Archive for August, 2009
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
It’s 1982 and I am seven years old, celebrating my second grade graduation with my friends, my family, and an eight scoop hot fudge sundae from Swensen’s. This was very unusual for my family because we always celebrated at Friendly’s. But in the spirit of camaraderie, we made an exception and indulged in Swensen’s with the rest of my class.
I have celebrated every momentous occasion in my life, good or bad, at Friendly’s. Little League Champs? Let’s go to Friendly’s! Lost the soccer tournament? That’s okay, we’ll make it up at Friendly’s. In fact, I can still remember the look on my father’s face when, after my high school graduation, I asked him for the keys to the car so I could go out with my friends. He was crushed. “What? No Friendly’s?” And I looked at him in the way that teen girls look at their fathers and said, “Dad. I am way too old to celebrate with ice cream.”
Yet somehow, I found myself sitting at Friendly’s today for the third time in one month. How did this happen? I mean, I am a child obesity specialist. I should know better. But it really wasn’t my fault. I would never take my kids to Friendly’s unless it were for some, um, momentous occasion.
And this month has been crazy. It started with my daughter’s fourth birthday. Of course we celebrate birthdays at Friendly’s. Not the real party but a private celebration afterwards. And then I had to have my wisdom teeth pulled out. And everybody knows that you are allowed to indulge in ice cream when you have oral surgery (like when your tonsils are taken out. Isn’t the same thing true for wisdom teeth?) And then my s0n broke his arm. And I mean, he really broke his arm. I suddenly, unconsciously, found myself comforting him with promises of ice cream sundaes.
My mother-in-law called me at work to tell me that Zachary had fallen off the monkey bars. She thought his wrist looked really bad so I told her to jump in the car and bring him to an orthopedist near me. I would meet them at the office. She handed Zachary the phone and I heard him weeping. “Oh honey,” I said. “Mommy is going to be with you soon. Then the doctor will make you feel better and we will all go to Friendly’s.” Huh? Where did that come from? It just popped out of my mouth.
My promises got more descriptive as his injury got worse. When he arrived at the orthopedist and I first saw his arm, I wanted to pass out. It looked really bad. The doctors rushed him in and the first thing the nurse’s aide did was give him a lollipop. (It’s got to be human instinct!)
As we made our way from the doctor’s office to the hospital where he needed a procedure to realign his bone, I kissed his cheeks, stroked his hair, and said, “When this is over I am going to get you the biggest hot fudge sundae. Just wait and see how big this sundae is going to be.”
As he woke up from the sedation, I told him that “it’s almost ice cream sundae time”.
We didn’t leave the hospital until late at night and we all fell right asleep. A day later, tylenol with codeine was helping Zachary’s pain and he was starting to look like himself again. “Mommy,” he said. “Didn’t you promise me Friendly’s?”
So now you understand why I was at Friendly’s for the third time this month. How else could I celebrate a birthday, ease the pain of a sore tooth, and nurse my son back to health?
Why is it that I immediately jump to ice cream? It must be because that was how I was raised. And that was how my parents were raised. But is that how I want to raise my children?
Clearly, it is not. I don’t want them to use food to heal their wounds or mark their triumphs. It is going to take a great effort for me to break this cycle. I’ve been trying to think of other ways I could have marked these momentous life occasions. A trip to Chuck E Cheese or the children’s museum? A special privilege like a later bedtime or a new toy? I really don’t have the answer but I will keep looking for a healthier substitution and I hope you will too.
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Tags: celebrations, child diet, Child Obesity, child weight gain, diet, exercise, ice cream, mothers, obese baby, obese child, obese toddler, obesity, overweight child, overweight mother, overweight parent, overweight toddler, overweight woman, parenting, rewards, sundaes, weight gain, weight loss
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
As most of you know, New York City recently passed a new “calorie labeling law” which requires restaurant chains with more than a certain number of restaurants across the country to include calorie information on menus.
Houston’s restaurants refuses to comply!
WHY? It must be that the food at Houston’s restaurants is so high in calories that the company believes publishing the information will lead to fewer sales. If that’s the case, then I certainly don’t want to eat there!
