Very interesting!

I love estate sales. I usually go to a couple each weekend. Yesterday I went to one and bought another old low-fat cookbook. It was published in 1956. It said that the average American back then took in 100 grams of fat or even more a day! Well, that made me wonder about the average now. I looked on the net and found this:

Weight Management: The American DilemmaThe problems of obesity and lack of nutrition awareness also seem to have a cultural component. Take a look at fast food restaurants. Most of these restaurants offer "super-size" or "value" meals, which often contain an entire day's worth of calories and fat.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveal that Americans' total daily caloric intakes have risen by 148 calories per day since 1980. This amount reflects an extra 15 pounds every year.
Interestingly, the same studies show that the amount of fat in the average American diet has decreased from 40 percent of total calories to 33 percent during the same period. So even though calories from fat have decreased -- at nine calories per gram of fat versus only four for a gram of carbohydrate or protein -- Americans have more than made up for their lower fat intakes with larger portion sizes of other types of foods. Larger portion sizes equal more calories. And more calories lead to weight gain, regardless of the source of the calories -- fat, protein, or carbohydrate.
Fat provides a feeling of fullness, which can help some people avoid eating to excess. By cutting fat out of their diets, people may loose this signal to stop eating. In addition, many "low-fat" and "no fat" foods can be just as high -- and in some cases higher -- in calories compared to the regular versions.

How to Estimate Portion Sizes
What's a portion size? According to the American Dietetic Association, you can use the following "models" to approximate portion sizes:
One deck of playing cards equals one serving (three ounces) of meat, poultry, or fish (can also use the palm of a woman's hand or a computer mouse).
Half a baseball equals one serving (one-half cup) of fruit, vegetables, pasta, or rice (can also use a small fist).
Your thumb equals one serving (one ounce) of cheese.
A small hand holding a tennis ball equals one serving (one cup) of yogurt or chopped fresh greens.

Now I would venture to say that personally, I would be willing to bet that I was eating possibly triple the average fats, at least! One article says that most fast food meals contain A WHOLE DAY's worth of calories and fat. I used to eat at the Golden Corral almost every day. After reading their nutrition page, I quit that! Lord have mercy, no wonder I weighed 300+! I hope this can be helpful to someone out there.