Are your serving sizes too large?

How much people eat depends, in part, on how much they are served. One study showed that adults ate more food when they were served portions 1 1/2 times larger than standard portion sizes.

It's common for people to underestimate serving sizes. For example, many people don't realize that one serving of meat should only be the size of a deck of cards.

It can help to learn the proper portion sizes for various foods. For instance, one serving of bread equals one slice of bread. But a small bagel, bun, or muffin is often equal to two bread servings.

You might get out your measuring cups and your kitchen scale for a few weeks. Take the time to measure out the serving size listed on the cereal box or orange juice container.

You also need to be on alert at restaurants—where portion sizes tend to be extra large.

To refrain from overeating when eating out, try these tactics:

• Share an entree with a friend.
• Request the appetizer- or lunch-size in place of an entreé size.