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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's Obesity Epidemic

Aired May 13, 2003 - 06:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let's switch gears for a moment and talk health. All day on CNN today, we're talking about trimming the fat, America's obesity epidemic.
Lisa Drayer of Dietwatch.com joins us live from New York this morning.

Lisa, good morning.

LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: And we're talking specifically about fast food and how it's affected America's weight problems.

DRAYER: It absolutely has. But the most important thing we can do is look up the nutritional information in advance. The information is available on the Web and if, for example, we see that when we buy McDonald's, their super sized French fries, that it's going to cost us 610 calories and close to 30 grams of fat, we may think twice.

Also, in addition to calories and fat, look for sodium and saturated fat. A bacon and cheese potato from Wendy's has about 950 milligrams of sodium. That's over a third of our daily needs. Also, Burger King's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has over 1,500 milligrams. So that's over half of our daily needs. And that burger also has 22 grams of saturated fat. This is the fat that increases cholesterol levels, increases our risk for heart disease.

Also, don't buy into value meals. The value may be better for our wallet, but not necessarily for our waist line and our health. At McDonald's, you can get a super sized value meal that's, that Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese plus a super sized Coke and a super sized fries. That'll cost you about 1,800 calories and 77 grams of fat. That's over a day's worth of your needs.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's just making me kind of -- I have a stomach ache now just thinking about that.

What about those new salads that are available at fast food places?

DRAYER: Yes, have you heard about those?

COSTELLO: Yes.

DRAYER: McDonald's, they have this new bacon ranch salad with crispy chicken. That's the fried chicken. They teamed up with Paul Newman's, Newman's Own salad dressing. But that salad with the crispy chicken is about 610 calories and 11 1/2 grams of saturated fat. That's more than a Quarter Pounder with a small French fries. It's more calories, saturated fat and sodium.

COSTELLO: Oh, so what's the answer? Is there any answer? Or just stay out of fast food restaurants?

DRAYER: You want to, well, you want to do, you do want to choose smaller sizes. Choosing the junior size can save you about 150 calories per burger. Also, go for vegetarian options. Burger King has a great vegetarian burger, only 330 calories.

COSTELLO: Have you tasted that thing? You haven't, have you?

DRAYER: I haven't tasted it yet, but I always eat my veggie burgers, so I'm sure it's good.

COSTELLO: I'm sure it's delicious, too.

DRAYER: A veggie burger is definitely lower in fat. And if you did overdo it, if you do have the Big Mac, if you couldn't resist, don't have pizza and ice cream for dinner. Be smart. Keep a daily budget. Do some extra exercise and you'll be fine.

COSTELLO: Yes, run five miles after you eat that Junior Whopper from Burger King.

Lisa Drayer, many thanks.

DRAYER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, by the way, takes the fast food industry to task live on CNN THIS MORNING at 10 Eastern time. And stay with CNN for more on trimming the fat. Watch for live coverage throughout the day.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 13, 2003 - 06:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let's switch gears for a moment and talk health. All day on CNN today, we're talking about trimming the fat, America's obesity epidemic.
Lisa Drayer of Dietwatch.com joins us live from New York this morning.

Lisa, good morning.

LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: And we're talking specifically about fast food and how it's affected America's weight problems.

DRAYER: It absolutely has. But the most important thing we can do is look up the nutritional information in advance. The information is available on the Web and if, for example, we see that when we buy McDonald's, their super sized French fries, that it's going to cost us 610 calories and close to 30 grams of fat, we may think twice.

Also, in addition to calories and fat, look for sodium and saturated fat. A bacon and cheese potato from Wendy's has about 950 milligrams of sodium. That's over a third of our daily needs. Also, Burger King's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has over 1,500 milligrams. So that's over half of our daily needs. And that burger also has 22 grams of saturated fat. This is the fat that increases cholesterol levels, increases our risk for heart disease.

Also, don't buy into value meals. The value may be better for our wallet, but not necessarily for our waist line and our health. At McDonald's, you can get a super sized value meal that's, that Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese plus a super sized Coke and a super sized fries. That'll cost you about 1,800 calories and 77 grams of fat. That's over a day's worth of your needs.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's just making me kind of -- I have a stomach ache now just thinking about that.

What about those new salads that are available at fast food places?

DRAYER: Yes, have you heard about those?

COSTELLO: Yes.

DRAYER: McDonald's, they have this new bacon ranch salad with crispy chicken. That's the fried chicken. They teamed up with Paul Newman's, Newman's Own salad dressing. But that salad with the crispy chicken is about 610 calories and 11 1/2 grams of saturated fat. That's more than a Quarter Pounder with a small French fries. It's more calories, saturated fat and sodium.

COSTELLO: Oh, so what's the answer? Is there any answer? Or just stay out of fast food restaurants?

DRAYER: You want to, well, you want to do, you do want to choose smaller sizes. Choosing the junior size can save you about 150 calories per burger. Also, go for vegetarian options. Burger King has a great vegetarian burger, only 330 calories.

COSTELLO: Have you tasted that thing? You haven't, have you?

DRAYER: I haven't tasted it yet, but I always eat my veggie burgers, so I'm sure it's good.

COSTELLO: I'm sure it's delicious, too.

DRAYER: A veggie burger is definitely lower in fat. And if you did overdo it, if you do have the Big Mac, if you couldn't resist, don't have pizza and ice cream for dinner. Be smart. Keep a daily budget. Do some extra exercise and you'll be fine.

COSTELLO: Yes, run five miles after you eat that Junior Whopper from Burger King.

Lisa Drayer, many thanks.

DRAYER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, by the way, takes the fast food industry to task live on CNN THIS MORNING at 10 Eastern time. And stay with CNN for more on trimming the fat. Watch for live coverage throughout the day.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com