Binge Eating

When you hear of an eating disorder you think of Bulimia and Anorexia, but do you realize binge eating is also an eating disorder? I feel like I know more with this disorder than any other. Sometimes binging is paired with bulimia which is referred to as 'binging and purging.'

If you feel like you may suffer from this, help and support is out there!

Binge eating disorder fact sheet

• What is binge eating disorder?
• What causes binge eating disorder?
• What are the health consequences of binge eating disorder?
• Can someone with binge eating disorder get better?
• More information on binge eating disorder

What is binge eating disorder?

People with binge eating disorder often eat an unusually large amount of food and feel out of control during the binges. Unlike bulimia or anorexia, binge eaters do not throw up their food, exercise a lot, or eat only small amounts of only certain foods. Because of this, binge eaters are often overweight or obese. People with binge eating disorder also may:

• Eat more quickly than usual during binge episodes
• Eat until they are uncomfortably full
• Eat when they are not hungry
• Eat alone because of embarrassment
• Feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty after overeating

About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder affects women slightly more often than men.

What causes binge eating disorder?

Researchers are unsure of the causes and nature of binge eating and other eating disorders. Eating disorders likely involve abnormal activity in several different areas of the brain. Researchers are looking at the following factors that may affect binge eating:

• Depression.  As many as half of all people with binge eating disorder are depressed or have been depressed in the past. 
• Dieting.  Some people binge after skipping meals, not eating enough food each day, or avoiding certain kinds of food.
• Coping skills.  Studies suggest that people with binge eating may have trouble handling some of their emotions. Many people who are binge eaters say that being angry, sad, bored, worried, or stressed can cause them to binge eat.
• Biology.  Researchers are looking into how brain chemicals and metabolism (the way the body uses calories) affect binge eating disorder. Research also suggests that genes may be involved in binge eating, since the disorder often occurs in several members of the same family. Neuroimaging, or pictures of the brain, may also lead to a better understanding of binge eating disorder.

Certain behaviors and emotional problems are more common in people with binge eating disorder. These include abusing alcohol, acting quickly without thinking (impulsive behavior), not feeling in charge of themselves, and not feeling a part of their communities.

What are the health consequences of binge eating disorder?

People with binge eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge eating and may become depressed. Research has shown that people with binge eating disorder report more health problems, stress, trouble sleeping, and suicidal thoughts than people without an eating disorder.  People with binge eating disorder often feel badly about themselves and may miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat.
People with binge eating disorder may gain weight. Weight gain can lead to obesity, and obesity raises the risk for these health problems:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Gallbladder disease
• Heart disease
• Certain types of cancer

Obese people with binge eating disorder often have other mental health conditions, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Personality disorders

Can someone with binge eating disorder get better?

Is it safe for young people to take antidepressants for binge eating disorder? It may be safe for young people to be treated with antidepressants. However, drug companies who make antidepressants are required to post a "black box" warning label on the medication. A "black box" warning is the most serious type of warning on prescription medicines.
It may be possible that antidepressants make children, adolescents, and young adults more likely to think about suicide or commit suicide.
The FDA offers the latest information, including which drugs are included in this warning and danger signs to look for, on their website at http://www.fda.gov .

Yes. Someone with binge eating disorder can get better.
People with binge eating disorder should get help from a health care professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker. As with bulimia, there are different ways to treat binge eating disorder that may be helpful for some people.

• Nutritional advice and psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Drug therapy, such as antidepressants like fluoxetine (Prozac) or appetite suppressants prescribed by a doctor

CBT is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. Therapy for a person with binge eating disorder may be one-on-one with a therapist or group-based.

More information on binge eating disorder

For more information about binge eating disorder, call womenshealth.gov at 800-994-9662 (TDD: 888-220-5446) or contact the following organizations:

• Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) 
  Phone: 847-498-4274
• American Psychological Association 
  Phone: 800-374-2721
• National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, HHS 
  Phone: 866-615-8431
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) 
  Phone: 800-931-2237
• The Obesity Society 
  Phone: 301-563-6526
• Weight-control Information Network, NIDDK, NIH, HHS  
  Phone: 877-946-4627

Im going to do it!

Today it finally hit me, I NEED TO BE AN INSTRUCTOR!

Talked to the hiring manager at 24 hour fitness today and she told me how to go about getting certified to teach LES MILLS BODY PUMP

I also want to teach Turbo Kick!

Muscle Memory

Muscles Remember Past Glory

• By Tina Hesman Saey, Science News

Pumping up is easier for people who have been buff before, and now scientists think they know why — muscles retain a memory of their former fitness even as they wither from lack of use.

That memory is stored as DNA-containing nuclei, which proliferate when a muscle is exercised.
Contrary to previous thinking, those nuclei aren’t lost when muscles atrophy, researchers report online August 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The extra nuclei form a type of muscle memory that allows the muscle to bounce back quickly when retrained.

The findings suggest that exercise early in life could help fend off frailness in the elderly, and also raise questions about how long doping athletes should be banned from competition, says study leader Kristian Gundersen, a physiologist at the University of Oslo in Norway.

Muscle cells are huge, Gundersen says. And because the cells are so big, more than one nucleus is needed to supply the DNA templates for making large amounts of the proteins that give muscle its strength. Previous research has demonstrated that with exercise, muscle cells get even bigger by merging with stem cells called satellite cells, which are nestled between muscle fiber cells.

Researchers had previously thought that when muscles atrophy, the extra nuclei are killed by a cell death program called apoptosis.

Memory holding nuclei on muscle fiber light up in green.

In the new study, Gundersen’s team simulated the effect of working out by making a muscle that helps lift the toes work harder in mice. As the muscle worked, the number of nuclei increased, starting on day six. Over the course of 21 days, the hard-working muscle increased the number of nuclei in each fiber cell by about 54 percent. Starting on day nine, the muscle cells also started to plump up. Those results indicate that the nuclei come first and muscle mass is added later.
In another set of experiments, the researchers worked the mice’s muscles for two weeks and then severed nerves leading to the muscle so the tissue would atrophy. As the muscle atrophied, the cells deflated to about 40 percent of their bulked-up size, but the number of nuclei in the cells did not change.

These results contradict previous studies that show lots of cell death in muscles during atrophy. Gunderson’s team examined individual cells in the wasting muscles and found that there is apoptosis going on, but that other cells are dying, not the muscle fibers or their extra nuclei. The extra nuclei stick around for at least three months — a long time for a mouse, which lives a couple of years on average, Gundersen says.
“I don’t know if it lasts forever,” he says, “but it seems to be a very long-lasting effect.” Since the extra nuclei don’t die, they could be poised to make muscle proteins again, providing a type of muscle memory, he says.
“That’s fascinating thinking, and there’s nice proof in this article to support it,” says Bengt Saltin, a muscle physiologist at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. “It’s really novel and helps to explain descriptive findings that muscles are quick to respond upon further training.”

The study is likely to provoke strong reaction from some researchers, says Lawrence Schwartz, a cell biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“It does fly in the face of a lot of peer-reviewed, published data,” he says. But the selective death of just some of the nuclei in a muscle cell would require a special kind of apoptosis. “The conventional wisdom doesn’t make much sense from a cell and molecular perspective,” Schwartz says. Gunderson’s group has come up with an explanation that seems more plausible. “Their data just feels right.”

