An eating culture that is distinctly American is super sized fast food portions. From the big mac to those 7-Eleven Double Gulps sodas that fill 50 ounces the trend seems to be bigger is better. I have a conflicted opinion on super sized portions. I personally enjoy these massive portions because I enjoy sharing my food. I can buy a massive order to share with a friend for less money. So for me, supersized portions work great! For many other Americans, these massive portions for just a few cents more may be one of the leading causes to obesity.
As Pollan mentions, the American culture of buying and consuming food is heavily influenced by economics. Customers are not likely to order seconds, but if they are able to buy a bigger portion for a little bit more money, they are likely to buy the bigger portion. Customers also tend to feel less guilty buying one big portion than buying two portions. With customers buying more food, businesses can bring in more profit so it is a win on both sides.
Not only do customers want big fast food portions, they want it to be cheap as well. The demand for cheap food by over processing the food deteriorates its quality. The quality of our food is suspicious not only in fast food chains but in restaurants and grocery stores as well. The American consumer wants food that is cheap, easily accessible, and lots of it. As long as that mentality does not change, we can’t really depend on the market to provide us with quality food that is clean and nutritious.
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