Obesity and cancer experts yesterday called for a consumer revolt against supersize food portions and packaging, accusing the industry of enticing the unwary to eat far more than was good for them.
They blamed marketing ploys offering stacks more food for a little more money - such as oversize drink and popcorn containers in cinemas or "meal deals" in fast food restaurants - for helping to trigger a huge rise in cancers linked to weight gain, as many as 9,000 new cases a year in Britain alone.
The World Cancer Research Fund warned that a huge growth in the size of meals being consumed both inside and outside the home, had already coincided with rising obesity rates in the US and was now threatening Britain and Europe too.
Recent research in the US comparing standard servings with 20 years ago, suggested hamburgers were 112% larger, bagels 195%, steaks 224%, muffins 333%, pasta 480% and chocolate chip cookies 700% up.
In 1984, 46% of Americans were overweight and 14% obese, now the figures are 64.5% and 30.5%. In Britain, half the adult population is overweight and one fifth obese, costing the NHS £3bn a year and accounting for 18m lost working days and 30,000 premature deaths.
The added health risks linked to heart disease and diabetes have been known for some time but the cancer burden, particularly in breast, womb, colon, kidney and oesophagal cancers is a newer concern.
Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Taskforce, called for the public to be fully involved with government and the industry in combating the "epidemic", since no "one bullet" answer could solve the problem.
But he believed children were being targeted by food advertisers and that the diet of very young children was atrocious. There were signs too, from the US, that threats of legal action against the industry, similar to that which had been made against tobacco manufacturers, might help change attitudes.
Prof James said that simply advising people on diet and physical activity was no longer enough, although this had helped raise awareness among the relatively wealthy, well educated and motivated.
Jeffrey Prince, of the cancer fund, said a recent survey in the US had shown "Americans continue to eat everything they are served without awareness that the serving sizes are double or triple what they were.
"Between 1980 and the present, portion sizes ballooned and so did people. These two trends occurred simultaneously."
Different parts of the food industry - from supermarkets to eateries - "offer customers a lot more food for only a little more money and their customers jump at the so-called bargain. Americans are 'super sizing' meals in their homes as well."
But Martin Paterson, deputy director general of the Food and Drink Federation, said manufacturers offered a wide variety of sizes and styles to meet consumer tastes.
"This widens people's choices for building a healthy, balanced diet," he said. "Larger packs are not always consumed by one person or at one session and parents can now often choose mini-products and multi-packs."