If the results hold up in people, sports agencies may want to reconsider how long they ban athletes suspended for taking steroids. Previous research has shown that testosterone boosts the number of nuclei in muscle cells beyond the amount produced by working out. “If you have nuclei that last forever, then you would also have an advantage that could last forever,” Gundersen says.
Well, maybe not exactly forever. As people age, their ability to build muscle mass declines. The new study suggests that pumping muscles full of nuclei early in life could help stave off muscle loss with age. “This could be an argument for mandatory physical training in schools,” Saltin says.

Nike Training Club App

Nike Training Club

By Nike, Inc.

GET THIS APP!!!!

Description

Nike Training Club gives you your own personal trainer, anytime, anywhere. Get lean, toned and strong with more than 85 custom-built workouts. Unlock exclusive extra workouts from celebrities like Lea Michele, professional athletes like Shawn Johnson, and Rihanna’s personal trainer, Ary Nuñez.

Detailed instructions and audio support are on hand to help you perfect each of Nike Training Club’s 130 dynamic drills. Choose a workout that fits your goal. Set it to your music, share your progress, earn your rewards. And just see the results.

- Full-body workouts for 30 or 45 minutes. Targeted and professional athlete workouts for 15 minutes. Set a favorite workout as your Quick-Start.

- 130 multi-dimensional, multi-directional drills build on the fundamentals of strength, cardio, interval and core training.

- Exclusive rewards including workouts from Rihanna’s personal trainer, professional athletes, celebrities, yoga instructors and more.

- Simple functionality optimizes every workout. Select your goal and fitness level, then choose from a list of workouts that meet your criteria.

- Set your workout to albums and playlists from your own music library.

- Audio guidance keeps you on track and motivated while working out.

- Access step-by-step instructions and video demonstrations for every drill at any time.

- Track details of your workout history and training progress.


24 Hour Fitness offers a class that uses workouts from this APP. This is something you can do at home. Some call for a jump rope, medicine ball or dumb bells. This is a great tool to have! You can get an amazing workout without even leaving the house.

Bottled water can be dangerous!

Bottled water in your car is very dangerous!

by admin on Saturday, April 11th, 2009 | 3 Comments

from Johns-Hopkins
On the Ellen show, Sheryl Crow said this is what caused her breast cancer.  It has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels of dioxin in breast cancer tissue.
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), or simply dioxins, are a group of polyhalogenated compounds which are significant because they act as environmental pollutants. They are commonly referred to as dioxins for simplicity in scientific publications because every PCDD molecule contains a dioxin skeletal structure. Typically, the p-dioxin skeleton is at the core of a PCDD molecule, giving the molecule a dibenzo-p-dioxin ring system. Members of the PCDD family have been shown to bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife due to their lipophilic properties, and are known teratogens, mutagens, and suspected human carcinogens. They are organic compounds.
Dioxins occur as by-products in the manufacture of organochlorides, in the incineration of chlorine-containing substances such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), in the bleaching of paper, and from natural sources such as volcanoes and forest fires. There have been many incidents of dioxin pollution resulting from industrial emissions and accidents; the earliest such incidents were in the mid 18th century during the Industrial Revolution. The word "dioxins" may also refer to a similar but unrelated compound, the polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) of like environmental importance.
Sheryl Crow’s oncologist told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water.  Dioxin is
a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.  Pass this on to all the women in your life. 
Health effects in humans
Dioxins build up primarily in fatty tissues over time (bioaccumulate), so even small exposures may eventually reach dangerous levels. In 1994, the US EPA reported that dioxins are a probable carcinogen, but noted that non-cancer effects (reproduction and sexual development, immune system) may pose an even greater threat to human health. TCDD, the most toxic of the dibenzodioxins, is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). TCDD has a half-life of approximately 8 years in humans, although at high concentrations, the elimination rate is enhanced by metabolism.[18] The health effects of dioxins are mediated by their action on a cellular receptor, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR).[19]
Exposure to high levels of dioxins in humans causes a severe form of persistent acne, known as chloracne.[20] A case-control study has shown an elevated risk of sarcoma (a type of cancer) associated with low-level exposure (4.2 fg/m3) to dioxins from incineration plants.[21] High levels of exposures to dioxins have been shown by epidemiological studies to lead to an increased risk of tumours at all sites.[21]
Other effects in humans may include:
Developmental abnormalities in the enamel of children’s teeth.[22][23]
Central and peripheral nervous system pathology[24]
Thyroid disorders[25]
Damage to the immune systems.[26]
Endometriosis[27]
Diabetes[28]
Recent studies have shown that exposure to dioxins changes the ratio of male to female births among a population such that more females are born than males.[29]
Dioxins accumulate in food chains in a fashion similar to other chlorinated compounds (bioaccumulation). This means that even small concentrations in contaminated water can be concentrated up a food chain to dangerous levels due to the long biological half life and low water solubility of dioxins.
Studies of dioxins’ effects in Vietnam
US veterans’ groups and Vietnamese groups, including the Vietnamese government, have convened scientific studies to explore their belief that dioxins were responsible for a host of disorders, including tens of thousands of birth defects in children, that have affected Vietnam veterans as well as an estimated one million Vietnamese, due to their exposure during the Vietnam War to Agent Orange, a defoliant chemical which was widely sprayed over Vietnamese land and which was found to be highly contaminated with TCDD. Several exposure studies showed that some US Vietnam Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange had serum TCDD levels up to 600 ppt (parts per trillion) many years after they left Vietnam, compared to general population levels of approximately 1 to 2 ppt of TCDD. In Vietnam, TCDD levels up to 1,000,000 ppt have been found in soil and sediments from Agent Orange contaminated areas, three to four decades after spraying. In addition, elevated levels have been measured in food and wildlife in Vietnam.[43]
The most recent study, paid for by the National Academy of Sciences, was released in an April 2003 report. This report is currently (March 2007) being revised for release again later in 2007.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that dioxin levels in Vietnam veterans[44] were in no way atypical when compared against the rest of the population. The only exception existed for those who directly handled Agent Orange. These were members of Operation Ranch Hand. Long-term studies of the members of Ranch Hand have thus far uncovered a possibility of elevated risks of diabetes.
Toxicity
Dioxins are absorbed primarily through dietary intake of fat, as this is where they accumulate in animals and humans. As this accumulation increases the pH of the tissue elevates in acid leaving the cells in an oxidized state. Here is the key to Pathogenic Fungus. In humans, the highly chlorinated dioxins are stored in fatty tissues and are neither readily metabolized nor excreted. The estimated elimination half-life for highly chlorinated dioxins (4-8 chlorine atoms) in humans ranges from 7.8 to 132 years.[16] The use of Essential Oils will assessed the body in the quick removal of these and other toxin.
The persistence of a particular dioxin congener in an animal is thought to be a consequence of its structure. It is believed that dioxins with few chlorines, which thus contain hydrogen atoms on adjacent pairs of carbons, can more readily be oxidized by cytochromes P450.[citation needed] The oxidized dioxins can then be more readily excreted rather than stored for long time.[citation needed]
 
This information is the kind we need to know that just might save us!  Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle instead of plastic!

This information is also being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

• No plastic containers in microwave.

• No water bottles in freezer

• No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.  Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.
 
