Calorie Counting to Better Health: a Movement to Fight Obesity
Calorie Counting to Better Health: A Movement to Fight Obesity
Ilea Martinez
CM220-28
Calorie Counting to Better Health: A Movement to Fight Obesity
Think about your day. Do you choose a nearby fast-food restaurant to buy lunch or do you usually take a home-prepared meal to work and eat at your desk? At dinner time, do you frequently depend on take-out food to feed yourself or do you cook a healthy meal at home? If you usually choose to eat out instead of preparing meals at home, then you might be like the majority of Americans. According to one estimate, eating out “accounted for 42% of U.S. households’ food expenditures in 2009” (Economic Research Service, as cited in Morrison, Mancino & Variya, 2011). Eating out has become the first choice for many Americans. Most people depend on fast-food restaurants to feed themselves and this is becoming a nutritional hazard for many. Consumers need to know the calorie counts contained in their fast-food options, to make smarter choices, maintain a healthier lifestyle, and prevent long term diseases.
The average calorie content in a fast-food meal ranges from 749 to 926 calories (Saunders, 2009). Recommended daily calorie intake varies from person to person, but the average amount recommended for an adult is 2000 calories. Taking this into consideration, one fast-food meal may account for nearly half of the average amount recommended per day. Only extremely active people like athletes, or people that need to gain weight might be prescribed by a doctor to consume a high calorie diet, but fast-food meals are not considered a healthy choice when needing to maintain a healthy body function or gain weight the healthy way. Foods served in fast-food restaurants tend to contain a higher content of calories and a lower nutritional value, compared to homemade meals.
It is widely known that maintaining a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of getting a health threatening disease. A healthy lifestyle includes: not
Ilea Martinez
CM220-28
Calorie Counting to Better Health: A Movement to Fight Obesity
Think about your day. Do you choose a nearby fast-food restaurant to buy lunch or do you usually take a home-prepared meal to work and eat at your desk? At dinner time, do you frequently depend on take-out food to feed yourself or do you cook a healthy meal at home? If you usually choose to eat out instead of preparing meals at home, then you might be like the majority of Americans. According to one estimate, eating out “accounted for 42% of U.S. households’ food expenditures in 2009” (Economic Research Service, as cited in Morrison, Mancino & Variya, 2011). Eating out has become the first choice for many Americans. Most people depend on fast-food restaurants to feed themselves and this is becoming a nutritional hazard for many. Consumers need to know the calorie counts contained in their fast-food options, to make smarter choices, maintain a healthier lifestyle, and prevent long term diseases.
The average calorie content in a fast-food meal ranges from 749 to 926 calories (Saunders, 2009). Recommended daily calorie intake varies from person to person, but the average amount recommended for an adult is 2000 calories. Taking this into consideration, one fast-food meal may account for nearly half of the average amount recommended per day. Only extremely active people like athletes, or people that need to gain weight might be prescribed by a doctor to consume a high calorie diet, but fast-food meals are not considered a healthy choice when needing to maintain a healthy body function or gain weight the healthy way. Foods served in fast-food restaurants tend to contain a higher content of calories and a lower nutritional value, compared to homemade meals.
It is widely known that maintaining a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of getting a health threatening disease. A healthy lifestyle includes: not
References: Howlett, E. A., Burton, S., Bates, K., & Huggins, K. (2009). Coming to a Restaurant Near You? Potential Consumer Responses to Nutrition Information Disclosure on Menus. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(3), 494-503. Retrieved September/3/2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/detail?sid=6a73ac88-79e0-4748-8600-138294065d03%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=44170853 Morrison, R., Mancino, L., Variyam, J. (2011, March). Will Calorie Labeling in Restaurants Make a Difference? Amber Waves [Article]. USDA: Economic Research Service. 180(6), 35-48. Retrieved September/1/2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/detail?sid=ffcdb367-9adf-4285-9cf5-68ea55dfae11%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=105&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=64371743 Saunders, T. (2009). Fast Food Lunches Contain Ridiculous Amounts of Calories [webpage] Retrieved September/2/2012 from http://www.obesitypanacea.com/2009/09/fast-food-lunches-contain-ridiculous.html Swartz, J., Braxton, D. & Viera, A.J. (2011). Calorie Menu Labeling on Quick-Service Restaurant Menus: An Updated Systematic Review of the Literature. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Retrieved September/1/2012 from http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/pdf/1479-5868-8-135.pdf Tangari, A., Burton, S., Howlett, E., Yoon-Na, C., & Thyroff, A. (2010). Weighing in on Fast Food Consumption: The Effects of Meal and Calorie Disclosures on Consumer Fast Food Evaluations. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 44(3), 431-462. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01177.x Thomas Jr., L., & Mills, J. E. (2006). Consumer knowledge and expectations of restaurant menus and their governing legislation: a qualitative assessment. Journal of Foodservice, 17(1), 6-22. doi:10.1111/j.1745-4506.2006.00015.x Zraick, K. (2011, July, 27). Fast-food Calorie Counts on Menus Prompt Cuts. The Associated Press Retrieved September/1/2012 from: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011/07/Fast-food-calorie-counts-on-menus-prompt-cuts/49678316/1