Grilled cheese not to blame

By: Trice Whitefield
Newspaper: Dallas Morning News

Re: “Kids’ meals fail the nutrition test,” Tuesday news story.

Though the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s groundbreaking report on grilled cheese is sensational, it doesn’t make for good advice. CSPI’s narrow focus on food stands in direct contrast to a growing body of medical evidence that says it’s not what we eat, but how much we move that determines our health.

In fact, Americans tend to eat fewer calories elsewhere on the days we eat out, according to recent economic research. Factoring these adjustments into the equation, dining out only increases our daily consumption by a mere 24 calories, or less than a single Hershey’s Kiss.

More troubling is a recent Journal of the American Medical Association study showing that most American kids just aren’t moving enough: Less than one in three meets the minimum recommendations. Our children’s health isn’t determined by focusing on a few select foods or a rigid calorie limit. It’s about all their small daily choices, like turning off the TV, climbing the stairs and taking that extra step.

Trice Whitefield, senior research analyst, Center for Consumer Freedom, Washington, D.C.