Sheryl Crow’s oncologist talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers…This especially appli es to foods that contain fat.

He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastic releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body… Instead, he recommends using glass, such as  Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramiccontainers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin.
Things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc.,  should be removed from the container and heated in something else.  Paper isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use 20 tempered glass, Corning  Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons…
 
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave.   As the food is nuked, the  high heat  causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.  Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Subway- the truth- continued

I tried to add to the last blog but couldn't for some reason. I was not quite finished. Below I also have charts from dailyfinance.com with the run down on the obvious unhealthy fast foods. This is just to REALLY show you how horrible it is for you. Clogging those arteries!

The 10 Most Unhealthy Fast-Food Items on America's Menu

By 24/7 Wall St.

Posted 3:30PM 06/15/11 Posted under: Health Care, Retail

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From California to the New York Island, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters, this land is filled with fatties, lard butts and people large enough to have their own gravitational fields. Yes, America is the land of the "large and in charge," and one of the main reasons for it is our love of fast food.

Though it's tempting to put all the blame for America's obesity crisis on the fast-food industry -- and experts say it is at least partly at fault -- it's important to view it in context. The industry came of age during the 1950s as suburban communities saw their populations skyrocket, and social mores also began changing as women began to increasingly work outside the home. It was at that point that some of the savviest entrepreneurs in American corporate history sprang into action.

McDonald's Corp. (MCD) got in on the trend in 1955 when businessman Ray Kroc wondered how the McDonald Brothers sold so many burgers at their Southern California burger joint. He opened his first McDonald's Drive-In in Des Plaines, Ill. Today, there are more than 32,000 restaurants under the Golden Arches.

Col. Harlan Sanders began franchising Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952. Five years later, Sanders began selling chicken in buckets and today there are more than 15,000 KFC outlets. James McLamore and David Edgerton founded Burger King in 1954, when as the company's website notes "flame-broiled beef [began] fulfilling its destiny." There are more than 12,500 Burger Kings today. Glen W. Bell Jr. opened the first Taco Bell (YUM) in 1962 with an investment of $4,000 and eventually sold the chain to Pepsico in 1978. At that time, there were 868 Taco Bells. Today, there are nearly 6,000. At the tender age of 17, Fred DeLuca co-founded Subway Restaurants in 1965. They have 32,800 locations today.

Many of the same trends that helped create the modern fast-food industry are still helping fuel its growth. Many children, especially racial minorities, live in single-parent households, including a whopping 65% of black children and 37% of Hispanic children as of 2007, according to Kids Count. Mothers are working outside the home at much higher rates than in decades past. It is projected that women will account for 46.9% of the labor force in 2018, up from 46.8% in 2018. Add to this mix the high unemployment rates caused by an uncertain economy, and the allure of fast, cheap food becomes hard to resist.

And therein lies the problem.

Obesity is a public health crisis. Obesity rates have tripled among children since 1980. In 2009, only Colorado and the District of Columbia had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People who are obese are vulnerable to everything from diabetes to heart disease resulting in some $147 billion in direct medical costs annually.

The degree to which fast food is at fault for the poor state of the health of many Americans "is impossible to quantify, but is definitely a factor," says Christina Munsell, a registered dietitian and research assistant at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, in an interview. The increase in obesity "definitely would correlate with eating quicker meals that are easier to obtain."

In order to create the rankings, 24/7 Wall St. examined the menus of the top 10 restaurant brands in the quick service category by sales as determined by QSR, an industry publication, looking for the most unhealthy options in the fast-food universe:items that were the highest in calories, carbohydrates, sodium and saturated fat. We then ranked them against the nutritional guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture.

A couple of important caveats to consider. Not everything sold at fast food restaurants is unhealthy. The industry aggressively promotes healthier choice on their menus. Subway, for one, makes a special point of doing this, though its foot-long subs are not healthy choices. Moreover, experts point out that many items sold at sit-down restaurants are actually much more unhealthy than many fast food items. Fast food, though, has gained ground during the economic slowdown while casual and fine dining chains have suffered. McDonald's alone earned $24.58 billion in revenue in 2010. Yum! Brands, parent of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, made $11.42 billion.

Methodology: We derived the rankings by taking the average nutritional ratings of menu items compared with the USDA recommendations. Carbohydrates, saturated fat, and sodium were given the most weight. Calories and protein were also considered.


10. Wendy's Baconator Double
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 930 (36%)
> Saturated Fat: 25g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 41 (13%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 1840mg (80%)

Whose says you can never have too much bacon? Anyone with sense, that's who. The Rudd Center's Munsell noted with amusement how fast food chains "combine every type of meat on one sandwich." The Baconator was relentlessly hyped for a while. A Wendy's (WEN) spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

9. Burger King Triple Whopper with Cheese
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 1180 (45%)
> Saturated Fat: 30g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 52 (16%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 1330mg (58%)

The Triple Whopper makes a mere Quarter Pounder with Cheese seem like health food. At 1,140 calories, it packs more than twice the punch of the McDonald's burger, which has 535 calories. In a statement to 24/7 Wall St., the company referred to the Triple Whopper as an "indulgent option for our guests." Burger King says it encourages customers to eat healthy choices that provide 650 calories or less -- approximately one-third of a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

8. Subway Footlong Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 750 (28%)
> Saturated Fat: 2.5g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 117 (41%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 1810 mg (79%)

Subway, unhealthy? In some cases, the answer is "yes." While this sandwich is low in calories and fat, it is high in salt. The portions of Subway's foot-long sandwiches are too large, Munsell notes. Subway did not respond to a request for comment.

7. Wendy's Triple
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 1030 (40%)
> Saturated Fat: 28g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 43 (18%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 1800mg (78%)

Anyone eating this monstrosity might not realize that the USDA suggests one portion of meat should be roughly the size of deck of cards. This Wendy's monster burger weighs in at a whopping 423 grams. Wendy's has struggled for years against larger rivals. It unloaded its underperforming Arby's chain earlier this week to private-equity group Roark Capital Group. Wendy's did not respond to a request for comment.

6. Taco Bell XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito Beef
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 880 (34%)
> Saturated Fat: 3g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 94 (26%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 2130mg (93%)

Taco Bell has mastered the art of blending meats and cheese in ever more creative caloric combinations. The XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito Beef is a monument to gluttony. Taco Bell calls it its "biggest burrito yet." It has "a blend of three cheeses – cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella – flavorful seasoned rice, hearty beans, reduced-fat sour cream, chunky guacamole, avocado ranch and fiesta salsa, wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla." Taco Bell's sales have been hurt recently by questions surrounding the quality of its beef.

5. McDonald's Angus Chipotle BBQ Bacon
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 800 (31%)
> Saturated Fat: 18g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 66 (18%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 2020mg (88%)

The Angus Chipotle is big and has bacon, two red flags for any dieter. "It's problematic," says Munsell, adding that the Golden Arches have borne the brunt of negative publicity about fast food. That's unfair. "We did find that McDonald's did have more healthy options" than other chains, she notes. Indeed, it ended its Super Size promotion a few years ago, no doubt spurred by the publicity surrounding Morgan Spurlock's Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me.

