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Saturday, April 12, 2008
Choosing Fast Food: The Gut vs. The Brain
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Nutrition information on a fast food menu? First it was New York, then San Francisco, and it will probably be your city in the very near future adapting their menus to support America's ongoing battle with obesity and diabetes. Although there have been multiple lawsuits preventing the nutrition addition, the claim is that an informed consumer will make better choices. Although there are no clear conclusions as to whether or not providing nutrition information will cause a change in menu decisions, it is still a great tool for those who are health conscious (really, we all should be at this point) to better identify items that seem to be healthy, but are hiding calories underneath all those layers of marketing strategies. Let's be honest, healthy can be subjective. Many fast food restaurants hide behind phrases like natural, wraps, fresh and organic, while most of these options still offer a hefty amount of calories.
In my opinion, this will be a great way to expose those less than desirable calories, but our “gut” feeling may be a better indicator. There have been plenty of times where I was quite aware that the ½ pound burger with bacon,extra cheese and fries was not the best option, but I chose it anyway, regardless of knowing how many calories or fat I was receiving. If you are seriously trying to be an informed consumer, then you can easily eliminate at least 75% of menu options without any background education.
Yes, an informed public will lead to more informed choices, but we can still be realistic when making decisions even if the information is not available. And, frankly, as a nation, we can't afford to wait until law makers force this issue; we need to start being responsible for ourselves. When facing this issue, remember that there is a distinct difference between knowing and practicing what you know. Here's a tip: if you have been eating the same meal for years and your weight has continued to increase, then avoid it! Good luck and good eats.
Navalee MS, RD
Nutrition Support
“The journey of a thousand pounds begins with a single burger” - O'Brien
Labels: Fast Food
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