Fast Food Could Actually Cost You More In The Long Run (NAPSA)—When money is tight,it’s easy to get drawn in by the words “99-cent menu,” especially if you have carfull of hungry children. But saving bucks at the fastfood drive-through can backfire on you andall those eager beavers. How? Fast foods that are highin fat, calories and sugar can have longterm consequenceson health. study published in the April 2009 volumeof Obesity reveals that one-third of fast-food purchases contain more than 1,000 calories. That’s nearly half of what an average adult should consumein anentire day, depending on age and level of physical activity. Researchers believe the high calorie countof these purchases is dueto a combination of the typeof food preparation(ie., fried), highcalorie/high-fat menu choices and largerportion sizes. More calories can translate into added weightif you and your family are not staying in energy balancebygetting up and moving more. That’s why you should check out the calories on the menu board, the restaurant’s Web site, or any hard-copy handouts that restaurantsoffer, to determine how manyare contained in the portion you're considering. “Supersized portions at restaurants have distorted our view of what a normal portion size looks like,” said Karen Donato, S.M., coordinator of Overweight and Obesity Research Applications, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Through our sciencebased We Can! program, we're not just trying to create awarenessofthefact that portions have doubled in size over the last 20 years—we're workingto help families eat right, be more physically active and spend less time in front of the screen so that their children can stay at a healthy weight.” We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) offers parents and caregiversof 8to 13-year-olds tips, trainings and other tools—such as nutritious recipes, healthy cooking substitutions and a portion distortion quiz—to help them create a healthylifestyle for the whole family. For these, a free parents’ handbook and more, visit wecan.nhlbi.nih.govor call (866) 35-WECAN. With nearly half of every U.S. food dollar being spent on food prepared outside the home, it’s timeto start thinking about what you're buying with those hardearned dollars, so that you don't find yourself stuck with a big health bill later.