4. Sonic SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger with Mayo
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 1370 (53%)
> Saturated Fat: 36g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 55 (17%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 1610mg (70%)

The name alone should make a diner want to grab a fistful of Lipitor. Those brave enough to chow down on this 1,370 calorie colossus probably shouldn't eat much for the rest of the day. Once a regional operator in the South and Midwest, Sonic (SONC) now operates over 3,500 locations.

3. KFC Chicken Pot Pie
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 790 (30%)
> Saturated Fat: 37g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 66 (20%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 1970mg (86%)

Salty and high in calories, there is little positive that can be said about the KFC Chicken Pot Pie. But a Yum! Brands spokesman had this to say: "It's all about providing our consumers with choices, and each of our brands has introduced products that are lower in calories and fat, such as KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken, Pizza Hut's Thin 'N Crispy Pizzas and salads and Taco Bell's Drive Thru Diet Menu with 7 items less than 9 grams of fat."

In other words, diners have a choice about whether or not they eat something with almost a full day's allotment of sodium in one item.

2. Subway 12-inch Italian B.M.T
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 900 (35%)
> Saturated Fat: 16g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 94 (27%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 3,000 mg (130%)

It's easy to see why Subway does not list this sandwich under the "low-fat footlongs" on its web site. It has a whopping 3,000 mg of salt, 130% of the recommended allotment in a daily diet. "The problem with Subway is the portion size," Munsell says, adding that the problem with this sandwich is the salty luncheon meats. However, Subway is getting the message about salt. As an April USA Today article noted, "Beginning today, sodium content in Subway's 'Fresh Fit' sandwich line in the U.S. will be cut 28% vs. 2009, when Subway first began to cut salt. And sodium in its overall sandwich line will be cut by 15%, compared with the same period."

1. Pizza Hut Triple Meat Italiano (9-inch personal pizza)
> Calories (pct. daily diet): 1,280 (49%)
> Saturated Fat: 23g
> Carbohydrate (pct. daily diet): 123 (38%)
> Sodium (pct. daily diet): 3,070mg (133%)

Pizza -- plain, with cheese and sauce -- is not particularly unhealthy. This gastronomical overkill featuring "all-natural pepperoni, all-natural Italian sausage, and baked ham" is terrible for you. Pizza Hut offers plenty of healthier choices.

Now,some of the worst HEALTHY fast food. These food chains want you to believe this is a healthy alternative to the other crapola on the menu but its not! Did you know that Chick-fil-a Kids Meal grilled nuggets have as much cholesterol as a Big Mac? Less calories sure, but that isn't the only thing you need to look at. In a 'this or that' situation of course go with the grilled nuggets over a Big Mac! But don't use the quick meals as a replacement for fresh fruit, clean cooked meats, and veggies.

Worst 'Healthy' Fast Food: Wendy's Baja Salad, McDonald's Fruit And Maple Oatmeal

May 21, 2011

Think you're being healthful and saving some calories by ordering the salad or oatmeal?
Don't be so sure, says the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
The group recently tested the nutritional content of some items that fast food establishments are promoting as healthy. The group found they were far from it. Some of the items were packed with more fat, sodium, and sugar than anyone should eat in an entire day.

The group found the worst offenders were Wendy's Baja Salad, with almost twice the recommended amount of sodium for an entire day, and McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, with more calories than a hamburger and more sugar than many candy bars.
"Your health and your waistline will thank you for saying no to these so-called healthy foods," PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin said in a statement. "Fast-food chains hope to cash in on consumer ignorance with labels like "fat-free" and "low calorie."
The five worst "healthy" fast food items:
Wendy's Baja Salad: Contains 1,990 milligrams of sodium, more than should be consumed in an entire day.
McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal: Contains more sugar than a Snickers Bar.
Subway Fresh Fit 6-Inch Turkey Breast Sub: With standards such as cheese and mayo, this "low-fat" sandwich jumps to 24 grams of fat. Contains processed meat, which is linked to increased cancer risk.
Sonic Strawberry Smoothie: Contains more sugar than five Twinkies.
KFC Kentucky Grilled Chicken: Contains PhIP, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the federal government.
—Andrea Walker, Baltimore Sun (MCT)

Now from womansday.com, here is a 'have this not that' list. Since we all know that some days your options are 'starve or drive thru'.

Photo by: Buena Vista Images / Getty

Just because it's leafy and green doesn't mean it's good for you. Salads can be filled with much-needed nutrients, but many seemingly-smart choices are actually loaded with as much fat and calories as a cheeseburger—or more. Oily dressings, extra cheese, deep-fried chicken and extras, like croutons and corn chips, are just a few of the unhealthy spoilers lurking in some of the worst fast-food salad offenders. Don’t despair though: For every bad choice there’s also a healthier option. Read on to find out the best and worst salads available at your favorite fast-food joints and chain restaurants.


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Boston Market
Best: Caesar Salad Entrée with Lite Ranch Dressing (210 cal, 12 g fat)
Worst: Market Chopped Salad (480 cal, 40 g fat)

Così
Best: Shanghai Chicken (313 cal, 13 g fat)
Worst: Così Cobb (708 cal, 55 g fat)

McDonald’s
Best: Premium “Caesar” Salad with Grilled Chicken and Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette (260 cal, 9 g fat)
Worst: Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken with Newman’s Own Creamy Southwest Dressing (530 cal, 26 g fat)

Olive Garden
Best: Garden-Fresh Salad, one serving with dressing (350 cal, 26 g fat)
Worst: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (850 cal, 64 g fat)

Panera
Best: Asian Sesame Salad (400 cal, 20 g fat)
Worst: Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (520 cal, 31 g fat)

Taco Bell
Best: Chipotle Steak Taco Salad, Fresco Style (220 cal, 7 g fat)
Worst: Chicken Ranch Taco Salad (910 cal, 54 g fat)

Wendy’s
Best: Caesar Salad with grilled chicken (490 cal, 32 g fat)
Worst: Southwest Taco Salad (680 cal, 39 g fat)

After logging a 900 calorie Caesar salad on MyFitnessPal I now check out my facts on salads before I order. Here is a list of the 20 worst restaurant meals. Some are obvious but its good to check out the nutritional facts on the companies website if you are eating out and trying to lose weight. MyFitnessPal has most items on a menu from all restaurants but just in case you can't find it, the facts should be on the company site. Found at thirdage.com

 

20 Worst Restaurant Meals

20
• 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
  
  Nutrition Facts:
  
  1,911 calories
  88 g saturated fat
  135 g carbohydrates
• Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
  20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
  Nutrition Facts:
  1,890 calories
  47 g saturated fat
  4,200 mg sodium
  130 g carbohydrates
  
  
  
  

  20
  • 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
    
    Nutrition Facts:
    
    1,911 calories
    88 g saturated fat
    135 g carbohydrates
  • Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
    20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
    Nutrition Facts:
    1,890 calories
    47 g saturated fat
    4,200 mg sodium
    130 g carbohydrates
    
  • 19. Cheescake Factory French Toast with Bacon- What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day?
    
    Nutrition Facts:
    
    2,494 calories
    71 g saturated fat
    3,542 mg sodium
    182 g carbohydrates
     
     

    20
    • 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
      
      Nutrition Facts:
      
      1,911 calories
      88 g saturated fat
      135 g carbohydrates
    • Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
      20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
      Nutrition Facts:
      1,890 calories
      47 g saturated fat
      4,200 mg sodium
      130 g carbohydrates
      
    • 19. Cheescake Factory French Toast with Bacon- What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day?
      