What do the Houston’s Restaurant people say? “We feel rather strongly that the [legislation] does not apply to us,” says Glenn Viers, a vice president of Hillstone Restaurant Group of Los Angeles, which owns Houston’s.
Um, what? How could the legislation not apply? Any restaurant with more than 15 locations must post their calorie information. There are clearly more than 15 Houston’s restaurants in the country. In fact, I probably have eaten at most of them!
The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene agrees that Houston’s must follow this important law. They have already fined the two NYC Houston’s restaurants for noncompliance. Unfortunately, the fine did nothing. I guess Houston’s makes such a large profit that they can afford to pay the fines! Houston’s is set to speak before a judge on September 1.
Houston’s is one of the few restaurant chains that refuses to cooperate. “For the most part, there is widespread compliance,” says Elliott Marcus, an associate commissioner of the city Department of Health. Since the law went into effect, only 336 chains were fined (out of a possible 2,691). Most of the fines involved technical issues (the calorie listings were printed too small or weren’t close enough to the actual food items on the menu). Most of these were also issued in the few months after the law went into effect, before the chains fully understood the law.
Houston’s is deliberately going out of its way to try to circumvent the law! The law applies to “restaurants with 15 or more outlets operating under the same name with standardized menus.”
In a ridiculous move, the company changed the name that appears on the NYC Houston’s menus to “Hillstone”., the name of the restaurant’s parent company. Yet the sign outside still says “Houston’s”. Is that supposed to trick us into thinking it’s not Houston’s? Doesn’t having a “parent company” imply being part of a chain? Are they trying to pretend the restaurants are unrelated? Also, they “slightly” changed some of the offerings at the two NYC restaurants. All the other Houston’s throughout the country have identical menus.
According to CrainsNewYork.com, “Some differences are straightforward. The Park Avenue South location offers sushi rolls, while the Citicorp Center eatery does not. Other variations are simply in the description. Both restaurants offer a $14 grilled artichoke appetizer, but one lists the dish as California Artichokes and the other describes it as Jumbo Artichokes.”
The question remains, why is Houston’s fighting so hard to circumvent this law? Why are they willing to spend all this money to pay fines and pay attorney’s fees to go to court? What are they trying to hide? In my opinion, it is a terrible PR move. It makes me think that the food at Houston’s is so fattening that they are embarrassed about it. Why else would they put in such a big effort to avoid disclosing the calorie count?
Well, I don’t know if Houston’s will succeed in avoiding this law. But they did succeed in making me never want to eat in another Houston’s restaurant ever again.
* Information obtained from CrainsNewYork.com
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Tags: calorie labeling law, calorie law, calories, fattening, Houston's, obesity, overweight, restaurant
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Friday, August 21st, 2009
Having many friends and family members who are regulars at Yankee Stadium during baseball season gave me the idea to write about the various new improvements, both healthy and unhealthy, at the new Yankee Stadium. Don’t worry! The traditional ball park favorites are still there. You’ll still hear the shouts from the Peanut man, but now also from the Ice Cream man (selling pints of Turkey Hill Ice Cream; Original Vanilla 560 calories per pint).
Traditional favorites such as Carvel Ice Cream in baseball caps and Hebrew National hot dog stands can still be found around the stadium. A few of the interesting additions are a Boar’s Head made-to-order deli sandwich station, Johnny Rockets, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and a Japanese stand serving sushi and noodles in Chinese take-out containers.
The various food stands are now complying with NYC’s mandate to post caloric information on their menus. Although this does not stop many people from treating themselves at the ball game, it does increase awareness by 100%!
Another great advance is Melissa’s, a traditional “farmers market”, carrying fresh fruits and vegetables, with no wait guaranteed.
Most of the food, although it may seem healthy, is most assuredly NOT healthy. The New York Times Restaurants Review of Yankee Stadium suggests trying “the best single food item in the entire stadium” which is Lobel’s USDA dry-aged sliced-steak sandwich on a house-made bun, a very UNHEALTHY option!
The majority of the options on the menu are over 1,000 calories per serving! Here are a few of the calorie counts on ball park favorites.
