GorillaOffTopic, Everything But Gorilla Trades

Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. That is not a healthy statistic, but the Gorilla has a theory; America is about to get healthy again because the high costs of food may just prompt people to eat much less, whether they like it or not.  You see, food manufacturers are about to give you less bang for your buck. Yes, the packaging will look almost the same, and the change will be hard to notice, but less is exactly what you are getting, and as unfair as that may be, it may be the “tough love” the doctor didn’t order for America’s much needed weight crisis. It’s called “short-sizing” and it’s a way for manufacturers to keep costs down. Ice cream, for example has gone from a half-gallon to 1¾ quarts to now as little as 1½ quarts, but it costs the same price or even more now!   Breakfast cereal is probably the most obvious culprit, giving you 1-2 ounces less than before. And it’s not just food. Inspectors in the New York City area found that it is also personal items, such as soap and lotions that have been short-sized as well. And how about flour and wheat products? The Gorilla noticed it the other day; much smaller packages, but at the same price as the formerly larger size. Bummer!  

Now, that’s not going to help anyone lose anything but their dough! (Pun intended.) It’s not just supermarkets that are short-sizing either. Restaurants have started making the changes and it’s so very sneaky, you may not even notice it. Some restaurants are serving meals on smaller plates for the same price as the once larger plates (which in the Gorilla’s humble opinion gave you way too much food to begin with). Manufacturers say that they have been hurt by the high cost of both fuel and raw ingredients. Faced with losing tremendous business, these and other manufacturers said that in general, they had a choice: either shrink the product or increase the price. Some even resorted to both of these options, leaving consumers scratching their heads.  Although this problem may seem annoying and unfair to some (and it surely is), might it really be a blessing in disguise? After all, smaller quantities of food mean less intake, which equals some unintended weight loss. Face it, Americans are all spoiled and eat way too much anyhow! And since people don’t like ”dieting,” it seems to be sort of a backhanded way to get some results for the two-thirds of us who really seem to need it. Hey that’s the best kind, of weight loss! So although the higher cost for less product may seem like a raw deal, just call it a silver lining you never knew you needed!