The nation’s biggest eaters live in the Midlands, where half pig out on meals three times the recommended portion size, a poll suggests.
Researchers asked 1,037 adults to compare the portions they actually eat with images of the recommended meal sizes.
East Anglia was second in the greed league, with 49% going for treble portions, the South West was next at 47% followed by the North West, 42%, South East, 41%, and Wales, 37%.
People in the North East were the least likely to eat treble portions, at 35%. Just 10% of those surveyed said they ate the recommended portion given as healthy on the food labelling.
In 2015, 1.9 million of people in the UK were morbidly obese, risking Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes and cancer.
Nutritional therapist Samantha Smith said: “Bigger and bigger portions are now the norm. People eat looking at the television and phone screens so they are not thinking about how much they eat.”
Sam James, from Tigg’s, the salad dressing firm behind the poll, said: “We’re inclined to help ourselves to more food than the manufacturers recommend.”
The NHS recommends everyone should have at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. It says an adult portion of fruit or veg is 80 grammes.
Portions of meat or fish should be restricted to 50 to 70 grammes and servings of cheese should be no bigger than a small match-box-sized chunk.
Treats like ice cream, puddings and chocolate should also be eaten in small portions of less than 40 grammes.
Salad dressing company Tigg’s asked 1,037 UK adults to compare the portions they eat with images of recommended meal sizes.
Spokesman Sam James said: “Our analysis found that right across the UK we’re inclined to help ourselves to more food than the manufacturers recommend. “This instinct for portion sizes must contribute to us piling on the pounds or keeping on the pounds if we’re trying to diet.
“The message, if you prefer generous helpings, is to look for choices that are natural and lower calorie.”
Registered nutritional therapist Samantha Smith, who advises people on healthy eating, added: “Unfortunately people eat with their eyes and bigger and bigger portions have become the norm.
