Restaurants were an important part of my life as a traveling business executive on an unlimited expense account. Now, however, finding a restaurant that meets my particular dietary requirements is getting harder all the time. There seems to be universal competition to see who can provide the fattiest, saltiest, and least nutritious appetizers with an aroma that most diners can’t seem to resist, and not all eateries offer a low-calorie or nonfat salad dressing. It’s no wonder our country is going through an obesity crisis!

For some reason, portions served in many establishments today are far too large. Have you noticed the recent proliferation of the “doggie bag” phenomenon, evident even in upscale gourmet restaurants? What you used to sheepishly take home in a brown paper bag years ago now comes in a custom-made, hard plastic container, which you can casually carry out to enjoy as another gourmet meal tomorrow! How about the ubiquitous fast-food restaurants that proudly name their menu items “Big Mac,” “Whopper,” “Super,” “Mega,” and so on. And where does one go to get a “small” soda that is under 18 or 20 ounces any more? From these gargantuan portions, our kids are getting a head start on how to pig out, clogging their arteries and developing a lifelong tendency to overeat.

That leads me to the movie-theatre refreshment counter, which is an abomination in excess. In the old days, you could leave the concession stand and head for your seat with a bag of popcorn in one hand and a drink in the other. Today the soda comes in a 32-ounce container, and the popcorn in a one-gallon tub. Now you head for your seat, both arms wrapped around your purchases, with a mouthful of paper napkins (and, need I add, a much lighter wallet)! And I ask: Who needs the discomfort of a full bladder while watching a hot love scene or a knockdown, drag-out fight?

By the same token, I always get a great kick out of the size-18 matrons who laughingly exclaim in the front of an overloaded buffet, “Hey, come on—this is a special occasion, so we can splurge a little. . . what’s the harm?” Well, if they’re like so many of us, these ladies have extended families that number into the 20s and 30s, so there’s apt to be a special occasion virtually every other day. There are countless birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, christenings, and bar and bat mitzvahs—and don’t forget Thanksgiving, Easter, Passover, Christmas, wakes, funerals, the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, labor Day, and on and on! I’m sorry, but if you can’t exert a bit of will power and still enjoy the celebration, then forget about that slim waistline you’ve been dreaming about.