A sensible approach to portion control can help normalize your food intake, says the Mayo Clinic.

Portion sizes have increased dramatically over recent years - in both restaurants and in the home. No wonder, then, that over half of all Americans are overweight, increasing their risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other diseases.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say that portion awareness is a great way to prevent overeating. Be aware that a medium apple or orange is the size of a tennis ball, and three ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. Three ounces of fish is the size of your checkbook and an ounce of cheese is about the size of a matchbox. And a medium potato is the size of a computer mouse. There's no need to go through the tedium of weighing everything if you can visualize sensible portion sizes. It's a relatively painless way of keeping your weight under control.

Source

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource August 2003