2030: The End of the World as We Know It

By Shawn McKee

No one knows for certain what the future brings, but most hypotheses are bleak.

There is the constant cloud of global warming hanging over our heads, there's exponentially evolving technology that will, surely very soon, become self-aware and revolt against its human masters leading to a bloody man versus machine battle in which humankind is enslaved or altogether destroyed. Plus, there's nuclear proliferation, conquering alien overlords and, of course, the chupacabra.

Pick your poison.

While some of these doomsday scenarios may be slightly unlikely, the greatest threat to mankind is very real and, recent research suggests, only about 20 years away.

A recently published study suggests that 86 percent of Americans could be overweight or obese by 2030, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

The researchers collected national data over the past 30 years and conducted projection analyses based on those figures, which lead to a bleak assessment of the future of this country if nothing is done to curb the obesity epidemic.

"It's worrisome to think that obesity across the states will be worse in the future," Pam Ofstein, eDiets Director of Nutrition Services, says. "We seem to know more and more about how we can help prevent obesity with ongoing research, yet it still plagues us."

The slew of health risks for the overweight and obese includes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. If the obesity epidemic is left unchecked, researchers estimate that children may actually have shorter life expectancy than their parents -- an unsettling trend.

"National survey data show that the prevalence of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased steadily over the past three decades," says Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, and lead author of the study. Wang warns that along with a population of unhealthy citizens comes a greatly increased cost of health care.

"The health care costs attributable to obesity and overweight are expected to more than double every decade," says Wang, who estimates the related health care spending to reach roughly $956.9 billion.

"Due to the assumptions we made and the limitations of the available data, these figures are likely an underestimation of the true financial impact."

It's a terrifying vision of what's to come, but the fates of Americans are not set in stone. We can change. A future of subservience to super intelligent robots does not have to be our destiny. There are ways to prevent becoming a society of easily-conquered, overfed, carbon-based life forms.

"Living healthy through proper nutrition and exercise is within our reach," says Pam. "It is so important to focus on taking steps to better health today and trying to make small but significant changes in our daily lives. Consuming whole, natural foods, eating meals with the family, exercising daily and eating less processed foods are all ways you can start to change your future and avoid becoming a statistic, as well as improving your overall health. Take baby steps towards better health."

The benefits of eating right and exercising will help you live a longer, healthier, more satisfying life. Let's reverse the trend toward obesity in this country. Besides, when the robots revolt, we're going to need all the help we can get.

Courtesy: Glee (Worst Foods).

Eat and Drink Yourself into Flat Abs (Concl.)

Booze it and lose it!

Could drinking possibly help you keep your middle little? Several studies suggest that light drinking, compared to teetotaling, protects against weight gain around the waistline in women. Data reviewed by the National Center for Health Statistics points to one 4-ounce glass of wine most days as the best bet.

The key to boozing and losing is the less is more philosophy. While one glass has great health benefits, having more is just going to add inches to your waist and cause you to think you're funnier, smarter and better looking than you really are. The only 6-pack you should be having is the one under your shirt.

Me and Fatty McGee:

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. There's a difference between good and bad fats. Eating good fats like monounsaturated and omega-3s make it easier to stay slim, according to recent research.

"The healthy fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated are found in fish, nuts, olive oil and avocado, while the bad fats, like saturated and trans are found in butter, shortening, pre-packaged cakes and cookies," Ryan says.

A Wake Forest University study found that over a 6-year period, participants whose only source of fat was trans fats gained 30 percent more fat in their abdominal region and had early signs of diabetes. You don't have to fear fats if you know which are good and bad.

Exercise and follow these simple guidelines and you'll be on your way to an abs-olutely amazing midsection!


Shawn McKee graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Journalism and has written for The Broward and Miami New Times


Wishing you and yours a safe, happy and fun-filled Labor Day Weekend!
Your Friend Always.

Jacques

Eat and Drink Yourself into Flat Abs (Continued)

Orange you glad you get to eat carbs?

According to a recent review from Copenhagen University Hospital, the best way to whittle down your waist is to replace carbohydrates from sugar and refined grains (like white bread) with carbs from fruits and vegetables. Orange-hued foods were found to be the most effective substitutes.