New York Pretzel: 630 calories
Nathan’s Hot Dog: 320 calories
Regular cheese nachos: 1,500 calories Carvel Ice Cream Helmet Cups: 550-590 calories
Instead of these calorie dense snacks, try a snack from Melissa’s delicious fruit stand, or a sandwich, soup, or salad from Boar’s Head Deli. Another idea is to encourage kids to try the Kid’s Cart. Here you can find smaller sized hot dogs and PB&J sandwiches.
One of the most deceiving snacks is popcorn. At home, popcorn is an extremely healthy and filling snack. Do not be fooled; stadium popcorn is very unhealthy. At baseball parks (and movie theaters), popcorn often has over 2,000 calories, due to the ridiculous serving size, the oil in which it is fried, and the added butter. At Yankee Stadium, a Jumbo Popcorn is 1,484 calories and a Souvenir bucket of popcorn is 2,473 calories. Yikes!
Although the majority of the food offered at the new Yankee stadium is very high in calories, the posting of the caloric and improvements makes it easier for you and your family to make healthy choices when entering the ball park.
~ The Bottom Line ~
The healthiest options you can choose at the ball park for you and your family are:
· Kozy Shack pudding from the Kids Kart: 140 calories
· Chef salad with turkey and cheddar: 241 calories
· California sushi roll: 255 calories
· Veggie sushi roll: 160 calories
· Edamame: 100 calories
· Nathan’s natural casing hot dog: 297 calories
· Any selection from Melissa’s Farmers Market Stand
~ What might surprise you ~
· Baked ziti: 720 calories
· Chicken tenders and fries: 810 calories
· Chicken parmesan sub: 819 calories
· Tofu pan fried noodle bowl: 600 calories
· Onion rings: 790 calories
· Moe’s nachos: 880 calories
· Nathan’s crinkle-cut fries 1236 calories
· Bazzini peanuts: 1190 calories
Hopefully now you’ll think twice about what you and your family snack on during the game. A great way to keep your body (and your wallet) healthy at the ballpark is to pack your own snacks. This way, you’ll know in advance that you’re guaranteed a healthy and enjoyable snack for between innings.
Before the game, you should plan which snack you’re going to indulge in using this guide.
Always choose the smaller portion size for all treats at the ball park. The foot-long Hebrew National hot dog is 510 calories; you can save about 200 calories by having the regular sized one.
Lastly, don’t rush to a decision. Because of the numerous options and vendors spread across the stadium, you do not have to worry about long lines. This gives you more time to think about what you and you’re family are eating, and make the healthiest and smartest choice possible.
Check out this link to the ball park for more healthy food choices!
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Tags: ball game, baseball, child diet, Child Obesity, child weight gain, diet, exercise, mothers, obese baby, obese child, obese toddler, obesity, overweight child, overweight mother, overweight parent, overweight toddler, overweight woman, parenting, stadium, weight gain, weight loss
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Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Its summer time and you want a cool refreshing drink. You pass Dunkin’ Donuts on every street corner and notice the promotion for a small Coffee Coolatta for only $1.99! Before you know it, you’re in the store debating which flavor to get. This morning, your summer diet really started, so you order a small Strawberry Fruit Coolatta. Little do you know, this drink is the third most fattening option you could have chosen. Do not be tricked by the name of the drink!
| Name of drink |
Calories in Size Small |
Calories in Size Medium |
Calories in Size Large |
| Vanilla Bean Coolatta |
430 cal. |
650 cal. |
860 cal. |
| Coffee Coolatta with cream |
330 cal. |
490 cal. |
650 cal. |
| Coffee Coolatta with whole milk |
170 cal. |
250 cal. |
330 cal. |
| Coffee Coolatta with skim milk |
140 cal. |
210 cal. |
270 cal. |
| Tropicana Orange Coolatta |
220 cal. |
330 cal. |
430 cal. |
| Strawberry Fruit Coolatta |
300 cal. |
440 cal. |
590 cal. |
In comparison the Coffee Collatta with skim milk is the option with the least calories. Ordering a small iced coffee with skim milk and Splenda is only 30 calories and is just as refreshing. If you’re craving an extra twist to your daily iced coffee choose Hazelnut or French Vanilla flavor.