      Nutrition Facts:
      
      2,494 calories
      71 g saturated fat
      3,542 mg sodium
      182 g carbohydrates
      
    • 18. Applebee’s Appetizer Sampler Nothing spells nutritional doom more decidedly than a “sampler” platter. The idea is that by eating only a little bit of a bad thing, you won’t suffer severe caloric consequences. That’s true in theory, but not when you’re eating a little bit of several bad things—in this case mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, cheese quesadilla, and Buffalo wings. Truth is, the traditional sampler is actually little more than a roundup of all the worst appetizers, and ordering it will almost certainly saddle you with more calories than any one of those appetizers would have on its own.
      
      Nutrition Facts:
      
      2,510 calories
      168 g fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
      6,660 mg sodium
       
       

      20
      • 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
        
        Nutrition Facts:
        
        1,911 calories
        88 g saturated fat
        135 g carbohydrates
      • Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
        20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
        Nutrition Facts:
        1,890 calories
        47 g saturated fat
        4,200 mg sodium
        130 g carbohydrates
        
      • 19. Cheescake Factory French Toast with Bacon- What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day?
        
        Nutrition Facts:
        
        2,494 calories
        71 g saturated fat
        3,542 mg sodium
        182 g carbohydrates
        
      • 18. Applebee’s Appetizer Sampler Nothing spells nutritional doom more decidedly than a “sampler” platter. The idea is that by eating only a little bit of a bad thing, you won’t suffer severe caloric consequences. That’s true in theory, but not when you’re eating a little bit of several bad things—in this case mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, cheese quesadilla, and Buffalo wings. Truth is, the traditional sampler is actually little more than a roundup of all the worst appetizers, and ordering it will almost certainly saddle you with more calories than any one of those appetizers would have on its own.
        
        Nutrition Facts:
        
        2,510 calories
        168 g fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
        6,660 mg sodium
        
      • 17. Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni (1 piece) Recently Pizza Hut decided to stretch its stuffed-crust pizza shtick by applying it to the deep-dish pan pizzas. The new pie is predictably horrendous, but even with sausage on top, it doesn’t break the 500-calorie slice mark. That’s by no means a defense of the Stuffed Crust Pan Pizza, but rather an indictment of Sbarro’s Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza, which has more calories, fat, and sodium than any slice in America.
        
        Nutrition Facts:
        
        960 calories
        42 g fat
        3,200 mg sodium
         
         

        20
        • 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          1,911 calories
          88 g saturated fat
          135 g carbohydrates
        • Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
          20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
          Nutrition Facts:
          1,890 calories
          47 g saturated fat
          4,200 mg sodium
          130 g carbohydrates
          
        • 19. Cheescake Factory French Toast with Bacon- What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day?
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          2,494 calories
          71 g saturated fat
          3,542 mg sodium
          182 g carbohydrates
          
        • 18. Applebee’s Appetizer Sampler Nothing spells nutritional doom more decidedly than a “sampler” platter. The idea is that by eating only a little bit of a bad thing, you won’t suffer severe caloric consequences. That’s true in theory, but not when you’re eating a little bit of several bad things—in this case mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, cheese quesadilla, and Buffalo wings. Truth is, the traditional sampler is actually little more than a roundup of all the worst appetizers, and ordering it will almost certainly saddle you with more calories than any one of those appetizers would have on its own.
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          2,510 calories
          168 g fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
          6,660 mg sodium
          
        • 17. Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni (1 piece) Recently Pizza Hut decided to stretch its stuffed-crust pizza shtick by applying it to the deep-dish pan pizzas. The new pie is predictably horrendous, but even with sausage on top, it doesn’t break the 500-calorie slice mark. That’s by no means a defense of the Stuffed Crust Pan Pizza, but rather an indictment of Sbarro’s Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza, which has more calories, fat, and sodium than any slice in America.
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          960 calories
          42 g fat
          3,200 mg sodium
          
        •   
           
           
           
          16. T.G.I. Friday’s BBQ Chicken Wrap This wrap seems to have been engineered with the goal of packing in extra calories. It employs a one-two punch of the two fattiest sauces known to man: ranch dressing and mayonnaise. And if that’s not enough, it’s served with even more ranch on the side to satisfy all your dipping fancies. You’d be better off housing three Big Macs than tussling with this felonious fowl.
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          1720 calories 
           
           15. Cheesecake Factory Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club Who would have guessed that a dish with a name like this could pack more calories than 11 scoops of Breyers All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip? Skip sandwiches entirely when dining at the Factory. The "lightest" on the menu is the 1,052-calorie Grilled Cheese. Instead (and this might surprise you), you'd be much better off ordering a burger. The Factory Burger is one of the best burgers offered at any sit-down restaurant in America, and so long as you swap out the fries for something healthier, it's also one of the safest entrees you'll find on Cheesecake Factory's misguided menu.
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          1,752 calories
          28 g saturated fat
          2,309 mg sodium
          85 g carbs 
           
           
           14. On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Creamy Red Chile Sauce How many Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos could you eat for this many calories? Ten! Plus one Steak Baja Gordita Supreme. Basically, it’s a perversion of Mexican cuisine that adds up to more food than you’d ever dream of wolfing down in one sitting, and On the Border achieves it through a heavy load of greasy beer-battered fish and a fat-riddled cream sauce to boot.
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          2,240 calories
          152 g fat (32 g saturated)
          4,000 mg sodium
           
           
           
           13. Applebee’s Quesadilla Burger Nobody orders a burger thinking it’s healthy eating, and as an occasional treat, that’s not a problem. But if you knew for a fact that said burger had 2 days’ worth of sodium and more than 2 days’ worth of saturated fat stuffed between those two soggy pieces of bread, would you even consider it? Probably not. Blame it on the massive patty, the Mexi-ranch sauce, and, oh, the cheese- and bacon-crusted quesadilla “bun” that holds this hybrid hellraiser together.
          
          Nutrition Facts:
          
          1,420 calories
          104 g fat (43 g saturated, 3 g trans)
          4,000 mg sodium 
           
           
           

          20
          • 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            1,911 calories
            88 g saturated fat
            135 g carbohydrates
          • Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
            20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
            Nutrition Facts:
            1,890 calories
            47 g saturated fat
            4,200 mg sodium
            130 g carbohydrates
            
          • 19. Cheescake Factory French Toast with Bacon- What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day?
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            2,494 calories
            71 g saturated fat
            3,542 mg sodium
            182 g carbohydrates
            
          • 18. Applebee’s Appetizer Sampler Nothing spells nutritional doom more decidedly than a “sampler” platter. The idea is that by eating only a little bit of a bad thing, you won’t suffer severe caloric consequences. That’s true in theory, but not when you’re eating a little bit of several bad things—in this case mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, cheese quesadilla, and Buffalo wings. Truth is, the traditional sampler is actually little more than a roundup of all the worst appetizers, and ordering it will almost certainly saddle you with more calories than any one of those appetizers would have on its own.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            2,510 calories
            168 g fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
            6,660 mg sodium
            