Since fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, they keep you feeling full longer and researchers believe the high levels of antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene fend off the belly fat. Get a good dose of beta-carotene from carrots, cantaloupe, squash and peaches. You can get your vitamin C from oranges and berries, but remember that fruit juice is not a good substitute for the real thing.

How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?

You should be getting about 25 percent of your daily calories from protein, Ryan suggests, but you should make sure to choose lean sources like low-fat yogurt, fat-free milk, fish and poultry to keep calories down. Nuts are also high in protein, but can also be high in calories, so eat them in moderation. Tracey recommends roughly a handful a day.

Protein helps to keep you feeling full and boost your energy -- aiding in your weight-loss efforts. According to research from Skidmore College and Copenhagen University Hospital, eating additional protein is especially helpful for those over 40 in reducing abdominal fat.

Selenium: One marvelous mineral.

A recent survey of over 8,000 Americans found that this cancer-fighting mineral also seemed to lower rates of abdominal obesity, reporting that those with lower levels of selenium had larger waistlines.

Several foods contain selenium, so it's hard to know if you're getting your recommended 55 mcg per day. The best sources are whole grains, nuts (especially Brazil nuts), poultry, red meat and seafood. Foods rich in vitamin E, such as nuts and seeds, will increase the effectiveness of selenium in the body. Your best bet to get enough selenium is to eat a varied, balanced diet or try a supplement containing the mineral.

(Concluded in our next Post)

Eat and Drink yourself into Flat Abs

By Shawn McKee

You bend and turn, twist and burn, all in an effort to lose that gut, but your pooch persists. But what can you do?

Look at the food you're feeding your body and replace some of the belly busters with slimming stomach staples (as in crucial diet ingredients, not invasive surgery fasteners). You know you can't eat 4,000 calories a day and get great abs, but it's not just about the calorie count when it comes to a flat stomach - it's also about the food.

"All things being equal, if your daily caloric intake is set at 1,400 calories, a diet of nutrient-rich foods is going to keep you fuller longer, reducing your cravings and giving you more energy, compared to the same number of calories of less nutritious food, which will help you on your road to a better body," says Tracey Ryan, MS, RD.

According to a report from the experts at Framingham Nutrition Studies, certain foods lend themselves to bigger bellies. The study reported that women who ate 400 fewer calories per day, but chose less nutritious foods than the participants that made better selections, had a higher risk of abdominal obesity by nearly 2 1/2 times. Those making poor food selections also had a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart attacks according to the study's director of nutrition research.

The five foods you'll need for flatter abs will help you be healthier and leaner, plus, you'll be pleasantly surprised by some of the suggestions. Now start eating yourself skinny!

(To be continued in our next Post)

ABC-TV's Dr. Timothy Johnson reports on Obesity

Hours ago, Dr. Johnson issued a shocking commentary on the state of the overweight and obese of America.

"Currently, 2/3 of all adults are either overweight or obese...and the numbers are growing.", he said.

Just last week, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that American obesity had increased by 2%.

"If current trends hold", researchers from John Hopkins said, "almost ALL American adults will be overweight or obese by the year 2030.". They studied national surveys going back to 1970 to see how much the American wasteline has expanded. According to their studies, they predict that 86% of all Americans will be overweight or obese within 22 years. Obesity levels alone may double from 25 up to 50%!

African-American women and Latino men are more at risk and could reach a 90% of the total population rate of obesity. "With all this extra weight, 1 out of 6 health care dollars will go to obesity and weight-related problems and diseases" concluded Dr. Johnson.
----------

JACQUES' REMARKS:

Since excess weight and obesity ARE preventable and controllable, the above prognistications need not affect anyone who will decide to be the exception rather than part of the statistics.

Oddly enough, I shared my "bit" about this in yesterday's post, about how I myself am again practicing what I preach and shedding the excess fat, weight and bulk I have intentionally enjoyed building up - "enjoyed" as I did it by pigging out on my own delectable cooking (a hobby of mine being creating memorable dishes)LOL.

I fervently hope that, as soon as the S.L.I.M. For Life website shall be launched, enough overweight or obese Americans will want to join my many "foreign" clients, and escape the ominous 2030 prediction!

