Fighting Obesity by Exposing the Food Industry

The restaurant business has been protected by law from divulging its food's nutritional value for years. Despite the almost CIA-like secretiveness behind recipes, a study of popular foods has unmasked what is really in our food.

America is focused on health since the declaration of the Obesity Epidemic by the CDC as far back as 1999 and can be tracked to 2006. The CDC reported in late November , that while obesity has not increased amongst the adult population, it is holding steady at an unhealthy 34 per cent of U.S. adults aged 20 and over. Childhood Obesity is also a major concern with almost 16 per cent of American Children being considered obese. Most researchers point to the consumption of unhealthy foods in combination with lower activity level as the reason for the rise in obesity. The American high-stress lifestyle is particularly to blame. The eat-and-go business lifestyle can be contributed to longer work hours and work weeks and higher demands on productivity. Many working- and middle-class families are at the mercy of high-maintenance bosses who demand every minute of their day. Mealtimes are thus sacrificed to restaurant and fast foods. The poverty lifestyle is also a factor: Low-class citizens often work two jobs, many times at restaurant and fast food businesses just to make ends meet. The foods they are exposed to on a daily basis are filled with high calories and fats. Fast food can also be more filling on the paltry budget from which poor families are forced to live. Healthier foods are more expensive. Men's Health recently did a study of the Top 20 Worst Foods in America. They did their analysis based on the average male consumption of 2,500 calories per day as well as recommended intake of fat, sugar, sodium and other nutritional key elements. Men's Health also compiled a list of 16 Secrets the restaurant industry doesn't want you to know, and their findings are sickening and give new meaning to the phrase "heart attack on a plate." The #1 worst food in America can be found at Outback Steakhouse in the form of the appetizing Aussie cheese fries with ranch dressing:

2,900 calories

182 g fat 240 g carbs

Even if you split this "starter" with three friends, you'll have downed a dinner's worth of calories before your entree arrives. Follow this up with a steak, sides, and a dessert and you could easily break the 3,500 calorie barrier.

Surprisingly enough, most of the foods on the list can be found at sit-down restaurants with the exception of #20 -- the fast food chicken meal. Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald's (5 pieces) with creamy ranch sauce:

830 calories

55g fat (4.5g trans fat)

48g carbs

The only thing "premium" about these strips is the caloric price you pay. Add a large fries and regular soda and this seemingly innocuous chicken meal tops out at 1,710 calories.

This innocent meal could be why I gained 40 pounds during my first pregnancy. It is surprising that fast food made it to #20 on the list, as Men's Health found out during their study that sit-down restaurants are actually worse for you than most fast food places:

(The Men's Health) analysis of 24 national chains revealed that the average entree at a sit-down restaurant contains 867 calories, compared with 522 calories in the average fast-food entree. And that's before appetizers, sides, or desserts—selections that can easily double your total calorie intake

While some restaurants list menu items as low fat, low sodium, low carb, and sugar free, the consumer will be hard pressed to find the actual nutritional information for many of their favorite foods. The fact is The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 excludes restaurants from being required to inform their patrons of contents in offered meals. Some restaurants and fast food places like McDonald's have voluntarily offered the information, while others have not taken the necessary steps to educate the public about what they are putting in their bodies. In response to the need for the restaurants to be included in the requirement the state of California attempted to pass legislation that would require a nutritional guide to be available by law. However, Governor Schwarzenegger did not sign the bill into law. Restaurants defend the action saying that a nutritional guide does not address the real problems behind the obesity rate in America:

California Restaurant Association, which represents all of the state's largest chain restaurants, called the bill a "feel-good Band-Aid" and claimed it ignored the "true issues" behind obesity.

However many disagree and claim that any and all education presented will only help people make better choices.