Smart Ideas for Smart Food Chains
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Elhashemy
August 06, 2008
The Center for Science in the Public Interest CSPI said that it is difficult to find anything healthful for a child to eat at most restaurant chains. Most kids' combo meals at most top restaurant chains have:
1. Too many calories.
2. Too much salt.
3. Too much fat.
4. Too huge volumes.
More than 90 percent of single meals offered at hamburger chains would fill virtually all of a child's calorie needs for the whole day.
According to the watchdog group, 93% of more than 1,400 possible choices for kids' meals at America 's top 13 chains exceed 430 calories, which is a quarter of the daily calorie intake recommended by the Institute of Medicine for children ages four through eight. Most of these kids' meals appear, according to CSPI, to be designed to put America's children on the fast-track to obesity, disability, heart attack, or diabetes.
Nowadays, health officials request from food chains and restaurants, instead of burgers, fried and fatty foods, they should offer more choices that include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, low fat milkshake, low fat caramel, or one of several healthful side items (apple slices or yogurt). In the meantime, officials ask them to clearly state the caloric content of food items in their menus.
I my opinion, humans usually appreciate the high more than the low, even if it is about the caloric content. So, exposing caloric content of food in front of kids might not be a scientific solution for kids' obesity management.
I suggest that reputable food chains should help the community in saving our kids from obesity with its frequent complications through:
1. Increasing the number of healthy food choices available in the food menu. Usually common items are readily chosen than rare items.
2. Presenting healthy meals in pleasant attractive packaging with the chain-brand name featured well, while presenting unhealthy items - like deep fried fries - with minute logo. It is well known that the sight of brand name has a powerful effect on the amygdala of the brain.
3. Serving big meals including: fries, burgers, pizza, and ice cream is ok, but splitting them into two halves: each half put in a separate tray. The second half could be eaten by another family member, or taken out to be eaten as the next meal. The advantage of this action is that it gives a chance for the kid to stop eating after the first half meal.
4. Adding the same tasty dressing of delicious sandwiches to the green vegetable salad. This will satiate kids as if they ate their whole big sandwich. This item is based on a modification of flavor point neuro-sensory mechanism.
5. Food chains should offer very small sandwiches (Luqaimat in Arabic) to allow parents to order from them and eat them in front of their kids. This would make the kids happy and appreciate their split big sandwich and dressed salad.
In this way chains will not lose money, while kids' will lose weight.
You can find further articles in managing kids' obesity on my author's page on American chronicle under the titles of:
Four Tips to Succeed in "Second-Hand Slimming" Diet Plan
December 28, 2007
A Help for Obese Kids … "Second-Hand Slimming"
December 27, 2007
"Second-Hand Slimming" … The Ideal Weight Loss Strategy for Kids
December 25, 2007
How to Get Your Kids Lose Weight through "Second-Hand Slimming"
December 21, 2007
1. Too many calories.
2. Too much salt.
3. Too much fat.
4. Too huge volumes.
More than 90 percent of single meals offered at hamburger chains would fill virtually all of a child's calorie needs for the whole day.
According to the watchdog group, 93% of more than 1,400 possible choices for kids' meals at America 's top 13 chains exceed 430 calories, which is a quarter of the daily calorie intake recommended by the Institute of Medicine for children ages four through eight. Most of these kids' meals appear, according to CSPI, to be designed to put America's children on the fast-track to obesity, disability, heart attack, or diabetes.
Nowadays, health officials request from food chains and restaurants, instead of burgers, fried and fatty foods, they should offer more choices that include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, low fat milkshake, low fat caramel, or one of several healthful side items (apple slices or yogurt). In the meantime, officials ask them to clearly state the caloric content of food items in their menus.
I my opinion, humans usually appreciate the high more than the low, even if it is about the caloric content. So, exposing caloric content of food in front of kids might not be a scientific solution for kids' obesity management.
I suggest that reputable food chains should help the community in saving our kids from obesity with its frequent complications through:
1. Increasing the number of healthy food choices available in the food menu. Usually common items are readily chosen than rare items.
2. Presenting healthy meals in pleasant attractive packaging with the chain-brand name featured well, while presenting unhealthy items - like deep fried fries - with minute logo. It is well known that the sight of brand name has a powerful effect on the amygdala of the brain.
3. Serving big meals including: fries, burgers, pizza, and ice cream is ok, but splitting them into two halves: each half put in a separate tray. The second half could be eaten by another family member, or taken out to be eaten as the next meal. The advantage of this action is that it gives a chance for the kid to stop eating after the first half meal.
4. Adding the same tasty dressing of delicious sandwiches to the green vegetable salad. This will satiate kids as if they ate their whole big sandwich. This item is based on a modification of flavor point neuro-sensory mechanism.
5. Food chains should offer very small sandwiches (Luqaimat in Arabic) to allow parents to order from them and eat them in front of their kids. This would make the kids happy and appreciate their split big sandwich and dressed salad.
In this way chains will not lose money, while kids' will lose weight.
You can find further articles in managing kids' obesity on my author's page on American chronicle under the titles of:
Four Tips to Succeed in "Second-Hand Slimming" Diet Plan
December 28, 2007
A Help for Obese Kids … "Second-Hand Slimming"
December 27, 2007
"Second-Hand Slimming" … The Ideal Weight Loss Strategy for Kids
December 25, 2007
How to Get Your Kids Lose Weight through "Second-Hand Slimming"
December 21, 2007
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