Twenty years ago, the regular serving size of coffee — eight ounces of java, with whole milk and sugar — contained 45 calories, the same amount found in 13 M&M's. Today, a 16-ounce cup of mocha coffee — with steamed whole milk and mocha syrup — has 350 calories, equivalent to 103 M&M's. As coffee drinks grow in size and variety, so does their calorie content... and our waistlines. Research shows that adding a little syrup and doubling the serving size of our favorite cup of joe can make us gain 22 pounds in just one year.

We all know that food portions have gotten bigger and that we live in a supersized world. Unfortunately, many of us don't know what a healthy serving size looks like. Portion distortion, or perceiving large portion sizes as appropriate amounts to eat at one sitting, is one factor contributing to the rise in obesity across the U.S., according to research published in the September 2006 Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

According to a recent study, 177 young adults were asked to serve themselves a selection of breakfast and lunch items. Participants had the option of choosing 7 1/2-, 9- or 10 1/4-inch plates; 6-, 12- or 28-ounce bowls; and 12-, 20- or 32-ounce drinking cups. The results showed that only 45 percent of the breakfast items and 32 percent of the lunch items chosen by the participants were within 25 percent of the actual recommended portion size of the offered foods.