Dinner Plates and Real Portions

According to www.health-and-age.org dinner plates have increased in size over the past few decades. I'm not sure if that's because we need to eat more or are too lazy to go to the counter for second helpings---at least we'd get more exercise that way.
The plates have increased in surface area by almost 50 percent. Do we really need that much more food?
My family ate at a bar-b-que joint a few days ago. I wanted the ribs and chicken combination as I like ribs but know that the fat to protein ration is off the charts on ribs. So when my meal arrived I asked for a box. When the box arrived I cut my meal in half and put half of it away for another meal later that week. Actually, my son and I ate what was left over for a lunch--A full lunch.
What was surprising about the meal were the expressions on the face of our waiter when I 1. ordered my baked potato plain; and 2. ordered the to-go box before the meal. I could have ordered cheese, chili, bacon, sour cream and butter for my potato and they indeed had a loaded potato on the menu. A loaded potato provides 100 percent of fat requirements for a day and 25 percent of calories for the day, if you eat 2,000 calories. A plain baked potato has 300 fewer calories, and if you cut it in half you save 400 calories from one side-dish.....WOW!!!
We found some plates which are at least two inches smaller to control portions and have started cutting down recipies so there are just four portions-just right for our family.
Next up healthy snack ideas from a nine-year-old.