AICR Introduces The New American Plate

American Institute for Cancer Research
Tuesday, 5 September 2000

Science-based approach to reducing obesity and chronic disease

The latest advice on weight management, from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), is a reminder of something most Americans have forgotten: If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less.

"All the fad diets with their high-protein, low-sugar, low-carbohydrate directives have confused people about some basic principles. It's not what you eat, but how much you eat that counts most when it comes to weight reduction," said Melanie Polk, AICR Director for Nutrition Education.

In a survey conducted for AICR in February 2000, 78 percent of adults said just the opposite-that eating certain types of food is more important than eating less food when trying to lose weight. In the same survey, only one percent of the respondents could answer questions about serving sizes correctly.

In response to this confusion, AICR has created a fresh approach to healthy eating, called "The New American Plate." Through a 36-page brochure and public seminars, the Institute is advising people to focus on both proportion and portion size when preparing meals at home or ordering them at restaurants.

Proportion

What should be on the New American Plate? Nutritionists agree that vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans should cover two-thirds (or more) of the plate. Animal-source foods should cover one-third (or less).

In a recent review of the scientific literature on diet and cancer, an expert panel established by AICR found 247 studies on the association of vegetables and fruits and cancer prevention. An amazing 78 percent of those studies showed vegetables and fruits to be protective, and none showed a negative effect.

Vegetables and fruits provide vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (natural substances found only in plants) that protect the body's cells from damage by cancer-causing agents. A number of phytochemicals may also interfere with cancer cell growth and reproduction as well.

In reporting these results in Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: a global perspective, the expert panel noted that a diet rich in plant-based food was protective against heart disease, stroke and diabetes as well as cancer.

"The greatest harm done by the fad diets derives from the odd combinations of foods they recommend. They urge people to cut back to a greater or lesser degree on the fruits and vegetables that have been shown to prevent chronic disease. Long-term health is sacrificed to short-term weight loss," Polk points out.

The New American Plate advocates reducing meat, fish or chicken to three ounces and filling the dinner plate with dishes composed of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. The brochure urges people to reverse the traditional American plate, and think of meat as a side dish or condiment rather than the primary ingredient.

The brochure conducts the reader through a transition from the old American plate (typically 8 to 10 ounces of steak with buttery mashed potatoes and peas) through three stages to the new American plate (typically a stir-fry, stew or pilaf in which vegetables, grains and beans are flavored by meat, fish or chicken).

Scientific consensus stands behind The New American Plate. Its proportions are a prescription for long-term health. AICR nutritionists argue it should be adopted for a lifetime of healthy eating and not abandoned for fad diets that have not stood up to the scrutiny of science.

Portion Size

Proportion of plant-food to animal-food is the first consideration when preparing the New American Plate. The second consideration is portion size.

"Foreigners coming to this country express amazement at the amounts of food heaped on American plates. Food adopted from foreign cuisines such as the croissant, bagel or quesadilla double or triple in size once they reach our shores. Even the traditional American muffin has ballooned from a standard one and a half ounces to as large as eight ounces," Polk charged.

Meanwhile, fast food outlets feature gigantic "value meals" and "supersizes." Even the table-service restaurants have swapped the traditional 10 ½ inch plate for a 12 inch plate.

USDA statistics show that the average daily caloric intake of Americans has risen from 1,854 calories to 2,002 calories during the last 20 years. That significant increase -148 calories per day - theoretically works out to an extra 15 pounds per year.

According to The New American Plate brochure, "Obesity became an epidemic in this country at the same time portion sizes grew enormous. It is likely that [individuals] can achieve a healthy weight by reducing the portions they eat and exercising more."

The Eyeball Method

The brochure recommends using your eyes for portion control. It refers people to the standard serving sizes listed with the USDA food pyramid and recommends that they measure out standard serving sizes of their favorite foods onto their own bowls and plates and then look at them.

AICR nutritionists believe that familiarity with standard serving sizes will help people grasp how large the portions we ordinarily eat have grown. This awareness should lead to adjustment in portion sizes when serving meals at home or ordering them at eateries.

For instance, people who enjoy a whole grain cereal for breakfast could fill a measuring cup with cereal and pour it into their customary cereal bowl. One cup is the standard serving size for many cereals.

The brochure then recommends "eyeballing" the bowl and making a mental note of how much of the bowl is filled. By repeating this procedure with favorite foods for each meal of the day, people will get a sense of what single servings look like.

Next, according to the AICR program, people should consider how many standard servings go into the portions they eat. The appropriate portion size should depend on individual need.

A person who is physically active at work or is experiencing the increased energy demand of puberty or pregnancy may require two or three servings for his or her customary portion. A person who is working toward a lower weight may require only one.

"Even small changes add up to a substantial difference," said Polk. "Choosing the regular burger instead of the quarter-pound burger saves 160 calories.

"Stopping after just one cup of pasta on a three-cup platter saves 300 calories. Once you suit your portions to your needs, you will find it easier to maintain a healthy weight for life."

The New American Plate is not a short-term diet for weight loss, but a new approach to eating for health, Polk said. "But it does show people how to enjoy all foods in sensible portions. Thus, it promotes a healthy weight as one aspect of an overall healthy lifestyle."

A free copy of The New American Plate brochure can be obtained by calling 1-800-843-8114, extension 22, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Further information is available on AICR's web site, www.aicr.org.

For more information, or to contact American Institute for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.aicr.org