By PHILIP BRASHER
Register Washington Bureau
Watching your pocketbook can add a lot to your waistline.
A survey released Tuesday of fast-food prices in Des Moines and four other U.S. cities found that super-size portions can add hundreds of calories for just pennies more.
A Classic Cinnabon cinnamon roll costs 48 cents more than the $2.01 Minibon but packs 370 more calories, double the Minibon, and has three times the fat.
At 7 -Eleven, a Double Gulp Coke costs just 37 cents more than the Gulp size but has four times the calories.
A Double Gulp alone would provide 30 percent of an adult's 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.
At McDonald's, the large order of fries cost 62 percent more than the smaller version but included 157 percent more calories.
Health advocates say the so-called extra-value meals are no bargain when it comes to America's growing obesity problem.
"Bigger is rarely better when it comes to food. The true price of larger portions is - larger calorie and saturated fat numbers - and larger waistlines," said the report by the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, a coalition of groups that promote health and fitness.
"People need to be more aware of what they are eating," said Doris Montgomery, a dietician for the Iowa Department of Public Health who helped conduct the survey. Des Moines was chosen for the study partly because organizers wanted a Midwestern city and partly because Iowa officials were
willing to help.
The report found the level of fat and calories has changed significantly as fast-food has evolved.
In the 1950's, a burger, fries and l2-ounce soda at McDonald's would have contained 590 calories.
Compare that with today's Quarter Pounder with Cheese Extra Value Meal. Super-size the fries and Coke, and you get 1,550 calories and 59 grams of fat.
Nationwide, 60 percent of adults - are overweight, and an estimated 300,000 people a year die from illnesses caused or worsened by excessive weight.
Iowa is one of 22 states where 20 percent or more of the population is consIdered obese.
Diabetes is linked to obesity , and overweight people also are at greater risk for heart disease, high
blood pressure, stroke, kidney failure and several forms of cancer.
One consumer advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, thinks fast-food restaurants should be required to post the calorie content of their meals next to the price.
For consumers, the advice from the survey's sponsors can be boiled down to this: Eat less. Buy smaller sizes or share the big portions with someone else. Or take a doggie bag."To be on the safe side, always ask for the smallest size....Believe me, it will be more than ample," said Melanie Polk, nutrition education director for the American Institute for Cancer Research - "And when the server prompts you to super-size your order, say 'No way.'"
Nick Kolacia, a 24-year-old computer programmer who was eating lunch at a Des Moines-area Burger King Tuesday, already avoids super-sized meals because of the calories.
"I always consider it. I just get what the normal is," said Kolacia, who lives in Urbandale. But Nathan Habban, 24-year-old computer programmer from West Des Moines, doesn't count calories. I just consider how hungry I am," said Habban, who also was dining at Burger King. "You get more fries." The restaurant and soft-drink industries think they are being unfairly blamed for the nation's obesity problem. McDonald's officials said in a statement that 95 percent of its customers don't "super-size" their meals. Lack of exercise, not big portions, is the real culprit, according to industry officials. "A steady diet of positive messages on the benefits of exercise and nutrition education is the best way to address the complex issue of obesity," said Steven Anderson, chief executive of the National Restaurant Association.
In addition to Des Moines, the survey was conducted in Washington, D.C.; Little Rock, Ark.; Oakland, Calif.; and Sacramento.
-Reporter Philip Brasher can be reached at (202) 906-8138 or pbrasher@dmreg.com - Des Moines Register, June 19, 2002