we pour more into glasses that are oversize. It is important to be aware of what is actually being consumed. Over time, these miscalculations can result in unwanted added pounds.