Health Nazis Target Movie Snacks

ABC News spends 2050 words explaining how irresponsible movie theater chains give their customers what they want slowly kill their customers with fatty, sugary high-caloric snacks:

Everyone expects to splurge a bit at the movies, but while your wallet may be able to handle an $8 tub of popcorn, your waistline may not — at least according to a new report released today by the consumers group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

Even popcorn did not escape the scrutiny of the report, which mentioned that even a small bag of the cinema favorite tips the scales at 700 calories and three days worth of saturated fat.

It’s not the first time that CSPI has given movie popcorn two thumbs down; the new report is actually a sequel to one in 1994 that gave similar negative reviews. And like the first version, the most recent edition of CSPI’s Nutrition Action Health Letter suggests moviegoers forego that trip to the concession stand altogether.

The report looked at the popcorn, soda and candy sold at the country’s top three movie theater chains: Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Theaters, and Cinemark. The researchers tallied the calories, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium in each theater’s various sizes and combos. Based on their findings, the authors warn the public that their movie-time indulgences may be a lot more indulgent than they bargained for. …

Cinemark notes that these are the “snacks [patrons] desire” and is meant to be “an escape from their everyday lives.”

But nutritionists note that this may be a dangerous escape. Keith-Thomas Ayoob, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, noted that chowing down on cinema’s monstrous portion sizes of this greasy treat and washing it down with a sugary drink can turn even an occasional trip to the movies into a “calorie nightmare,” Ayoob said.

Read between the lines: “…may be a lot more indulgent than they bargained for.” Catnip for trial lawyers.

Phrases you’re unlikely to hear from ABC News:

• Your remorse after having an abortion might be more than you bargained for…
• The expense of ObamaCare might be more than you bargained for…
• Charlie Gibson’s ignorance about the ACORN story might be more than you bargained for…

Any minute now, Harry Reid will add a provision to the health-care bill making movie snacks illegal, add up the cost savings and declare it budget neutral.