Owasso Nutrition Expert Says Portion Control Is Key In Diabetes Battle

When Food Network's Paula Dean confirmed this week she has type 2 diabetes, it might also be confirmation we can't just eat anything and everything we want.

Some of our problems with obesity and diabetes might be smaller if our food portions were smaller too.

"Used to be a pop was a can of pop, now it's a 20 ounce bottle of pop," said Rachel Vincent, Food Nutrition Manager at St. John in Owasso, as she explained how portion sizes have gotten bigger over the years.

Vincent says increased portion size is related to an increase of obesity and diabetes.

"It's a huge problem. The #7 killer in the US, I believe," she said.

Patients at St John Owasso can order all their meals from a room service menu, and there are lots of choices. The portions are reasonable, even a few fries are okay, Vincent said.

"It's not even that we are choosing the bad foods, we are choosing foods in a quantity that is more than our body needs," Vincent said.

Paula Deen's diagnosis with type 2 diabetes might result in more people thinking not only about what they eat but how much they eat.