Should US restaurant portions be smaller?

Elliot (No)

First, in this hypothetical argument, it's essential to note that the government has no place in regulating how much we eat. Putting that aside, the large restaurant servings typical of American eateries have many benefits. 

It's common knowledge that bigger portions generally offer more value. For example, when someone orders a large portion of fries instead of several small fries, they save money. It's basic budgeting 101. 

Aside from financial value, there is also convenience in someone eating potentially their only meal for the day in one sitting via one 'unreasonably large' portion. Sometimes, that's all that people have time or resources for. 

Another benefit of America's larger restaurant portions is that one typically has leftovers to take home with them for lunch the next day. Many people can only afford to visit a restaurant rarely, and leftovers allow them to revisit this luxurious experience even after returning home. 

Additionally, it's worth mentioning that people with higher metabolic rates need to eat more than those with a slower metabolism. Larger portions allow one to eat as much as they need to in order to feel satisfied. 

Ultimately, regardless of body type, people shouldn't feel embarrassed for eating their fill--especially in an era of social media pressure and constant body shaming. No one should feel like they've ordered too much food, and everyone should have a chance to feel full rather than going to sleep later with a half-empty stomach and wishing they had ordered more. 

Large restaurant portions offer value and the option to eat as desired in ways that smaller restaurant servings simply can't provide. 

Chad (Yes)

With American restaurants having the world's largest portion sizes and calorie counts, it's no wonder that Americans have the highest rates of obesity among developed nations. Our food portions have snowballed, with fast food servings now four times larger than they were in the 1950s.  

Our restaurants often seem to be in a race to see who can give the most food for the lowest price rather than focusing on quality or nutritional value. This can partly be explained by economics but also by the preferences of a subset of the population. 

While more significant portions work in many markets, there is a niche of customers whose needs are not being addressed, and thus they tend to dine out less frequently. Many people do not go out because they want to avoid paying for food they know they cannot finish--leading to financial and resource waste.

Additionally, people are bad at judging portion sizes and tend to eat more if given more. All this is contributing to America's obesity problem. It's not only science. It's even been proven in court. 

Notably, even in the countries where our foods come from, the serving sizes are much smaller than they are here. 

By adapting menu portions to mimic other countries like those in Europe and Asia, many restaurants could provide more enjoyable and costly meal service to their customers. This would not only offer more healthy and affordable choices but would also encourage people to eat out more. Smaller portions could be a benefit to our country's health and wellness as well as to the restaurant industry's bottom line.