Always "Here For You!", Your Friend,

Jacques

Half of overweight adults may be heart-healthy

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO - You can look great in a swimsuit and still be a heart attack waiting to happen. And you can also be overweight and otherwise healthy. A new study suggests that a surprising number of overweight people — about half — have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while an equally startling number of trim people suffer from some of the ills associated with obesity.

The first national estimate of its kind bolsters the argument that you can be hefty but still healthy, or at least healthier than has been believed.

The results also show that stereotypes about body size can be misleading, and that even "less voluptuous" people can have risk factors commonly associated with obesity, said study author MaryFran Sowers, a University of Michigan obesity researcher.

"We're really talking about taking a look with a very different lens" at weight and health risks, Sowers said.

In the study, about 51 percent of overweight adults, or roughly 36 million people nationwide, had mostly normal levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, blood fats called triglycerides and blood sugar.

Almost one-third of obese adults, or nearly 20 million people, also were in this healthy range, meaning that none or only one of those measures was abnormal.

Yet about a fourth of adults in the recommended-weight range had unhealthy levels of at least two of these measures. That means some 16 million of them are at risk for heart problems.

It's no secret that thin people can develop heart-related problems and that fat people often do not. But that millions defy the stereotypes will come as a surprise to many people, Sowers said.

Even so, there's growing debate about the accuracy of the standard method of calculating whether someone is overweight. Health officials rely on the body mass index, a weight-height ratio that does not distinguish between fat and lean tissue. The limits of that method were highlighted a few years ago when it was reported that the system would put nearly half of NBA players in the overweight category.

A number of experts say waist size is a more accurate way of determining someone's health risks, and the study results support that argument.

Dr. Robert Eckel, a former American Heart Association president and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, said the new research may help dismiss some of the generalizations that are sometimes made about weight and health.

Study co-author Judith Wylie-Rosett emphasized that the study shouldn't send the message "that we don't need to worry about weight." That's because half of overweight people do face elevated risks for heart disease, explained Wylie-Rosett, a nutrition researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

But, for those without elevated risks, losing weight "might be important only from a cosmetic perspective," she said.

To arrive at the estimates, scientists analyzed nationally representative government surveys involving 5,440 people age 20 and over, and extrapolated to calculate nationwide figures.

The new study, appearing in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, used government surveys from 1999 to 2004 that included lab tests and height and weight measurements. Participants reported on habits including smoking and physical activity.

In all weight categories, risk factors for heart problems were generally more common in older people, smokers and inactive people. Among obese people who were 50 to 64, just 20 percent were considered healthy compared with half of younger obese people.

The results underscore how important exercise is for staying healthy, even for people of healthy weight, Wylie-Rosett said.

The authors noted that fat tissue releases hormones and other substances that affect things like blood vessels, cholesterol and blood sugar. The results suggest this interaction varies among overweight and obese people, the authors said.

The results also add to mounting evidence that thick waists are linked with heart risks.

Among people of healthy weight in the study, elevated blood pressure, cholesterol and other factors were more common for people with larger waists or potbellies. This often signals internal fat deposits surrounding abdominal organs, which previous research has shown can be especially risky.

Similarly, among overweight and obese adults, those in the "healthy" category tended to have smaller waists than those with at least two risk factors.

Dr. Lewis Landsberg, a Northwestern University obesity expert, noted that the research didn't look at heart disease, and that not everyone with high risk factors develops heart problems.

Still, he said, the study shows that waist measurements can help assess health.

___

On the Net:

Archives: http://www.archinternmed.com

American Heart Association: http://www.heart.org

"Healthy" Foods?--maybe NOT! (or: So What?)

According to food expert Carolina Diaz-Bordon, this new controversy bears perusing...

Healthy or not healthy? Not a simple question these days. While you're aware banana splits and double bacon cheeseburgers are not the best choices when watching your waistline, some foods you least suspect can also be troublemakers.

The growth of portion sizes, sodium levels and sugars in foods have transformed healthy meals into nutrient-deficient diet traps.

Fortunately, not all good things must come to an end. It's possible to eat healthy without forgoing taste and flavor. The key is to find out exactly what you are putting in your mouth.

The Nutrition Facts food label can tell you which nutrients are in food, and how each serving contributes to your daily nutrient intake.

