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CNN Saturday Morning News

Study Says Pizza Bad for Health

Aired May 18, 2002 - 08:51   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 CORRESPONDENT: Here's a news flash for you -- pizza is fattening.

Elaine Quijano has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's one of America's favorite foods and most people know exactly what kind they like.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pepperoni sausage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Green peppers and onion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barbecue chicken.

QUIJANO: And many we talked to don't really pay attention to the calories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I look like I'm worrying about calories, huh? So I don't worry about that part of it. I just eat it.

QUIJANO: Every year the pizza industry brings in the dough, with Americans spending some $30 billion on three billion pizza pies, some of that coming from people who think pizza isn't as fattening as other fast food. But a new study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest says many Americans' waistlines could be paying the heaviest price.

JAYNE HURLEY, CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: More cheese on your pizza means more crust in your arteries.

QUIJANO: The Center's study looked at 15 kinds of pizza from 36 pizzerias in Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles, including Pizza Hut, Papa John's and Domino's.

(on camera): Just how fat and calorie laden can some pizzas be? Well, this slice of Pizza Hut's Big New Yorker sausage pizza contains some 570 calories and 14 grams of fat. Nutritionists here say that's more fat and calories than in this Big Mac.

(voice-over): The Center says the problem lies in the cheese and meat toppings. But you don't have to give up pizza altogether. The Center suggests ordering healthier types of pizza with half the cheese, no stuffed crust and no meat combos, like all vegetable pizzas. You can also take up Pizza Hut's advice. In a written response, company officials said, "Eating sensibly, combined with appropriate exercise, is the best solution for a healthy lifestyle."

In Washington, I'm Elaine Quijano.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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