I saw this in USA Today and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. Johnka, any suggestions?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...ies-usat_x.htm
Children's choices at 'sit-down' eateries often aren't healthful
By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY
Parents who are worried about their teenagers' fast-food habits might want to watch what their kids scarf down in "sit-down" restaurants, because Taco Bell dining could be healthier than teens' choices at more formal eateries, a study suggested Monday.
"Overeating occurs at all kinds of restaurants," says University of Hawaii pediatrician Loren Yamamoto. But when asked what menu items they would eat, kids seem to choose less fatty foods at fast-food places such as Wendy's and McDonald's, according to a survey Yamamoto did with his 17-year-old daughter, Julienne Yamamoto. They reported on the study at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in San Francisco.
They gave menus from 10 restaurants to 104 children 11 to 18 years old. Everyone picked out selections they'd probably order and estimated how much they'd eat of each choice.
Kids chose meals with the fewest calories and least fat at Taco Bell, Panda Express, Wendy's and McDonald's. They selected the most caloric fare at Outback Steak House, Chili's and California Pizza Kitchen. In the middle: Red Lobster, Stuart Anderson's and Denny's.
"Most restaurants have low-calorie items, but you have to be able to order smart," Yamamoto says. On the other hand, any of the selections — from 800 to 1,656 calories — could be a monster snack and, for some kids, a lot to eat at one meal, he says. And nobody knows whether they'd eat only what they say, Yamamoto adds.
Concern is mounting about excess weight in children. More than 15% of kids are overweight, a rate that's more than tripled among 6- to 11-year-olds and more than doubled among 12- to 19-year-olds in the past three decades, according to government statistics. And children don't just "outgrow" the fat: Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of weighing too much as adults.
Knowing they're selecting some fatty foods isn't likely to change kids' ordering habits. In a follow-up study with most of the same boys and girls, the Yamamotos gave them menus with calories and fat grams listed for each item; most stuck to their original choices.
The fairly lightweight fare selected by the kids at McDonald's doesn't surprise Cathy Kapica, a registered dietitian and global director of nutrition for McDonald's Corp. in Oakbrook, Ill.
"We have a variety of items in a variety of portions, and teens can make wise choices if they want to," she says. The fast-food chain offers fruit and yogurt parfaits, salads and grilled chicken. Peeled apple slices with low-calorie caramel sauce on the side can be substituted for French fries in the "happy meal," Kapica says.
Very active kids may be able to eat 3,500 calories a day or more without gaining weight, says Susan Moores, a registered dietitian in St. Paul and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Still, some of the meals selected are super-high in fat, she adds. For example, the Outback Steakhouse choice in the survey is about 50% fat. (To find out the percentage of fat, multiply the number of fat grams by 9, and then divide the calories by this figure.) "If a kid is eating this way once in a while, that's probably OK, but if it's happening several times a week, I'd be concerned," Moores says.
Many restaurants of all kinds serve ultra-large portions. And what's often missing is enough fruits and vegetables, she adds. "More restaurants are making positive changes," Moores says. "But the real question is whether customers will buy these healthier items."
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