Recent statistics indicate that the waistlines of Americans are continuing to expand.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 66% of adults and 31% of children are considered to be overweight or obese in the United States. You may be wondering why this trend is growing.  The simple truth is, we are eating too much food, consuming too many calories and not exercising enough.  When we eat more calories than our body can burn, the result is weight gain.  Being overweight raises your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.  The good news is that losing a small amount of weight can lower your risk.  For example, if you lose just 10 pounds, and get 30 minutes of exercise a day, you could lower your chance of developing diabetes by more than half.  If you already have diabetes and are overweight, losing weight and exercising can help lower your blood glucose levels. 

If you want to lose weight, remember that calories do count. Eating just an extra 100 calories per day can lead to a weight gain of 10 pounds per year.  An easy way to avoid eating extra calories is to use the recommended food serving sizes, according to the Diabetes Food Pyramid, to plan your meals and snacks.  Eating smaller portions of foods means consuming fewer calories.  If you have diabetes, it is a good idea to work with your doctor and a dietitian to develop a meal plan containing the right amount of calories, nutrients and carbohydrates that is right for you.  Here are some tips to help you to get started:

Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.  Be sure to include a variety of colors.  A serving size is 1 cup of fresh fruit or vegetables, or ½ cup of canned fruit or cooked vegetables, ½ cup of juice, and ¼ cup of dried fruit.

Aim for 6 servings of breads, cereals and starchy vegetables.  Include whole grain products. Starchy vegetables includes peas, corn, potatoes and dried beans such as pinto or kidney beans.  A serving size is a 1 ounce slice of bread, 3/4 cup of dry cereal, 1/2 cup cooked cereal, 1/3 cup of pasta and ½ cup starchy vegetables or dried beans.

Choose 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy products like skim or 1% milk or non fat yogurt.  A serving size is 1 cup.

Choose lean meats, chicken and fish. Pick meats without visible fats and remove skin from chicken and other poultry.  Try to include 2-3 servings of fish a week.      

A serving equals 3 ounces of cooked meat.

In the beginning, use measuring cups and measuring spoons to measure out your food.   This way you can accurately serve yourself the right portion size.  Measure your food until you feel confident that you can visually gauge how much food is equal to the appropriate serving size.    

Here are some tips to help you visually measure portion size:

3 ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.

A 1 cup serving is equal to the size of a baseball or your fist.

A ½ cup serving is about the size of a half of a tennis ball.

1 teaspoon is equal to the tip of your thumb to the first joint.

1 tablespoon is equal to 3 thumb tips.

1 ½ ounce of cheese is equal to 6 dice.

Be careful when eating out. Restaurants usually serve very large portion sizes of food which can tempt us to over eat.  To cut down on calories, consider splitting the meal with a friend or family member or eat only half your meal and take the other half home for lunch the next day.  You can also ask to order smaller portions such luncheon size or the child size portion.

For more information on controlling food portion sizes on diabetes management contact the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-342-2383 or at www.diabetes.org.

Written by: Kathy Jelley, BS, MS. Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences BrownCounty, Ohio State University Extension. July 2009.

Source: www.diabetes.org