Fast Food Encourages Overeating
"Burgers, pizzas, and quesadillas were never health foods to begin with," says Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the CSPI. But many restaurants are changing these dishes into even more harmful versions. "Now we see lasagna with meatballs on top," he says, and "ice cream with cookies, brownies, and candy mixed in." The CSPI mention products like "Colossal Burger" weighing in at 1,940 calories and 141 grams of fat. That is nearly a day's worth of calories and more than two days' worth of fat. The recommended fat level for a person on 2,000 calories per day is about 65 grams.
The response of the fast food industry to this argument has typically been that they also offer healthy menu options. They also point out that occasionally eating such meals isn't going to make anyone fat or unhealthy.
The problem is that we know that kids, and adults, are eating at fast food spots frequently. The CSPI research found Americans eat out on average about four meals a week. One stat that stuck in my mind from "Supersize Me," the documentary by Morgan Spurlock who ate McDonald's for a month: More than 70% of McDonald's customers are considered "heavy users," eating at the restaurant more than once a week.
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posted by pam at 12:14 PM
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