EFN

Do you like eating popcorn at the movies? You may want to find a healthier alternative. In a medium bag of popcorn, you take in about 1,600 calories, 60 grams of saturated fat, and 980 milligrams of sodium. A medium popcorn and coke have the same calorie content as three hamburgers.

The study, conducted by the Center for Science and Public Interest (CSPI) discovered that even sharing a small bag of popcorn between two people, each person is still consuming a day’s worth of saturated fat, which is linked to heart disease. Every tablespoon of butter adds another 130 calories according to the study.

Jayne Hurley, a CSPI senior nutritionist, said: “It’s hard enough for Americans to maintain a healthy weight even when limiting their eating to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Who realises that they might be taking in a meal’s worth of calories during a movie? The healthiest snack to buy at the movies is no snack at all.”

For the study, the tests were done on a $12 popcorn combo served at Regal, the biggest cinema chain in the U.S. The combo added up to a staggering 1,610 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat, which nutritionists say is approximately three days worth of fat intake.

These stats should be alarming for a country that is at its highest levels of obesity ever. Although some would argue that eating movie popcorn is a rare treat, the average American attends the movies six times a year, according to statistics from the Motion Picture Assn. of America.

The full study can be found in the December issue of “Nutrition Action Healthletter.”