Blame It on the Brain

Did one glance at this photo send you scheming for a side trip to your neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts? According to this article posted at MSNBC.com, there's a very logical reason why something like a doughnut creates such tremendous cravings among many of us.

Your brain, not your stomach, is what makes you desire sugary, fatty splurges such as brownies and french fries.

... The main cravings culprit is a system of interconnected neurons called the reward pathway that evolved over millions of years to encourage prehistoric you to do things that kept you alive, like eating. High-calorie food was scarce and crucial for survival, so your brain learned to flood itself with feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin in response to tastes, smells and even people or places it linked with rich grub.

... The system worked well until modern times when high-fat, high-calorie eats became available 24/7.

Fewer Fajitas for Mexico City's Officers

Officials in Mexico City are putting the local police force on a diet. According to this newspaper:

Hungry members of the 70,000-member force will now get 2,495 calories per day, 500 fewer than [before]. The new menu also features a healthy portion of vegetables.
The three-meal-a-day menu announced on Sunday comes after a study found that at least 70 percent of officers are overweight.

However, authorities face a big challenge in slimming down the force. Mexico City cops are famous for soliciting small bribes from motorists, often with the phrase: "Give me something for a soft drink."

It sounds as though their soft drink of choice is not a Diet Coke.

A Theatrical Show of Calories

During the holiday break, a lot of us will be taking in a movie or two. What will we eat in those movie theaters?

First and foremost, popcorn. With a big tub of soda, of course.

Well, according to an analysis by the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

It's hard to picture someone mindlessly ingesting three McDonald's Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter while watching a movie. But according to new laboratory analyses commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, that food is nutritionally comparable to what you’d find in a medium popcorn and soda combo at Regal, the country’s biggest movie theater chain: 1,610 calories and three days’ worth — 60 grams — of saturated fat.

That's a hefty caloric price to pay for what most people think of as a snack.

Cutting Calories Without Cutting Customers

From today's Wall Street Journal:

At Romano's Macaroni Grill, Chief Executive Brad Blum is attempting to pull off a delicate balancing act: reinvigorate a struggling Italian-food restaurant chain by shrinking its fare.

Since taking the helm at the Dallas-based restaurant chain nine months ago, Mr. Blum has tried to reverse a steady sales decline by changing a menu heavy with calorie-rich foods such as fettuccini Alfredo and fried mozzarella while keeping loyal customers happy.

This may be tough because these changes are complicated by the competition that Macaroni Grill faces in this part of the restaurant market. Chains like Olive Garden and Bucca di Beppo are also vying for consumers who want Italian food at moderate prices.