          • 17. Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni (1 piece) Recently Pizza Hut decided to stretch its stuffed-crust pizza shtick by applying it to the deep-dish pan pizzas. The new pie is predictably horrendous, but even with sausage on top, it doesn’t break the 500-calorie slice mark. That’s by no means a defense of the Stuffed Crust Pan Pizza, but rather an indictment of Sbarro’s Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza, which has more calories, fat, and sodium than any slice in America.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            960 calories
            42 g fat
            3,200 mg sodium
            
          • 16. T.G.I. Friday’s BBQ Chicken Wrap This wrap seems to have been engineered with the goal of packing in extra calories. It employs a one-two punch of the two fattiest sauces known to man: ranch dressing and mayonnaise. And if that’s not enough, it’s served with even more ranch on the side to satisfy all your dipping fancies. You’d be better off housing three Big Macs than tussling with this felonious fowl.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            1720 calories
          • 15. Cheesecake Factory Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club Who would have guessed that a dish with a name like this could pack more calories than 11 scoops of Breyers All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip? Skip sandwiches entirely when dining at the Factory. The "lightest" on the menu is the 1,052-calorie Grilled Cheese. Instead (and this might surprise you), you'd be much better off ordering a burger. The Factory Burger is one of the best burgers offered at any sit-down restaurant in America, and so long as you swap out the fries for something healthier, it's also one of the safest entrees you'll find on Cheesecake Factory's misguided menu.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            1,752 calories
            28 g saturated fat
            2,309 mg sodium
            85 g carbs
          • 14. On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Creamy Red Chile Sauce How many Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos could you eat for this many calories? Ten! Plus one Steak Baja Gordita Supreme. Basically, it’s a perversion of Mexican cuisine that adds up to more food than you’d ever dream of wolfing down in one sitting, and On the Border achieves it through a heavy load of greasy beer-battered fish and a fat-riddled cream sauce to boot.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            2,240 calories
            152 g fat (32 g saturated)
            4,000 mg sodium
            
          • 13. Applebee’s Quesadilla Burger Nobody orders a burger thinking it’s healthy eating, and as an occasional treat, that’s not a problem. But if you knew for a fact that said burger had 2 days’ worth of sodium and more than 2 days’ worth of saturated fat stuffed between those two soggy pieces of bread, would you even consider it? Probably not. Blame it on the massive patty, the Mexi-ranch sauce, and, oh, the cheese- and bacon-crusted quesadilla “bun” that holds this hybrid hellraiser together.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            1,420 calories
            104 g fat (43 g saturated, 3 g trans)
            4,000 mg sodium
          • 12. Cheesecake Factory Kids' Pasta with Alfredo Sauce It’s bad enough to stick this much fat into an adult-size meal, but for a child? That ought to be deemed criminally negligent. This cream- and cheese-infused pasta bowl is bloated with more saturated fat than a full-grown adult should eat in 4 days, and more calories than you’d find in 40 Chicken McNuggets.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            1,803 calories
            86 g saturated fat
            876 mg sodium
            70 g carbohydrates 
             
             
             
             11. Chili's Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites Last year, before Chili’s hopped on the slider bandwagon, we dubbed Blimpie’s 12-inch Pastrami Super Stacked Sub as the Saltiest Sandwich in America. But with 20 percent more sodium, we now have our new biggest loser. Even if you split an order of these Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites, you’ll still overshoot your sodium allotment for the day.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            1,620 calories
            100 g fat (21 g saturated)
            5,380 mg sodium 
             
             
             
             10. Domino's Chicken Carbonara Breadbowl Pasta Here’s the breakdown: The noodles here contribute 200 calories, the sauce and toppings another 440. And finally, the bread bowl itself contributes a staggering 840 calories and 138 grams of carbohydrates. It’s like eating 12 slices of Pepperidge Farm White Sandwich Bread alongside your pasta dish, and all of those calories are the kind that spike your blood sugar and force your body to store away more fat. We used to harp on Panera’s Sourdough Soup Bowl, but it looks tame next to the Domino’s disaster.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            1,480 calories
            56 g fat
            (24 g saturated, 1 g trans)
            2,280 mg sodium
            188 g carbs 
             
             
             9. P.F. Chang's Crispy Honey Shrimp Chang’s menu sounds innocent enough: “Lightly battered and tossed in a flavorful sauce.” But with it being one of the most calorie-laden meals in the entire country, it seems fair to call this description a mild understatement. More accurate might be something like, “cooked with a day’s worth of fat and served with more carbohydrates than you’d find in an entire box of Triscuit crackers!” Okay, so maybe they won’t follow our lead on that one, but it would be nice to see a little more transparency.
            
            Nutrition Facts:
            
            2,110 calories
            70 g fat (10 g saturated)
            1,815 mg sodium
            290 g carbs 
             
             
             

            20
            • 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              1,911 calories
              88 g saturated fat
              135 g carbohydrates
            • Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
               
              
              20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
              Nutrition Facts:
              1,890 calories
              47 g saturated fat
              4,200 mg sodium
              130 g carbohydrates
              
            • 19. Cheescake Factory French Toast with Bacon- What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day?
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              2,494 calories
              71 g saturated fat
              3,542 mg sodium
              182 g carbohydrates
              
            • 18. Applebee’s Appetizer Sampler Nothing spells nutritional doom more decidedly than a “sampler” platter. The idea is that by eating only a little bit of a bad thing, you won’t suffer severe caloric consequences. That’s true in theory, but not when you’re eating a little bit of several bad things—in this case mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, cheese quesadilla, and Buffalo wings. Truth is, the traditional sampler is actually little more than a roundup of all the worst appetizers, and ordering it will almost certainly saddle you with more calories than any one of those appetizers would have on its own.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              2,510 calories
              168 g fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
              6,660 mg sodium
              
            • 17. Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni (1 piece) Recently Pizza Hut decided to stretch its stuffed-crust pizza shtick by applying it to the deep-dish pan pizzas. The new pie is predictably horrendous, but even with sausage on top, it doesn’t break the 500-calorie slice mark. That’s by no means a defense of the Stuffed Crust Pan Pizza, but rather an indictment of Sbarro’s Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza, which has more calories, fat, and sodium than any slice in America.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              960 calories
              42 g fat
              3,200 mg sodium
              
            • 16. T.G.I. Friday’s BBQ Chicken Wrap This wrap seems to have been engineered with the goal of packing in extra calories. It employs a one-two punch of the two fattiest sauces known to man: ranch dressing and mayonnaise. And if that’s not enough, it’s served with even more ranch on the side to satisfy all your dipping fancies. You’d be better off housing three Big Macs than tussling with this felonious fowl.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              1720 calories
            • 15. Cheesecake Factory Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club Who would have guessed that a dish with a name like this could pack more calories than 11 scoops of Breyers All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip? Skip sandwiches entirely when dining at the Factory. The "lightest" on the menu is the 1,052-calorie Grilled Cheese. Instead (and this might surprise you), you'd be much better off ordering a burger. The Factory Burger is one of the best burgers offered at any sit-down restaurant in America, and so long as you swap out the fries for something healthier, it's also one of the safest entrees you'll find on Cheesecake Factory's misguided menu.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              1,752 calories
              28 g saturated fat
              2,309 mg sodium
              85 g carbs
            • 14. On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Creamy Red Chile Sauce How many Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos could you eat for this many calories? Ten! Plus one Steak Baja Gordita Supreme. Basically, it’s a perversion of Mexican cuisine that adds up to more food than you’d ever dream of wolfing down in one sitting, and On the Border achieves it through a heavy load of greasy beer-battered fish and a fat-riddled cream sauce to boot.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              2,240 calories
              152 g fat (32 g saturated)
              4,000 mg sodium
              
