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American Morning
Chicken Coup?
Aired November 10, 2003 - 08:33 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Sanjay is out today, but on our medical segment, is Kentucky Fried Chicken a healthy or fast food fried alternative? The company makes no bones about it. In our new ad campaign, Elizabeth Cohen has been checking in now to check this out, giving us the real meal deal.
Good morning, Elizabeth, what did you find out?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, you might have seen these ads from KFC. They basically try to make fried chicken sound like a health food, which has some health experts steaming mad.
Let's take a look at one of the ads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: The secret's out, two original recipe chicken breasts have less fat than a BK Whopper. Or go skinless at just three grams of fat per piece. And now, get a 12-piece bucket for just $9.99.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I'm doing this for you.
ANNOUNCER: For a fresh way to eat better, you go to KFC what's cookin'.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Here's the two things that have health experts so upset. First of all, to compare any food to a Whopper is really damming with faint praise. A Whopper has 43 grams of fat, which is just a huge amount. Two chicken breasts with the skin on have 38 grams of fat. Now you might have caught where they said that a chicken breast only has three grams of fat. Well, that, if you read the fine print on the bottom of the screen, is if you take the skin off. Frankly, I don't know many people who go to KFC and take the skin off. The whole point is that the skin is so delicious.
Let's listen -- let's read actually a statement from Center for Science and the Public Interest, which is trying to get the ads off the air. It says, "These ads don't tell the truth. These ads take the truth, dip it in batter, and deep fry it. Colonel Sanders himself would have a hard time swallowing this ad campaign."
And here's a response from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Our ads simply set the record straight by providing consumers the absolute facts about KFC's original recipe fried chicken, which can be part of a balanced, healthy diet.
Now speaking of which, we actually put together what would be a typical KFC meal if you decided to go there and get a meal. Let's take a look at how much fat and calories it really has. If you were to get two chicken breasts, that would be 38 grams of fat and 760 calories. The coleslaw is 11 grams of fat, 190 calories. This is per serving for one person. One biscuit is 10 grams of fat, 190 calories, which gets you up to 59 grams of fat for that one meal, 1,140 calories.
Now, take a look at that fat, 59 grams. That is about as much fat as you are supposed to have in an entire day, and you're having it in one meal, and that's why health experts are saying, how in the world can they call this health food -- Bill.
HEMMER: Two question, how much fat should you be eating daily, then?
COHEN: It really varies on your body size and it varies on how much food you're eating in general. But about 60 to 70 grams would be a very generous daily supply of fat. And again, that meal is 60 grams in one meal.
HEMMER: As you were saying, it was on the bottom of the screen. How is KFC able to make the claim then?
COHEN: They have allowed themselves to make the claim in two ways. One, by comparing it to a Whopper, by saying their chicken has less fat than a Whopper. And two, by quoting nutrition facts that are with the skin off, and that obviously is very different than with the skin on. And we should -- I should note, also, that the nutrition facts I just gave are for their original recipe chicken. They advertise heavily their extra crispy recipe, which has even more fat and calories. But in their ads, they choose to quote the nutrition for their chicken with the skin off. I've never seen chicken with skin off on the menu at KFC.
HEMMER: Well, listen, you've gone your job this morning. You've made me hungry.
COHEN: OK. Go get something to eat, Bill.
HEMMER: Will do, thanks. Talk to you later.
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 November 10, 2003 - 08:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Sanjay is out today, but on our medical segment, is Kentucky Fried Chicken a healthy or fast food fried alternative? The company makes no bones about it. In our new ad campaign, Elizabeth Cohen has been checking in now to check this out, giving us the real meal deal.
Good morning, Elizabeth, what did you find out?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, you might have seen these ads from KFC. They basically try to make fried chicken sound like a health food, which has some health experts steaming mad.
Let's take a look at one of the ads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: The secret's out, two original recipe chicken breasts have less fat than a BK Whopper. Or go skinless at just three grams of fat per piece. And now, get a 12-piece bucket for just $9.99.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I'm doing this for you.
ANNOUNCER: For a fresh way to eat better, you go to KFC what's cookin'.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Here's the two things that have health experts so upset. First of all, to compare any food to a Whopper is really damming with faint praise. A Whopper has 43 grams of fat, which is just a huge amount. Two chicken breasts with the skin on have 38 grams of fat. Now you might have caught where they said that a chicken breast only has three grams of fat. Well, that, if you read the fine print on the bottom of the screen, is if you take the skin off. Frankly, I don't know many people who go to KFC and take the skin off. The whole point is that the skin is so delicious.
Let's listen -- let's read actually a statement from Center for Science and the Public Interest, which is trying to get the ads off the air. It says, "These ads don't tell the truth. These ads take the truth, dip it in batter, and deep fry it. Colonel Sanders himself would have a hard time swallowing this ad campaign."
And here's a response from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Our ads simply set the record straight by providing consumers the absolute facts about KFC's original recipe fried chicken, which can be part of a balanced, healthy diet.
Now speaking of which, we actually put together what would be a typical KFC meal if you decided to go there and get a meal. Let's take a look at how much fat and calories it really has. If you were to get two chicken breasts, that would be 38 grams of fat and 760 calories. The coleslaw is 11 grams of fat, 190 calories. This is per serving for one person. One biscuit is 10 grams of fat, 190 calories, which gets you up to 59 grams of fat for that one meal, 1,140 calories.
Now, take a look at that fat, 59 grams. That is about as much fat as you are supposed to have in an entire day, and you're having it in one meal, and that's why health experts are saying, how in the world can they call this health food -- Bill.
HEMMER: Two question, how much fat should you be eating daily, then?
COHEN: It really varies on your body size and it varies on how much food you're eating in general. But about 60 to 70 grams would be a very generous daily supply of fat. And again, that meal is 60 grams in one meal.
HEMMER: As you were saying, it was on the bottom of the screen. How is KFC able to make the claim then?
COHEN: They have allowed themselves to make the claim in two ways. One, by comparing it to a Whopper, by saying their chicken has less fat than a Whopper. And two, by quoting nutrition facts that are with the skin off, and that obviously is very different than with the skin on. And we should -- I should note, also, that the nutrition facts I just gave are for their original recipe chicken. They advertise heavily their extra crispy recipe, which has even more fat and calories. But in their ads, they choose to quote the nutrition for their chicken with the skin off. I've never seen chicken with skin off on the menu at KFC.
HEMMER: Well, listen, you've gone your job this morning. You've made me hungry.
COHEN: OK. Go get something to eat, Bill.
HEMMER: Will do, thanks. Talk to you later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
