12A The Mountain Messenger, Tuesday, February 6, 1990
Dieter's Facts
One of the challenges facing nu-
tritionists today is to help people
who eat fast food make healthy food
choices. This is a very difficult task
when one considers that 40 to 50
per cent of the calories in most fast
food meals come from fat.
Approximately 46 million Ameri-
cans are served at fast food restau-
rants daily. Indeed, fast food restau-
rants appear to be a permanent ad-
dition to our culture.
While the fast food industry has
increased employment opportunities
and met the consumers' demand for
convenience, it has also raised new
concerns about health and nutrition
for regular fast food consumers.
A question frequently asked is
whether eating a lot of fast foods
throughout one's lifetime makes it
more likely one will develop chronic
diseases such as heart disease and
cancer, as well as obesity.
The problem anses because fast
food meals contain excessive calo-
ries and too much fat, and they are
often low in essential vitamins and
minerals.
The nutrient density of fast food
is also a source of concern. Nutrient
density is simply the amount of nutri-
ents one receives in a food relative
to its calorie content. An apple, for
example, is quite nutrient dense. For
about 90 calories, you receive a
wide variety of nutrients --- vitamins
A and C, folacin, calcium, magne-
sium -- and very little fat. Apples
also are an excellent source of fiber.
In contrast, a typical fast food
apple turnover, providing approxi-
mately 300 calories, contains a little
less than twice the amount of the
same nutrients for three times the
calories. In addition, there is very
little fiber and half the calories are
provided by fat.
The concept of nutrient density
becomes more important for indi-
viduals who need to consume fewer
calories to maintain or lose body
weight. These persons must meet
their nutrient needs by eating nutri-
ent dense foods to prevent deficien-
cies.
This same process can and has
been applied to fast food meals. In
an issue of the new England Journal
of Medicine, the nutritional value of
seven sample fast food meals was
determined. It was found that 32 to
55 per cent of the total calories in
the fast food meals came from fat.
Exceptions were a meal consisting
of a plain baked potato with marga-
rine. tossed salad with low-calorie
dressing and low-fat milk and a meal
of cheese p zza, tossed salad and
juice.
Both health professionals and
consumers need to be aware that
the fat content of most fast food
meals ex eeeds the current recom-
mendation that fat provide no more
than 30 per cent of the total calorie
intake.
While the public does not have
easy access to information regard-
ing nutritional values and ingredients
when they purchase fast foods,
some of the major franchises have
published nutritional analyses of
their foods. Interested consumers
may request this information from
the franchise or from a local nutri-
tionist.
it is unlikely that most consumers
will eliminate fast food from their
diets entirely. Therefore, an effective
solution may be to improve the nutri-
tional quality of fast food and the
eating practices those people
who frequently cdilsume fast food
meals.
Moderate consumption and care-
ful selection of menu items available
at fast food restaurants is practical
and makes good health sense. On
occas=on, a hamburger, fries and a
shake is not likely to destroy your or
my efforts to maintain a healthy life-
style, but is is not wise to make fast
food a regular part of your diet.
Kay Smith, L.P.N. at Monroe
Health Center in Union, says "Preg-
nancy can be an exciting, fullfilling,
delightful time. It can also be a time
of uncertainty and change. Every-
thing seems to be changing, your
body, your feelings, your activities,
and even your clothes!! The best
way to get the most out of your
pregnancy, to insure an enjoyable
experience, is to obtain the most
accurate information.
We believe health education is a
very important part of prenatal cars
along with the regular exams, good
nutrition, and proper exercise." For
more information call Monroe health
Center, Union, W. Va. and ask for
Kay Smith, L P.N. 772-3064. Chiid
Birth classes are also available for
those interested. "Being informed
will prevent anxiety and worry and
will make your nine months more
pleasant and secure," Ms Smith
said.
IRed X
The American Red Cross would
like to thank the White Sulphur
Springs Womens Club, and all the
nurses, and ladies who helped
make the Blood Mobile at the Eman-
uel Methodist Church January 26 a
t~
, District 12
BloodI Nurses Meet
success. There were 82 donors, 6
donors deferred, 76 units collected,
and 5 first timers. Sarah VanHorn
received a one gallon pin. James
Burr and Frank Bauer got two gallon
pins. Charles Plumley received a
three gallon pin and four gallon pins
were received by Jerry Bostic and
David Gibson. The Red Cross also
wishes to thank the United Method-
ist Church of White Sulphur Springs
for the use of their building.
District 12 of the West Virginia
Nurses' Association recently
awarded the District's first annual
Nursing Student Scholarship in the
amount of $500 cash, to Dabney-
Lancaster senior, Sharon-Boothe.
Mrs Booths was one of five appli-
cants for the scholarship awarded in
November 1989. From Lawisburg,
Mrs Booths is considered by her
faculty "to be a bright, personable
student who performs well clinically
and academically." She works part-
time at Hu mana Hospital Greenbrier
Valley. With little time for reading the
newspaper, Mrs Booths did not see
the notice announcing the scholar-
sh ip availability, and would not have
known about it except for her father
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Alma Lewis (left), Scholarship Committee Chair, Sharon Boothe,
Scholarship Recipient, and Barbara Walker, District 12 President.
Osteo
calling it to her attention during a
visit from New Martinsville.
The awarding of this scholarship
marks the culmination of plans first
begun in 1987 at a District officer's
board meeting. Money for the schol-
arship was raised by the District
members at various fund-raisers
since then with 50 cent of all
money raised going to a special ac-
count. Among these activities have
been participation in Lewisburg's
Taste-of-Our-Town's several bake
sales, a "used uniform" sale, a ga-
rage sale, cash and prize drawings.
Money-raistng toward a second
scholarship, to be awarded in the
fall of )0 has un.
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