            • 13. Applebee’s Quesadilla Burger Nobody orders a burger thinking it’s healthy eating, and as an occasional treat, that’s not a problem. But if you knew for a fact that said burger had 2 days’ worth of sodium and more than 2 days’ worth of saturated fat stuffed between those two soggy pieces of bread, would you even consider it? Probably not. Blame it on the massive patty, the Mexi-ranch sauce, and, oh, the cheese- and bacon-crusted quesadilla “bun” that holds this hybrid hellraiser together.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              1,420 calories
              104 g fat (43 g saturated, 3 g trans)
              4,000 mg sodium
            • 12. Cheesecake Factory Kids' Pasta with Alfredo Sauce It’s bad enough to stick this much fat into an adult-size meal, but for a child? That ought to be deemed criminally negligent. This cream- and cheese-infused pasta bowl is bloated with more saturated fat than a full-grown adult should eat in 4 days, and more calories than you’d find in 40 Chicken McNuggets.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              1,803 calories
              86 g saturated fat
              876 mg sodium
              70 g carbohydrates
            • 11. Chili's Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites Last year, before Chili’s hopped on the slider bandwagon, we dubbed Blimpie’s 12-inch Pastrami Super Stacked Sub as the Saltiest Sandwich in America. But with 20 percent more sodium, we now have our new biggest loser. Even if you split an order of these Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites, you’ll still overshoot your sodium allotment for the day.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              1,620 calories
              100 g fat (21 g saturated)
              5,380 mg sodium
            • 10. Domino's Chicken Carbonara Breadbowl Pasta Here’s the breakdown: The noodles here contribute 200 calories, the sauce and toppings another 440. And finally, the bread bowl itself contributes a staggering 840 calories and 138 grams of carbohydrates. It’s like eating 12 slices of Pepperidge Farm White Sandwich Bread alongside your pasta dish, and all of those calories are the kind that spike your blood sugar and force your body to store away more fat. We used to harp on Panera’s Sourdough Soup Bowl, but it looks tame next to the Domino’s disaster.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              1,480 calories
              56 g fat
              (24 g saturated, 1 g trans)
              2,280 mg sodium
              188 g carbs
            • 9. P.F. Chang's Crispy Honey Shrimp Chang’s menu sounds innocent enough: “Lightly battered and tossed in a flavorful sauce.” But with it being one of the most calorie-laden meals in the entire country, it seems fair to call this description a mild understatement. More accurate might be something like, “cooked with a day’s worth of fat and served with more carbohydrates than you’d find in an entire box of Triscuit crackers!” Okay, so maybe they won’t follow our lead on that one, but it would be nice to see a little more transparency.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              2,110 calories
              70 g fat (10 g saturated)
              1,815 mg sodium
              290 g carbs
            • 8. Culver's North Atlantic Cod Filet Meal (3 pieces) This trend of frying all seafood is particularly concerning at Culver’s, since it’s not balanced by a single grilled fillet. If you want a piece of fish at Culver’s, you have to take it fried. What’s worse, though, is that when you order a dinner, Culver’s buries your plate under a mess of sides that are equally as harmful as the fish. By the time they’re done loading on the fries, dinner roll, coleslaw, tarter sauce, and butter, you’re facing a full day’s worth of calories, sodium, and saturated fat crammed into one meal.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              2,121 calories
              135 g fat
              (21 g saturated, 2 g trans)
              2,568 mg sodium 
               
               
               7. Outback Steakhouse Baby Back Ribs (full rack) One of the scary things about these ribs is that they're typically served with a heaping serving of Aussie Fries, which adds another 350 calories to the already overflowing mix. What's even scarier is that these ribs used to pack in over 3,000 calories - meaning that this giant mega-meal, which accounts for an entire day's worth of calories, is actually a downgrade.
              
              Nutrition Facts:
              
              2,012 calories
              160 g fat (59 g saturated)
              2,599 mg sodium 
               
               
               

              20
              • 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,911 calories
                88 g saturated fat
                135 g carbohydrates
              • Americans today eat out more than four times per week, and when it comes to gauging the nutrition of these meals, we are demonstrably ill equipped for the task. The point is that it’s easier to bite off more than you think you’re chewing. Some of the meals on the following list can skyrocket your day’s caloric intake 1,500 calories beyond what you should be eating. Do that just once a week and you’re facing 22 extra pounds of flab in a year’s time.  The truth, although very said, is that America is the fattest country in the world.  The following is a list of the 20 worst meals one can eat, starting with number 20.
                20.  IHOP Colorado Omelette- Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins.
                Nutrition Facts:
                1,890 calories
                47 g saturated fat
                4,200 mg sodium
                130 g carbohydrates
                
              • 19. Cheescake Factory French Toast with Bacon- What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day?
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,494 calories
                71 g saturated fat
                3,542 mg sodium
                182 g carbohydrates
                
              • 18. Applebee’s Appetizer Sampler Nothing spells nutritional doom more decidedly than a “sampler” platter. The idea is that by eating only a little bit of a bad thing, you won’t suffer severe caloric consequences. That’s true in theory, but not when you’re eating a little bit of several bad things—in this case mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, cheese quesadilla, and Buffalo wings. Truth is, the traditional sampler is actually little more than a roundup of all the worst appetizers, and ordering it will almost certainly saddle you with more calories than any one of those appetizers would have on its own.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,510 calories
                168 g fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
                6,660 mg sodium
                
              • 17. Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni (1 piece) Recently Pizza Hut decided to stretch its stuffed-crust pizza shtick by applying it to the deep-dish pan pizzas. The new pie is predictably horrendous, but even with sausage on top, it doesn’t break the 500-calorie slice mark. That’s by no means a defense of the Stuffed Crust Pan Pizza, but rather an indictment of Sbarro’s Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza, which has more calories, fat, and sodium than any slice in America.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                960 calories
                42 g fat
                3,200 mg sodium
                
              • 16. T.G.I. Friday’s BBQ Chicken Wrap This wrap seems to have been engineered with the goal of packing in extra calories. It employs a one-two punch of the two fattiest sauces known to man: ranch dressing and mayonnaise. And if that’s not enough, it’s served with even more ranch on the side to satisfy all your dipping fancies. You’d be better off housing three Big Macs than tussling with this felonious fowl.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1720 calories
              • 15. Cheesecake Factory Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club Who would have guessed that a dish with a name like this could pack more calories than 11 scoops of Breyers All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip? Skip sandwiches entirely when dining at the Factory. The "lightest" on the menu is the 1,052-calorie Grilled Cheese. Instead (and this might surprise you), you'd be much better off ordering a burger. The Factory Burger is one of the best burgers offered at any sit-down restaurant in America, and so long as you swap out the fries for something healthier, it's also one of the safest entrees you'll find on Cheesecake Factory's misguided menu.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,752 calories
                28 g saturated fat
                2,309 mg sodium
                85 g carbs
              • 14. On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Creamy Red Chile Sauce How many Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos could you eat for this many calories? Ten! Plus one Steak Baja Gordita Supreme. Basically, it’s a perversion of Mexican cuisine that adds up to more food than you’d ever dream of wolfing down in one sitting, and On the Border achieves it through a heavy load of greasy beer-battered fish and a fat-riddled cream sauce to boot.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,240 calories
                152 g fat (32 g saturated)
                4,000 mg sodium
                
