Really? C'mon Guy Sueing White Castle!

If you can't fit into the booth, maybe that's a sign?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/man-sues-white-castle-because-over-booth-size-160126946.html

Letter to McDonald's: STOP MARKETING JUNK FOOD TO KIDS

 In the MetroNY paper today, I saw a huge one page ad:  An open letter to the CEO of McDonald's from Corporate Accountability International.  Apparently, McDonald's has it's annual shareholders meeting tomorrow where they make big announcements and changes.  Over 550 health professionals and institutions in all 50 states have signed the letter, begging McDonald's to be more responsible in it's marketing fast food items to children.

I don't want Ronald McDonald to lose his job, but I am all for this initiative.

Want to sign the letter?  Follow this link: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2215/t/8952/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=618

Don't be fooled by the "Market Fresh"!

It is Spring (finally!) and many advertisers know that we want to tone up and look great before we ditch our dowdy duds for more warm weather fare.  You'll notice an abundance of commercials for weight loss drugs, flavored waters, cereal diets, etc. with lovely women traipsing about in sarongs and over sized sun hats.

While you are out and about looking for delicious lighter food items, don't be fooled by items that seem healthy.  My beef with this one is the Arby's Market Fresh Sandwich.

It's on whole wheat bread.  It looks fresh and tasty.  But choosing this sandwich is like taking mayonnaise and smearing it on your butt and thighs.  According to the Calorie King Calorie Counter, the Chicken Salad with Pecans is a whopping 770 calories with 39 grams of fat.  My favorite sandwich, the Beef n' Cheddar, is 445 calories and 21 grams of fat:  Even with the electric orange cheese sauce!

A better choice may be Subway's 6-inch Orchard Chicken Salad at only 360 calories and 8 grams of fat, even though Arby's released this taste taste video saying their sandwich is better.



If you can make it through his TERRIBLE acting, you'll see their "fresh" ingredients (celery!) are blended with mayonnaise, and then they make you feel bad by throwing in hungry children.

I have an idea!  Save your money and donate the $5 to the charity instead.  You'll feel good inside and out- and your waist line will thank you too!

What I'm "F'd Up!" about Today!: Freedom to be Fat?

I was walking the kid this morning and saw this article in the daily Metro New York: "Hands off my Big Mac, NYC". NYC council woman Christine Quinn is proposing a ban on fast food restaurants being built in areas where obesity is on the rise. No coincidence, these areas are also really poor parts of town. The article states that these fast food restaurants provide important jobs for these neighborhoods because many people don't have a proper education to get higher paying jobs.

There are so many things wrong with this situation!
1.) Fast food is a daily part of lower income families diets because of price.
2.) People in lower income neighborhoods aren't being educated to get out of the neighborhood and get better paying jobs.
3.) The city shouldn't have to ban restaurants to help people lose weight and get healthy.

I feel the first line of defense is the fast food chains themselves offering this type of fare. FOR EXAMPLE, have you heard about this new sandwich that KFC is launching? Take a look at this beauty, the new Double Down sandwich which is described like this on the website:

"The new KFC Double Down sandwich is real and it's coming April 12th! This one-of-a-kind sandwich features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce. This product is so meaty, there’s no room for a bun!"

REALLY? THIS HAS TO BE A JOKE. But no, it's no joke. It says it's real so it must be. Apparently KFC hasn't gotten the fast food kills people memo. And if you are that stupid to eat this, well. . .wow. You probably aren't reading my blog. :)

If fast food restaurants weren't trying so hard to develop heart clogging menu items, people could keep their jobs. If we could educate our communities on the benefits of healthy eating, we could be the first line of defense in obesity. Convenience really is the enemy here. And education is the solution.

We can keep adding beverage taxes and trying to ban fast food, but the truth is we live in a country where you have the freedom to be fat and make stupid choices (I used to own a crimper and I used it with careless abandon). I don't feel it's right for people to lose jobs because we want them to be healthy. There has to be other measures in place!

And remember, the more you tell people NO, the more they want it. Telling people they can't eat fast food will make them walk a little further to the next burger joint. But, hey. At least they'll be walking. Right?

In Your Face! Calorie Counts are Coming to a City Near You

I am a fan of the calorie counts being posted on menus here in New York City. I think it makes me more aware of the choices I am going to make, stops me from making certain choices, and encourages me to make a healthier or less bad decision.

For example, I went to Crumbs Bakery for my boyfriend's birthday and thought the calorie count listed next to each cupcake was the price of the cupcake. "Over $5 for a cupcake? OH. The cupcake is $3? That is over 500 calories. . ." Which led to the purchase of two cupcakes to split between four people as opposed to four cupcakes. Saved by the calorie count!

I am pleased that with the passing of the Health Care Reform Bill that there is a provision for the listing of nutrition information in restaurants that have more than 20,000 locations (read the article here). Like Chilis and McDonalds. That is calorie counts being posted on menu boards, drive throughs, even vending machines! No longer will you have to buy the product, shudder when you see the calorie count listed on the wrapper, and then shrug because you already purchased the product so you might as well eat it. Why waste money, right?

It is proven that the calorie listings are making people more aware of what they are eating. Just like books like "Fast Food Nation" and documentaries like "Food Inc." are opening the eyes of those who actually buy a movie ticket or purchase a book, calorie counts being in front of the public's face will not allow people to close their eyes and plug their fingers in their ears about what they are feeding themselves and their families any longer.

It's not happening tomorrow, but it's happening soon. In my opinion, it can't come soon enough.