Menus still calorie-laden despite new laws: group

Reuters ^ | May 25, 2010 | David Storey

[La Enchiladita]

Laws requiring U.S. restaurant chains to list calorie counts have not stopped them from offering unhealthy meals that pack in calories, fat and salt, a group that encourages healthy food said on Tuesday.

A pancake breakfast providing 1,380 calories, a single-serve pizza that packs two days' worth of sodium and a pasta dish swimming in four day's worth of fat top a list published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

The group, which "outs" the calorie, fat and sodium counts of America's favorite foods every year, said it looked for evidence that restaurants are trimming back their offerings in the face of new laws and political pressure.

...The food and restaurant industry has been lobbying for self-regulation, arguing that Americans need to control their own eating habits. But the Institute of Medicine says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should start regulating the food industry to help remove salt from food.

[a fool in paradise]

Maybe they will require medical photos on the menu like they put on cigarette boxes.

“Here’s a photo of a naked middle aged obese person, enjoy your fatty meal...”

[Buckeye McFrog]

In the true spirit of Saul Alinsky, I offer the following
from their website:

Center for Science in the Public Interest
1875 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20009
Main switchboard: (202) 332-9110
Fax: (202) 265-4954

Perhaps it’s time to have a little Tea Party on their front lawn?

[Fast Moving Angel]

I like it. Your acronym is “ISFOOL”.

[Frank_2001]

LOL!;)

[Sudetenland]

Spoken like a person that has absolutely no knowledge of obesity. You ought to join the Obama Administration, the excel at talking about stuff they know nothing about.

Most seriously obese people are not obese simply because the eat fatty foods and don't move around enough. Genetics is a major player in obesity. Most obese people spend their entire lives in a vain pursuit of being like others. Endless diets and exercise attempts which result in temporary changes in their bodies. I know, I have been trying to get thin my entire life. I was put on my first diet when I was in the fifth grade. It didn't work then and even today, as I spend 30 minutes a day in vigorous exercise and watching what I eat, I make very little progress.

I do believe that people should continue to try, as I have, but don't be so quick to judge others who struggle with a problem that you apparently know nothing about.

The success rate for weight loss among the obese is lower than for those alcoholics who manage to stay free of alcohol, about 5% actually keep the weight off they lose.

It ain't laziness and it ain't piggishness, it is a complex problem in which the body fights against the attempt.

[CholeraJoe]

Spoken like a person that has absolutely no knowledge of obesity.

Four years of medical school and Board Certification in Internal Medicine says you're full of $#!+.

[WOBBLY BOB]

“Ten Dumbest Food Cop Ideas”

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/h/2651-ten-dumbest-food-cop-ideas

[ltc8k6]

Did they think people didn’t know what they were eating? Is that why they thought listing the fat and calories would make people not want the food? How stupid can they get?

People already knew the stuff was loaded...

Listing the numbers didn’t change a darn thing, as anyone with two working brain cells could have told them before they wasted the money...

[Sudetenland]

Spoken like all the arrogant doctors I know, most of whom have never been fat (those that have experienced the same in their lives that I have. How many truly obese patients have you treated successfully and what percentage of them kept the weight off for an extended period of time? If you tell the truth, my percentage will be about right.

I'll match my forty-seven years of experience (of my fifty-seven years) studying reading and experiencing to your education and my experience says you don't know what you are talking about. Of course we know doctors get very little real education in nutrition and obesity, just as they get very little education in alcoholism and addiction.

I know more about nutrition than any doctor or nutritionist I have ever talked to. I've actually had two certified nutritionists give up discussing nutrition with me because my knowledge is far deeper than theirs.

Typical doctor with a God complex.

[Teotwawki]

Next they’ll outlaw the all-you-can-eat buffet.

[PA Engineer]

This is actually one I agree with. Obesity is at epidemic proportions and the fatties cause my health insurance premiums to go up. The secret to beating obesity is to eat less and move around more.

They are wrong. Fat is not unhealthy. High glycemic carb diets and just high carb diets are the cause of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. You are blaming the victims of past government "health" interventions. During the Carter years McGovern (without any peer review) instituted the food pyramid with carbohydrates as the basis. Over night thousands of years of established dietary history was changed by fiat. You can track the rise of type II diabetes and obesity from this point.

Government can not solve a problem it created by making the problem worse. The food pyramid and these idiots are the gaia religion diet.

[TNdandelion]

I don’t see no calorie counts on the school lunch menu!!!

[OldMissileer]

I remember reading about some of those topics back then. The scary thing is those scum are still around and now have the ear of the current ruling class.

[PA Engineer]

Four years of medical school and Board Certification in Internal Medicine says you're full of $#!+.

That hardly makes you an authority on Metabolic Syndrome. I wonder what your malpractice rates are if you claim it does. "Mr. Doctor" can you tell me the only proven method of reducing triglycerides to healthy levels?

[JRandomFreeper]

So to relieve that problem, you are going to make sure that people like me slowly starve to death on 1200 calories a day? Sorry, doc, You can kma. I'll continue to eat high protein, high fat, high calorie foods and a balanced diet (for my body) to maintain my 118 lbs.

Pork is the greatest gift of food that God gave us. Everything but the squeal is good to eat.

/johnny

[CholeraJoe]

Exercise, fibrates and omega-3 supplements. I suppose you’re going to insist it’s colloidal silver?

[JimSEA]

It would certainly be helpful to me if restaurants would voluntarily do this. I need to limit my calorie, sugar, salt and fat intake but like to eat out with the family, none of whom have to watch their diet on the rare occasions we eat in restaurants.

However, and it is a big however, it is not the place of government to mandate in this arena. Buyer beware!!!

[Pollster1]

I went to Outback last week. The meat was way too large a serving. The potato had far too much salt. The blooming onion may have had more fat than onion. I'm going back again as soon as possible.

[PA Engineer]

Exercise, fibrates and omega-3 supplements. I suppose you’re going to insist it’s colloidal silver?

Wrong. You should stay current. You also forgot Niaspan (and Niacin).

[La Enchiladita]

You know what’s funny. Every time you turn around, Jugears is making a junk food run. It’s like he’s trying to binge on hot dogs, fries, etc. before they go out of existence. LOL.