You probably know the popcorn at the movie theaters is far from healthy, but did you know having a medium popcorn and soda from a major national chain is like eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter? That’s according to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

CSPI says the popular combo from Regal, the country’s biggest movie chain, has 1,610 calories and three days’ worth – 60 grams – of saturated fat.

The study is an update to research CSPI did on movie theater popcorn 15 years ago.

Here are some other movie theater popcorn stats from CSPI’s new report:

Regal
Small, 11 cups
Calories 670
Saturated fat 34 g
Sodium 550 mg

AMC
Small, 6 cups
Calories 370
Saturated fat 20 g
Sodium 210 mg

Cinemark
Small, 8 cups
Calories 420
Saturated fat 2 g [popped in canola oil]
Sodium 690 mg

Makes me want to bring my own microwave popcorn to the movies! You?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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As obesity rates continue to climb, new research finds some obese people do not realize they have a weight problem. The study says one in ten people classified as obese do not understand they are overweight, and believe they are healthy.

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Is it a sweet tooth or an addiction? Researchers at Duke University say junk food can trigger the same response in the brain as they see in people who are addicted to drugs. Other researchers have found similar results in rats.

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As obesity rates in children have been rising, we’ve heard how lack of exercise and a bad diet are to blame. Now, a surprising new study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says the amount of physical activity among U.S. teens has not changed that much over the past 20 years, but teens have still gotten heavier. So, is diet the only reason for the weight gain? Or will we see another study in the future with different results about how much teens are exercising?

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Have your exercise habits changed in this down economy? A new poll finds more people are downsizing their workouts because of the recession. A couple of interesting things from the poll – sales of fitness equipment are down for the first time in 20 years, health club memberships decreased a little, and some regular exercisers are working out less.

Here are 7 popular food and fitness products during this recession.

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The answer, from a new study – it depends. Researchers stress not all weight-loss podcasts are equal, and caution that the programs should be engaging and offer sound diet and exercise advice or they won’t have much benefit. More on the most effective types of podcasts for weight loss here.

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It may be a no-brainer that most kids’ cereals have more sugar than adults’, but wow – 85 percent more?! That’s what a new study from Yale University finds. It also shows kids’ cereals have 65 percent less fiber and 60 percent more sodium than those made for adults. Last year, Consumer Reports found some popular children’s cereals have as much sugar as a glazed donut.

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What is it about city and state rankings that we all love so much? Maybe just a good healthy competition between our hometowns? Some FFTV favorites have been Obesity Per State, America’s Fittest Cities, and the Best and Worst Walking Cities. Now, SELF magazine has released the Healthiest Places For Women. In at number one…

Burlington, VT. According to SELF, women there have low rates of diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, and cervical and ovarian cancer deaths. Residents exercise and walk to work in large numbers. And Burlington has more farmers’ markets than any town on the list, with most now taking food stamps to help more people eat right.

SELF looked at the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas and came up with their ranking based on many factors, including rates of diseases, access to health care, air quality, crime rates, exercise, diet and smoking. So, here are the best and worst of the list…

2009 Healthiest Places for Women, according to SELF Magazine and Self.com:

1. Burlington, VT
2. Bethesda, MD
3. Portland, ME
4. Cambridge, MA
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Honolulu, HI
7. Stamford-Norwalk-Bridgeport, CT
8. Madison, WI
9. Santa Barbara–Santa Maria, CA
10. Fargo, ND

In at the bottom… 2009 Unhealthiest Places for Women, according to SELF Magazine and Self.com:

90. Dayton, OH
91. Daytona Beach–Deltona–Ormond Beach, FL
92. Las Vegas–Paradise, NV
93. El Paso, TX
94. Birmingham-Hoover, AL
95. St. Louis, MO
96. Toledo, OH
97. Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
98. Oklahoma City, OK
99. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI
100. Tulsa, OK

Some other interesting results from the report:

• Exercises most: Madison, WI

• Exercises least- Miami, FL

• Fewest health clubs: El Paso, TX

• Most health clubs – Portland, ME

• Most fast food outlets: Nassau-Suffolk counties, NY

• Fewest fast food outlets – Provo, UT

• Cleanest water: Raleigh, NC

• Most allergies and asthma: San Francisco, CA

• Most toxic sites: Riverside, CA

• Least unemployment: Billings, MT

• Most unemployment: Detroit, MI

• Longest commute: New York, NY

• Fewest STDs: Rockingham County, NH

• Fewest Pap smears: Las Vegas, NV

See the complete list from SELF here.

So, how did your hometown do? Where I live – Columbus, OH  – is #78.

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Earlier this month, a new study showed fewer schools are selling snacks and drinks like candy and soda. Now, a panel recommends the government make healthy changes to school meals, even though it will increase costs. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) says as obesity continues to rise, breakfast and lunch at schools should be lower in calories, and have more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to help kids adapt better eating habits. The IOM says the changes could increase the cost of breakfast by as much as 25 percent and lunch by 9 percent.

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Just how much do city kids eat at corner stores after school? A new study looked at the snacking habits at K-8 Philadelphia schools where half of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Results show children usually buy chips, candy and sweetened drinks, spend an average of $1 each time, and eat 350 calories worth of snacks at each visit. Researchers say 42-percent of the kids went to the corner stores twice a day which adds up to eating more than 3,500 calories – the number of extra calories it takes to gain a pound.

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