In > Bingo wrote:
> Sarah Jane > wrote in
> :
>
>> In > Carol Cohen
>> wrote:
>>> I'm writing to you because I can't think of better newsgroups
>>> to answer my question, which is: I have always made oatmeal
>>> by the recipe on the Quaker Oats box: 1/3 cup oats, 3/4 cup
>>> water. But the new box reads: 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water.
>>> (and of course the calories which used to be 110, are now 150).
>>> When did the portion size change? And why?
>>>
>>> C.C.
>>
>> I'm not sure when it changed, but I think I know why. They're
>> claiming that eating oatmeal every day can lower cholesterol,
>> but apparently the smaller serving size isn't enough to get the
>> effect. I just checked the box in my cabinet, and it says
>> "eating a good-sized bowl of Quaker Oatmeal for 30 days will
>> actually help _remove_ cholesterol from your body". Note the
>> "good-sized" specification.
>>
>
> I only eat one instant packet a day, which I think is 1/3 cup. In
> the past year my cholesterol went from 162 to 140.

That's great for you, but the studies used more than that (at least 2 g
soluble fiber, which is the amount in the 1/2 c serving). I'm not saying
less wouldn't work for some people, but more probably works for more
people, and of course Quaker would use the higher number to sell more
oatmeal.

BTW, I don't know if you've been losing weight, but if you have, that
alone could account for the drop in cholesterol.