MORE ON THE KING-SIZED CHOCOS!
--- Nutritional Info For You

In connection with my post before this one, I found this relevant information on the king-sized chocolate bars from eDiets UK, which you might find helpful in times of temptation and cravings:

If you take in even an extra 10 calories a day, and don't use this energy, you will have gained an extra pound in a year! If this is the difference a measly 10 calories makes, it's easy then to see why rates of obesity have doubled in the last decade. The rates of childhood obesity are even predicted to overtake those of their parents.

So how many extra calories do those supersized bars boast? And what damage will it really do?

Well, a Mars Big One packs in an extra 91 calories and 3.5 grams of fat in that 20g of extra chocolate. That's a whopping 384 calories and 15 grams of fat (6 Units) in a king size Mars compared to the standard bar that provides 293 calories and 11 grams fat (4 Units). For a woman trying to lose weight, that one chocolate bar would provide over a quarter of her daily calorie requirements.

The Snickers Big One certainly lives up to its name providing 510 calories and 26 grams fat (7½ Units). That's 200 calories and 10 grams of fat more than the regular bar. It's also over a quarter of the daily calorie requirements for a man trying to lose weight.

You might also be enticed by a Twix King Size --- and vow to eat only half of it! The chances are it will all be gone in 10 minutes, leaving you with 420 calories and 22 grams of fat (6 Units) to digest (that's 134 calories and 5.5 grams of fat more than a regular bar).

Prepared to be shocked, however, to learn that a Chunky Milky Bar has over 4 times the fat and calorie content of a regular Milky Bar! That's 270 calories and almost 16 grams of fat (5 Units) compared to 65 calories and almost 4 grams of fat (1 Unit).

Most people were brought up with the idea that if you don't finish what's on your plate you won't get your afters --- true? It's a culturally inherited idea that more is better. However, this should NOT be the case and attitudes have to change. Studies have shown that people will eat larger portions if they are available but do not feel hungry when given smaller portions. [Source: eDiets UK]

I want you to chew on that last sentence:

"Studies have shown that people will eat larger portions if they are available but do not feel hungry when given smaller portions."

I believe all those fastfoods and junk food manufacturers have known this fact all along, and have not moved an inch to do anything about it. And why would they? When money pours in their coffers, they don't complain much. Scientific studies just confirmed it. It has been an obvious fact all this time.

There has also been a prevailing belief among Filipino men that dieting and losing weight are for vain women only. While many know that this is a myth, most Filipino men don't take eating right and adopting a healthy lifestyle seriously. I know many people --- even doctors --- who think that living a healthy lifestyle is for textbooks, seminars, and patient counselling only. They don't really adopt it for themselves. Of course, I'm not speaking generally, because I am also witness to several people who are getting conscious and cautious about their overall health conditions.

It is time to shape up, people.

Before sinful food items like cakes, ice cream, and softdrinks become treated like "dangerous drugs" and eating them a criminal offense, we must do something now. Sound crazy? Is your friendly doctor turning into an unnecessary alarmist?

Well yes, it sounds crazy now, but 10-20 years from now when (heaven-forbid!) obesity has beaten AIDS in its murderous rampage, I think these scenarios are not that far-fetched.