The FDA May Change Standard Serving Sizes To Reflect Our Overeating Habits

Serving sizes on nutrition labels have the ability to make us feel guilty. Who knew that that a pint of Ben & Jerry's was supposed to last four servings?The FDA is about to make us feel a little bit better about our overeating habits. The federal agency has proposed a new rule that would change suggested serving sizes to better reflect actual American eating habits. A 20-ounce bottle of soda, for instance, would equal one serving instead of two. The rest of the nutritional information would stay the same.

"I don't know anyone who eats half a cup of ice cream," Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian and op-ed contributor to Live Science, told the Huffington Post. "Instead, one cup is reasonable."

Serving sizes were originally established in the 1970s and '80s, but since then, average calorie consumption has changed drastically, from 2,100 calories a day three decades ago to 2,600 calories a day now, according to USDA data.

If the changes are approved, they would go into effect next year. However, companies would have up to two years to change their labels, so we wouldn't actually see new serving sizes for quite a while.