The portions we eat, especially in restaurants (fast food ones particularly) have gotten larger and larger. 

I recently joined Weight Watchers to lose a bit o' self . . . it works . . . but only if you exert some self-control . . . and they have materials comparing sizes of typical portions in what we eat . . . i.e., a 12-ounze drink was not long ago standard in restaurants, and no free refills . . . also the burgers, fries as well as portions in the nicer places, too . . . I don't think it was common when I was a kid for your dinner out portion to be so large you got a "to go box," i.e., Doggie bag, and took some home . .  now all restaurants have the boxes for you . . . I know at least one couple who routinely go out and order one dinner and split it . . . for same reason, not to save money... at least that is their story . .

The marketing seems to be to convince us that you are "getting more for your money."  I thought that went out with the aging of the Depression Generation, but no . . . my Dad, who went through Depression hell . . . even in later years when he could afford to go to a better place, or I tried to take him . . . would gravitate towards places with all you can eat specials, or places with extra large servings.... I had to drag him to any place else, but managed a few times . . . like a lot of others, he had the "more is better" philosophy.

Before I took my first passenger cruise I marvelled at the older people I knew who had gone on one, and all they talked about was the food . . . we managed not to gain weight on cruises, but probably only because we worked out every day on the ship and did a lot of walking in port . . . but most do not and love the huge portions . . . and number of meals available 24-hours.

I can't say if we are being pumped full of chemicals but it would not surprise me at all . . . who was it, John Stossel, who wrote a book recently part of which said that DDT was not a threat in your food?  Neither is arsenic in your water, you liberal wimps!  Eat what we serve you and shut up!  What, you want more gruel -- you scalawag, Oliver!  Wait, this is a comment, not a rant . .

And I wonder if we have any scientists out there who might pontificate that some sort of "survival of the fittest" thing goes on over the decades, as in why are people taller now than a few generations ago?  We value height?  Natural selection?  Growth hormones? I have read that in England say about 1700-1800, it was considered a mark of success for (at least guys) you to have a gut, as in you could afford plenty of food. . . while less successful people could not . . . but then again, these are people who also thought baths were bad for you. . . .

Investigate further, walk your 10,000 steps a day, and . .  . . Write on.

--KZ

Oink Oink - You may be onto something AZ Moderate.  The great American stock yard has rules, but there is plenty of evidence that they are not enforced and are being bent out of shape by the owners.

And what about those genetically bastardized crops?  Last I heard the Europeans and Japanese were resisting the Bush cartel's insistence that they accept import of these Frankenproducts.

Eat pig because there be Mad Cow Disease under the Bushs.

And that’s no Bull!