Italians are well known for their stereotypes, especially pertaining to food. One aspect of food that isn’t necessarily common knowledge though is portion size. Even though they may consume a lot of carbohydrates and have a lot of courses during each meal, they do so in smaller quantities. This is especially noticeable when pertaining to gelato, or ice cream. Gelato places here are similar to Starbucks in America, as in, there’s one on every corner. What allows Italians to indulge in this delicious and inexpensive treat is the size of the portions. The scoops of gelato are much smaller than the ones given at ice cream shops in the United States. There is also usually fresh fruit available that can be served along with this snack. Furthermore, gelato is made with fresh milk rather than cream so it’s actually kind of good for you. Their control of portions along with their use of healthier ingredients has led to an obvious difference in weight between Italians and Americans. People here are noticeably thinner and therefore healthier in Italy. After speaking to many doctors and other healthcare professionals, they seem to agree. Unfortunately, they also say that the United States’ eating habits are starting to influence the younger generation of Italians. Let’s hope they can overcome this pressure from a country that is slowly redefining the definition of overweight with each supersized meal consumed. -Kristin
J Lenart
