Greeks overeat

Six out of 10 Greeks admit to overeating, while a third have an exaggerated idea of what constitutes a healthy serving, according to a study carried out by nutritionists on behalf of the website www.mednutrition.gr, which promotes the so-called Mediterranean diet, based on lots of fruit, vegetables and olive oil.

According to research conducted by experts on a sample of 412 people last month, Greeks tend to eat more than necessary.

A total of 61 per cent of respondents admitted to eating everything on their plate after sitting down for a meal, whether at home or in a restaurant.

The study also indicated widespread ignorance among Greeks about what constitutes a healthy-sized serving of food.

Asked what they believed the right size is for a serving of meat, nearly a third (31.4 per cent) of the respondents answered, "A handful."

According to nutritionists, this is twice the amount of a healthy serving, which would weigh 90 grams and sit in the palm without spilling over onto the fingers.
A similar proportion of respondents (34.8 per cent) said they believed a healthy serving of fries is 15 to 30 pieces, while 11 per cent thought that a decent serving comprises at least 30 fries.

The recommended serving by nutritionists is 10 to 15 fries.

Asked whether they measure out quantities of food when cooking at home, more than half (55 per cent) said they did not.

The same proportion of respondents said they considered the servings at most gourmet restaurants to be too small, favouring the more generous portions served at traditional tavernas.

The nutritionists who compiled the report said the increase in the size of servings favoured by many Greeks is partly due to the increase in plate sizes on the market.

Many plates have a diametre of 30 centimetres, compared to 25 centimetres in 1990, the medNutrition report notes.