If you’ve been on a roll with making healthy choices and switched from a regular Latte to ordering a Latte Lite, here is the approximation of calories that you’ve been saving. A small regular Latte is 120 calories; with sugar added it is 170 calories. A small Latte light is 80 calories; with vanilla added it is 90 calories. Therefore, you save approx. 40-90 calories.
Dunkin Donuts has recently updated their menu offering healthier options under their DDSMART menu. One of their healthiest choices is a freshly brewed unsweetened iced tea, with only 5 calories in a small.
You’ll be surprised to learn that choosing an Old Fashioned Donut over a plain bagel will save you about 50 calories. The healthiest way to satisfy your sweet tooth is to order plain cake munchkins, 50 calories each. This way, you’ll curb your cravings for a sweet snack and save some extra calories.
If you’re more of a Starbucks fan, READ HERE.
Instead of stopping by Dunkin’ for a Coolatta, you run to Starbucks for a Frappuccino. The healthiest frap is a, brace yourself, Tall Espresso Frappuccino with light blended coffee. The light blended coffee fraps are not milk based. Therefore, ordering with skim over whole milk will not affect the calorie count in your drink. By choosing light blended coffee over regularly blended coffee you are saving yourself 60 calories.
If you’re not a Frappuccino lover, you may want to try an iced latte. The healthiest way to order your iced latte is with skim milk and sugar free, aka the “Skinny Latte”. This drink has a calorie count of 60 calories for a tall.
Tip: Always opt for no whipped cream. The addition of the whipped topping on your drink adds up as hidden calories you may not be counting!
The Bottom Line:
While ordering your coffee, don’t rush. Use these smart tips to lessen the calorie count of your drink.
- Always ask for skim milk instead of whole milk.
- Order sugar free options and add Splenda to sweeten your drink.
- A simple coffee is always the smartest, lowest-calorie choice. Coffee has almost no calories; it’s what you add to it that counts.
- Make sure you say NO to whipped cream. Even the smallest amount of whipped cream topping could add about 100 calories on to your drink.
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Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
I just read about an interesting new study on Medical News Online. The study was performed at Kansas State University and evaluated what children think about other kids with “undesirable characteristics, such as being overweight or aggressive.” The researches also looked at how children treat kids with these attributes.
Obviously, as a child obesity doctor, I was very interested to hear what they had to say. Past studies have shown that children are prejudiced against overweight kids. In fact, prior studies have determined that kids would rather be friends with children with physical handicaps (such as using a wheelchair or missing a limb) than with an overweight child.
But now, one out of every three kids in our country is overweight or obese. Unfortunately, there is no longer anything unusual about an overweight child. Does this change how overweight children are perceived by their peers?
No. It seems that it doesn’t matter that so many kids are now overweight. Overweight children are still discriminated against by their peers.
A major finding of this study was that children discriminate against kids with undesirable characteristics that they believe their peers have the ability to control. For example, they disliked kids with aggressive behavior and overweight children because they felt that these children are responsible for the characteristic and should be able to change it. They did not, however, look down on children with severe illnesses, such as chronic asthma. They felt that the asthmatic child could not help being asthmatic and they didn’t hold it against him.
Not only did the kids say they disliked the aggressive and obese students, they also said that they were more likely to pick on them. Boys tended to respond more negatively to kids with undesirable characteristics than girls. The study was done on third-graders and sixth-graders. Each child filled out a questionnaire with descriptions of hypothetical peers such as a poor student, a nonathletic student, an obese student, an aggressive student, a shy student, an asthmatic student, and a student with ADHD. The aggressive student was the most unappealing, followed closely by the obese student. The kids were most sympathetic towards the asthmatic student.
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Tags: bullying, child bullying, child diet, Child Obesity, child weight gain, diet, discrimination, exercise, fat discrimination, mothers, obese baby, obese child, obese toddler, obesity, overweight child, overweight mother, overweight parent, overweight toddler, overweight woman, parenting, picked on, weight discrimination, weight gain, weight loss
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