Nutritionists have warned potato chip lovers to stop after eating half a bag—because consuming the entire package can cause weight gain.
According to nutritionist Vinny Kodamala, the usual 45g bags, often sold as part of meal kits in supermarkets, are actually equivalent to two full servings of chips.
Such a bag can contain up to a fifth of an adult's recommended daily amount of fat, a sixth of their daily salt limit and over 200 calories.
Since the packages are not resealable and are sold as part of a "snack," consumers assume that the entire bag constitutes one serving, Kodamala said.
Instead, she recommends choosing the “right” size of 25g bags, which are usually sold in large multi-bag packs.
These smaller bags can contain up to one-tenth of the recommended daily amount of fat, one-twentieth of the salt limit and just over 100 calories.
Kodamala, who works with LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, said that eating too many chips can have serious health consequences.
“It's important to be aware of portion sizes,” she said.
"Too much saturated fat and salt can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke."
"A standard portion of chips is around 25g, which is often smaller than the usual 'grab bag', which is usually 45g," she added.
"This often leads to overconsumption without realizing it, which over time can contribute to weight gain and other health problems."
Other diet experts agreed.
"Most individual pouches contain around 250 calories, which is more than a tenth of a person's recommended daily calories," dietitian Carrie Ruxton told MailOnline.
“Shoppers would be better off buying a multipack of smaller bags and consuming them with a sandwich.”
This warning comes after an experiment by online pharmacy LloydsPharmacy, which showed that people in the UK significantly overeat when determining a single portion of crisps.
Study participants served 51g of chips as a single serving—103% more than the correct amount.
A separate survey, also conducted by the pharmacy, found that less than half (47%) of participants correctly identified 25g as the correct serving size.
One in three people mistakenly thought that a 45g bag was a single serving.
The British Nutrition Foundation also supported Kodamala's recommendation for the right portion size, advising that around 25g is the correct weight to stay within healthy limits.
A YouGov survey conducted in 2013 suggested that a third of British children and around half of adults eat crisps at least once a day.
As a nation, Britons consume six billion bags of crisps a year—the equivalent of a ton of crisps every three minutes or nearly 100 packs per person.
Experts have pointed out that consuming a bag of chips a day is equivalent to adding almost five liters of cooking oil to a person's annual diet.
Many potato chips are high in fat and salt, which, if consumed in excess, can increase the risk of obesity and serious diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Obesity levels in the UK have risen sharply in recent years. The latest NHS figures show that 64% of adults in England are now overweight or obese, compared with just 53% in the early 90s. /GazetaExpress/
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