Battle of the Restaurant Strategies

The economy is in the toilet - so people are eating “out” less often - and eating “in” more often (note the relatively strong earnings performance of value-food brands such as Kraft and Campbell’s). If you’re a casual-dining restaurant, you might be jumping on the “all you can eat” bandwagon to get customers in the door.

Red Lobster has an “Endless Shrimp” promo for $15.99 and Olive Garden has a “Never Ending Pasta Bowl” for $8.95.

Applebee’s has its “Endless Favorites” deal where you can spend $9.99 and gorge yourself on unlimited BBQ riblets, chicken fingers, and fried shrimp.

Chili’s has their “Bottomless Express Lunch” which gives you unlimited refills of soup, salad, and chips for $5.99.

The restaurants promote these deals because they get customers to order the “all you can eat” special - but then they also order drinks and side dishes - which boosts both the total check size (good for the restaurant) and the total calorie content (bad for the customer’s waistline).

On the opposite end of the restaurant-menu spectrum are the fast food joints that are rushing (or being forced in California and NYC) to put calorie information on their menu boards. Yum Brands (owner of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut) has pledged to start listing calorie info for its products starting this year and in all of its 17,000 U.S. outlets by the end of 2011.

At the fast food restaurants, the hope is that a customer might be less likely to order 2,000 calories worth of hamburgers, french fries, and soda (and instead order something healthier) if they are simply given the information so they know how many calories each food item contains.

On the other hand - the “all-you-can-eaters” at the casual dining restaurants might not particularly care about their huge calorie intakes - just so long as they can save a buck on lunch (which they’ll likely spend later on their diabetes and cholesterol medications and on their larger-size Levi’s).

I know how that last comment sounds - but c’mon - let’s wake up.

Thanks for reading,

Shawn Talbott, Ph.D.

I also blog on a daily basis at:

www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)
www.ObesityMovie.com (about the causes of and solutions to the obesity epidemic)

Our Fat Future?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the obesity epidemic in the United States if only expected to get worse. Right now, our obesity rates look like this:

Normal = 38%
Overweight = 28%
Obese = 34%

But, by the year 2030, the population is expected to look like this:

Normal = 10%
Overweight = 37%
Obese = 53%

Can you imagine it? With 90% of our adult population overweight or obese by 2030, the accompanying healthcare expenditures for obesity-related diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and certain cancers will be staggering.

You may be asking yourself, “Just who is considered overweight, anyway?” - so consider that a woman who is 5’4“ tall would be considered overweight at about 145lbs and obese at about 174lbs.

Something to think about...and while you’re thinking, take a look at Killer at Large at www.KilleratLarge.com or www.ObesityMovie.com (if you really want something to think about).

Thanks for reading,

Shawn Talbott, PhD

I also blog on a daily basis at:

www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)

Candy Bars and Jelly Beans are Healthy?

Maybe you find it as ironic (or hypocritical) as I do that the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which has a mission of “Advancing health through science, education and medicine” has selected makers of candy bars and jelly beans to be “platinum” sponsors of its 13th Annual Health & Fitness Summit to be held March 25-28, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Irony (noun) = incongruity between what actually happens and what might be expected to happen, especially when this disparity seems absurd or laughable

I must admit, that as a Fellow of the ACSM, I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry when I read that Mars (makers of high-fat M&Ms and Milky Way candy bars) and Jelly Belly (makers of high-sugar jelly beans) were prominent sponsors of Health & Fitness Summit in 2009 (behind only Gatorade in terms of sponsorship dollars).

The marketing material for the event asks me to “BE INSPIRED” by presentations on Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, Obesity, and Cancer – while also asking me to “GET MOTIVATED” by ACSM’s “workout gurus” (their terminology) who will help me develop better balance, stability, strength, cardiovascular fitness, and overall health.

I’m not sure that I’m either “inspired” or “motivated” to attend any conference “brought to you by BIG CANDY” – would you be?

I can already hear people saying “everything in moderation” – which I agree with (who doesn’t enjoy an occasional handful of M&Ms?) – but I also train for Ironman triathlons and 12-hour ultra-distance trail runs, so I can “afford” an occasional treat (or cheat) in my diet (as can many of the hyper-fit exercise gurus who will be attending the Summit).

BUT, the implication of the cozy relationship between BIG CANDY and ACSM is that junk food is just fine – and all you have to do is “exercise enough” and you’ll be fine. The reality is that the average American adult, teen, and child is NOT getting enough exercise to work off even a single M&M or Jelly Belly. How many more kids with “adult-onset” diabetes do we have to see before we wake up and realize that this mentality is not just wrong – it’s dangerous and irresponsible?

I invite anyone who is concerned about the dual epidemics of obesity and diabetes (which affects 2 out of 3 Americans), to spend a few minutes viewing the trailer for the award-winning documentary on the topic, Killer at Large (www.KilleratLarge.com) - it is a sobering and eye-opening look at the many factors underlying the causes of obesity and related chronic diseases in our society (many of which, you probably have NO idea about).

I have also invited ACSM to set aside a room and a block of time for their members to attend a FREE screening of Killer at Large during the 2009 Health & Fitness Summit (at my personal expense). As Executive Producer of the film, I have made it my mission to get as many health professionals, concerned parents, and community activists as possible to see Killer at Large and to use it as a platform to institute grassroots ACTION to address the causes of obesity in their own communities. This is a National effort, but it must be carried out by individual action on a local level. Please accept my invitation and join me in this mission.

Thanks for reading,

Shawn Talbott, PhD (FACSM)

I also blog on a daily basis at:

www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)