Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Unhappy Meals?
Aired February 24, 2004 - 15:13 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Fifteen percent of children in the U.S. are overweight, a number that has more than doubled since the early '70s. One advocacy group is pointing the figure at what it says is a contributing factor, chain restaurant meals.
CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer is here with more on all of this -- hello, Firfer.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.
Yes, they looked at 20 table service restaurants, basically your big chains that have kids menus. That is the Center For Science in the Public Interest. And they said most kids menus are loaded with foods that are just too fattening. Hamburger and cheeseburgers were on 85 percent of the menus. French fries accompanied almost all of those meals but one. And add to that the freebie extras like the dessert and a beverage, which is usually a soda, and you get fat kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGO WOOTAN, CSPI: Well, you know, these products don't have to be that bad. There's a lot of ways that restaurants could improve the offerings. They could use leaner meat. They could fry their french fries in healthier vegetable oil, instead of the vegetable shortening and the beef tallow, which they use now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Well, first off, let's look at the numbers.
CSPI worked with the numbers from the USDA recommendations for low active children between the ages of 4 and 8, 1,500 calorie as day, no more than 17 grams of saturated fat. Now, they sent certain food items from various menus to a lab for analysis and found many meals equaled or exceeded those daily recommendations.
For example, one menu's cheeseburger and fries served up 760 calories and 39 grams of saturated fat. That's just one meal. Another had grilled cheese with 520 calories, 14 grams of saturated fat. Add fries to that, bring the total to 900 calories, 21 grams of saturated fat.
Senator Tom Harkin says that's way too much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: That's why I am introducing legislation today to require large chain restaurants and vending machines to provide basic nutritional information on standard menu items.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Now, the National Restaurant Association says they don't believe that that kind of legislation is necessary. They oppose menu labeling, saying there are already changes in the works.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLISON WHITESIDES, NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSN.: We are very responsive to what our consumers want. And the menu items that you will see evolving on children's menus will be because of consumer demand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: And, indeed, some already have added healthier items, like a side salad or an order of steamed veggies, instead of those fries and grilled, instead of, say, fried chicken. So what they're saying is, there are options out there and many restaurants have already added that to the menu.
O'BRIEN: Well, and I think it's common sense that that's more fattening than salad or cauliflower.
FIRFER: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: What's the bottom line here? Just don't feed your kids at all.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
FIRFER: They need to eat. They can make their own decisions later.
O'BRIEN: No, what do you do, just keep them at home and feed them cauliflower? That will not work in our house.
FIRFER: No, it will not.
And, basically, put it in perspective is what they're saying. You can still go out to eat, but make smart choices. One registered dietitian we spoke with put it pretty simply. She said, it's OK to splurge or indulge every once in a while, but it's up to the parents to make smart choices. Maybe let those kids have a hamburger, but have those veggies instead of fries. Or have the fries, but grilled instead of fried chicken. Basically, it's everything in balance. That's the bottom line. And it's for us as well. Make those choices.
O'BRIEN: Fat begets fat.
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 February 24, 2004 - 15:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Fifteen percent of children in the U.S. are overweight, a number that has more than doubled since the early '70s. One advocacy group is pointing the figure at what it says is a contributing factor, chain restaurant meals.
CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer is here with more on all of this -- hello, Firfer.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.
Yes, they looked at 20 table service restaurants, basically your big chains that have kids menus. That is the Center For Science in the Public Interest. And they said most kids menus are loaded with foods that are just too fattening. Hamburger and cheeseburgers were on 85 percent of the menus. French fries accompanied almost all of those meals but one. And add to that the freebie extras like the dessert and a beverage, which is usually a soda, and you get fat kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGO WOOTAN, CSPI: Well, you know, these products don't have to be that bad. There's a lot of ways that restaurants could improve the offerings. They could use leaner meat. They could fry their french fries in healthier vegetable oil, instead of the vegetable shortening and the beef tallow, which they use now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Well, first off, let's look at the numbers.
CSPI worked with the numbers from the USDA recommendations for low active children between the ages of 4 and 8, 1,500 calorie as day, no more than 17 grams of saturated fat. Now, they sent certain food items from various menus to a lab for analysis and found many meals equaled or exceeded those daily recommendations.
For example, one menu's cheeseburger and fries served up 760 calories and 39 grams of saturated fat. That's just one meal. Another had grilled cheese with 520 calories, 14 grams of saturated fat. Add fries to that, bring the total to 900 calories, 21 grams of saturated fat.
Senator Tom Harkin says that's way too much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: That's why I am introducing legislation today to require large chain restaurants and vending machines to provide basic nutritional information on standard menu items.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Now, the National Restaurant Association says they don't believe that that kind of legislation is necessary. They oppose menu labeling, saying there are already changes in the works.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLISON WHITESIDES, NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSN.: We are very responsive to what our consumers want. And the menu items that you will see evolving on children's menus will be because of consumer demand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: And, indeed, some already have added healthier items, like a side salad or an order of steamed veggies, instead of those fries and grilled, instead of, say, fried chicken. So what they're saying is, there are options out there and many restaurants have already added that to the menu.
O'BRIEN: Well, and I think it's common sense that that's more fattening than salad or cauliflower.
FIRFER: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: What's the bottom line here? Just don't feed your kids at all.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
FIRFER: They need to eat. They can make their own decisions later.
O'BRIEN: No, what do you do, just keep them at home and feed them cauliflower? That will not work in our house.
FIRFER: No, it will not.
And, basically, put it in perspective is what they're saying. You can still go out to eat, but make smart choices. One registered dietitian we spoke with put it pretty simply. She said, it's OK to splurge or indulge every once in a while, but it's up to the parents to make smart choices. Maybe let those kids have a hamburger, but have those veggies instead of fries. Or have the fries, but grilled instead of fried chicken. Basically, it's everything in balance. That's the bottom line. And it's for us as well. Make those choices.
O'BRIEN: Fat begets fat.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