              • 13. Applebee’s Quesadilla Burger Nobody orders a burger thinking it’s healthy eating, and as an occasional treat, that’s not a problem. But if you knew for a fact that said burger had 2 days’ worth of sodium and more than 2 days’ worth of saturated fat stuffed between those two soggy pieces of bread, would you even consider it? Probably not. Blame it on the massive patty, the Mexi-ranch sauce, and, oh, the cheese- and bacon-crusted quesadilla “bun” that holds this hybrid hellraiser together.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,420 calories
                104 g fat (43 g saturated, 3 g trans)
                4,000 mg sodium
              • 12. Cheesecake Factory Kids' Pasta with Alfredo Sauce It’s bad enough to stick this much fat into an adult-size meal, but for a child? That ought to be deemed criminally negligent. This cream- and cheese-infused pasta bowl is bloated with more saturated fat than a full-grown adult should eat in 4 days, and more calories than you’d find in 40 Chicken McNuggets.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,803 calories
                86 g saturated fat
                876 mg sodium
                70 g carbohydrates
              • 11. Chili's Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites Last year, before Chili’s hopped on the slider bandwagon, we dubbed Blimpie’s 12-inch Pastrami Super Stacked Sub as the Saltiest Sandwich in America. But with 20 percent more sodium, we now have our new biggest loser. Even if you split an order of these Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites, you’ll still overshoot your sodium allotment for the day.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,620 calories
                100 g fat (21 g saturated)
                5,380 mg sodium
              • 10. Domino's Chicken Carbonara Breadbowl Pasta Here’s the breakdown: The noodles here contribute 200 calories, the sauce and toppings another 440. And finally, the bread bowl itself contributes a staggering 840 calories and 138 grams of carbohydrates. It’s like eating 12 slices of Pepperidge Farm White Sandwich Bread alongside your pasta dish, and all of those calories are the kind that spike your blood sugar and force your body to store away more fat. We used to harp on Panera’s Sourdough Soup Bowl, but it looks tame next to the Domino’s disaster.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,480 calories
                56 g fat
                (24 g saturated, 1 g trans)
                2,280 mg sodium
                188 g carbs
              • 9. P.F. Chang's Crispy Honey Shrimp Chang’s menu sounds innocent enough: “Lightly battered and tossed in a flavorful sauce.” But with it being one of the most calorie-laden meals in the entire country, it seems fair to call this description a mild understatement. More accurate might be something like, “cooked with a day’s worth of fat and served with more carbohydrates than you’d find in an entire box of Triscuit crackers!” Okay, so maybe they won’t follow our lead on that one, but it would be nice to see a little more transparency.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,110 calories
                70 g fat (10 g saturated)
                1,815 mg sodium
                290 g carbs
              • 8. Culver's North Atlantic Cod Filet Meal (3 pieces) This trend of frying all seafood is particularly concerning at Culver’s, since it’s not balanced by a single grilled fillet. If you want a piece of fish at Culver’s, you have to take it fried. What’s worse, though, is that when you order a dinner, Culver’s buries your plate under a mess of sides that are equally as harmful as the fish. By the time they’re done loading on the fries, dinner roll, coleslaw, tarter sauce, and butter, you’re facing a full day’s worth of calories, sodium, and saturated fat crammed into one meal.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,121 calories
                135 g fat
                (21 g saturated, 2 g trans)
                2,568 mg sodium
              • 7. Outback Steakhouse Baby Back Ribs (full rack) One of the scary things about these ribs is that they're typically served with a heaping serving of Aussie Fries, which adds another 350 calories to the already overflowing mix. What's even scarier is that these ribs used to pack in over 3,000 calories - meaning that this giant mega-meal, which accounts for an entire day's worth of calories, is actually a downgrade.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,012 calories
                160 g fat (59 g saturated)
                2,599 mg sodium
              •  
                 
                 
                6. Cheesecake Factory Bistro Shrimp Pasta How would you feel if someone asked you to eat three full orders of Fettuccine Alfredo and three bread sticks from Fazoli’s? Or how about three Big Macs and three medium orders of fries from McDonald’s? Or 14 Original Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme? Like the rest of the sane world, you’d balk at the idea. It’s ludicrous, for sure, but the truth is that any of these options would actually save you calories over this horrendous glut of oil and cream from the Cheesecake Factory.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,819 calories
                77 g saturated fat
                1,008 mg sodium
                184 g carbohydrates 
                 
                 
                 
                 5. IHOP Top Sirloin Steak In the world of beef, sirloin is one of the good guys. Unless it’s not, which is the case at IHOP. But don’t blame the beef. Here, as is so often the case with commercially prepared steaks, the meat suffers by association. IHOP adds an inexplicable blanket of provolone cheese and a heaping scoop of fried potatoes and buttered toast to the party. The result of these add-ons is six Milky Ways’ worth of saturated fat and five full Pringles cans’ worth of sodium.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,380 calories
                42 g saturated fat
                5,220 mg sodium 
                 
                 
                 
                 4. Five Guys Fries (large) Unfortunately, Five Guys doesn’t offer anything but fries in the side department. Your safest bet, of course, is to skip the fries altogether (you’d be better off adding a second patty to your burger), but if you can’t bring yourself to eat a burger sans fries, then split a regular order. That will still add 310 calories to your meal, but it beats surrendering more than 75% of your day’s calories to a greasy paper bag.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,464 calories
                71 g fat (14 g saturated)
                213 mg sodium 
                 
                 
                 
                 3. Jack in the Box Bacon Cheddar Wedges It doesn’t take a nutritionist to identify the hazards of a grease-soaked, cheese-slathered sack of deep-fried potatoes, but by appearance alone, nobody could guess what’s really at stake when you order this side from Jack’s. The American Heart Association recommends that people cap their trans fat intake at 1 percent of total calories. For people on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 2 grams per day. See the problem? This sack crushes that number with six times your daily intake—not to mention nearly half your day’s calories.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                760 calories
                53 g fat
                (17 g saturated, 13 g trans)
                963 mg sodium 
                 
                 2. Cold Stone PB&C Shake (Gotta Have It size) There were dozens of contenders in line for this dishonorable distinction, but Cold Stone’s PB&C is the only drink in America to stretch across the 2,000-calorie mark. The combination of peanut butter—good in small amounts, horrendous when liquefied in bathtub-size quantities—and chocolate ice cream outpaces even the worst cookie- and candy-strewn shakes that clutter Cold Stone’s embarrassing shake menu. Suck this thing down and you’ve just blasted away a day’s worth of calories, more than 3 days’ worth of saturated fat, and almost as much sugar as an entire 15-ounce box of Chewy Chips Ahoy! Cookies.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                2,010 calories
                131 g fat (68 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
                880 mg sodium
                153 g sugars 
                 
                 
                 1. Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option.
                
                Nutrition Facts:
                
                1,911 calories
                88 g saturated fat
                135 g carbohydrates