Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2009 > November > 20 > Entry
The movie theater wants to kill you
We all have our guilty pleasures, whether it’s “The Real Housewives,” Adam Lambert’s new album, the “Twilight” series of novels/movies. But none of those can kill you (at least not quickly).
As it turns out, mine can. Maybe not immediately, but it doesn’t look like it would take long.
I love movie popcorn and sodas. I can’t stay away no matter how hard I try (granted, I don’t try very hard). Even if I’m at an 11 a.m. press screening, I still need my fix. Usually, I end up in massive pain later in the evening and promise never to do it again. Until the next time. When I do.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the massive portions and artificial butter (I’m not looking at you Alamo Drafthouse) is not health food. But the first study in 15 years by advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest proves that digging on popcorn and soda at the movies not only is bad for you, it may be one of the worst things imaginable. (Not to mention the hit on your wallet is almost as bad as the hit to your heart.)
The Los Angeles Times reports today that, “A medium-sized popcorn and medium soda at the nation’s largest movie chain pack the nutritional equivalent of three Quarter Pounders topped with 12 pats of butter, according to a report released today by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest.”
Matthew, we have a problem.
From the LATIMES.com story:
The group’s second look at movie theater concessions — the last was 15 years ago — found little had changed in a decade and a half, despite theaters’ attempts to reformulate. CSPI bought multiple servings of popcorn from the three largest movie chains, Regal Entertainment Group, AMC and Cinemark, and had them analyzed in an independent lab. It found that a Regal medium popcorn — 20 cups — contains 1,200 calories, 60 grams of saturated fat, and 980 milligrams of sodium. That’s without the buttery topping that can be drizzled — or poured — on the popcorn, which adds another 200 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per 1.5 tablespoons. An AMC medium popcorn did better because of its smaller size — nine cups — at 590 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat, and a 14-cup Cinemark medium was 760 calories and just 3 grams of saturated fat (in both cases, before adding buttery topping). One problem is that Regal and AMC, the two largest chains, pop their popcorn in coconut oil, which is about 90% saturated fat, noted Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist at Washington-based CSPI. Cinemark, the third-largest chain, now pops its corn in canola oil, which explains its much lower saturated fat levels. “Cinemark gets a thumbs-up for switching,” Hurley said. In two positive steps, trans fatty acids were not found in the samples, Hurley added, and theaters have stopped using hydrogenated oils in the butter-flavored toppings.
Looks like I will be sneaking in nuts and bottled water from here on out. At least, that’s the plan for now.
Read the full piece here.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Movies
Comments
Austinites love to be heard, and we're giving you a bullhorn. We just ask that you keep things civil. Leave out the personal attacks. Do not use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs, or take shots at anyone's sexual orientation or religion. If you can't be nice, we reserve the right to remove your material and ban users who violate our Visitor's agreement. Click here to report comment abuse.
By john doe
November 30, 2009 6:28 PM | Link to this
Hey, you only live once so why not…..cough cough….gasppppppp….
By James
December 5, 2009 1:07 AM | Link to this
Life kills you sooner or later. Movies are a rare treat for most of us anyway. A sack of popcorn seems a small pleasure and death from a heart attack would seem to beat a slow decline into dementia. I have seen two close relatives take the latter route. If they had known how their final years would have been spent demented in a nursing home, I wonder if they would have asked for lots of extra butter on their popcorn.