So you went into your favorite fast food chain and seemed to notice that the size of the cheeseburger had shrunk in size. You ended up wondering: have they changed the portion sizes today?

If you're going to ask Alice H. Lichtenstein, the answer is hardly. They remain almost the same over the last 18 years.

Lichtenstein embarked on a study that looked into three fast food chains and the portions of some of their hottest items from 1996 to 2013. These types of food included fries, sodas, cheeseburgers, and grilled chicken sandwiches.


She then discovered that although they haven't really gone bigger, they also didn't shrink. Simply put, your cheeseburger can still give you more than a thousand calories every meal. The significant change she took note of was with the French fries as they contained less fat, especially trans fat. She believed that the ban of this type of fat has compelled fast food chains to modify their product and make it healthier.

For her, this is the kind of change that we need so fast food restaurants will offer healthier choices. Another interesting data from her study is the fact that the nutritional value of similar items can vary depending on the fast food chain. For example, the cheeseburger may still be more than a thousand calories, but some of them have lower calorie count than the others.

Now does this mean it's good news? It hardly makes up for one since despite the lower calorie count, the fat and salt content of these products is still way higher than what's recommended for a good American diet. A person can still end up eating at least 55% more than his or her limit.

Lichtenstein therefore hopes that these companies also spend time cutting back on calories and adding nutrients. A deficit of 100 calories per day can already lead to at least 10 pounds of weight loss every year.