Hold the fries, please
Make smart choices when you go out to dinner. Imagine you and a friend go to a restaurant and order chicken sandwiches. You both tell the waiter to replace the French fries with a much healthier option, such as soup.

Now, how could it be that your meal contains almost double the fat and calories as your friend's? You both ordered chicken and that's lean meat, right? You had soup and that's much better than fries, right? WRONG! Your friend ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and tomato soup, and you ordered the fried chicken sandwich with cream of potato soup. There is a huge difference between the meals.

Understanding these distinctions is the pivotal factor in keeping your health in check.

Remember the Seinfeld episode in which everybody on the show begins to frequent a nonfat yogurt shop. They indulge, gobbling down loads of the sweet treat, and they feel good about it because it's fat-free. When they begin to gain weight, they are flabbergasted; convinced the yogurt is a full-fat fraud.

It's important to remember that nonfat does not mean all-you-can-eat. If it sounds too good to be true, it will more than likely end up on your waistline.

Too often when you are trying to do the best for your body, you don't take a close enough look at what you are actually eating. Minor modifications can transform most unhealthy foods into healthier options.

Be on the lookout for these 10 foods
Let's tap into the wisdom of an expert for some insight. Nutritionist Susan Burke, MS, RD, LD/N,CDE has uncovered the truth about 10 foods you thought were healthy, but may actually be adding to your waistline.

1. Olive oil. Though healthier than butter, olive oil is still oil. More is not better, especially if you're watching your weight. (Don't even think about using margarine.)

2. Honey. "It's natural." That's a common saying. People often offer it as a reason to eat something sweet. The snack may be natural, but it still contains sugar, and not enough redeeming nutritional value to make it healthy.

3. Juice. Orange juice. Apple juice. Cranberry juice. Juice can be the quickest way to gain weight. It takes a minute -- actually less than a minute -- for most people to drink 150 calories. Gulp. Gulp. Watch your thighs expand.

4. Wheat bread. Too vague. Think it's healthy just because it's wheat? Only whole wheat or whole grain count as healthy.

5. Milk. Whole milk, that is. The old dietary guidelines recommended at least three servings of dairy a day. They didn't differentiate between low-fat and nonfat dairy and whole milk, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 guidelines do differentiate.

6. Cheese. Many people think if you don't eat meat, you can eat cheese for protein. This is another quick way to gain weight. Cheese -- especially whole-milk cheese -- is full of saturated fat and calories. Compare an ounce of whole-milk mozzarella (80 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams saturated fat) to one ounce of turkey breast (30 calories, less than 1 gram of total fat). Treat cheese with caution, and as a treat.

7. Wine. While wine -- and alcohol in general -- may have some health benefits, they end at one drink for women and two for men. More than that and the benefits are wiped out by increased risk for disease and addiction.

8. Fish. Most fish are very healthy, low in saturated fat and a good source of protein. But some fish are less than healthy, because of environmental contamination. It's sad but true. Some fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, also may be high in mercury, which is poisonous.

Good fish choices include wild salmon (farm-raised salmon is less healthy), sole, flounder, grouper, mahi mahi, bass, snapper, shrimp and lobster. Shellfish in general are good. Canned sardines and mackerel are also good, but king mackerel can be high in mercury. Also, fish caught in local waters may be contaminated with PCPs, so check local fish and game advisories.

9. Fat-free. Just because a cookie is fat-free doesn't mean it's healthier than the original version. In fact, some fat-free cookies contain more calories than the original. Manufacturers often increase the sugar to make up for the flavor and texture lost without fat. Have a cookie if you want one -- one is the operative word.

10. Chicken. Chicken is a very lean meat only if you remove the skin and don't fry it. If you choose the Crispy Chicken sandwich at McDonald's, for example, you get 500 calories and 23 grams of fat -- compare to a plain hamburger, which has 260 calories and 9 grams of fat.
---------------
Jacques' remarks---

Well, my "dears"---two nutrition experts just shared what they believe is "good for you", as opposed to not--- and I respect their right to propagate what they feel or think they know is accurate. After all, this is "a free country" complete with that of expression.

Upon due consideration, and even if all, most or even some of the above is indeed so---my own life and lengthy professional experience (and I may be a direct descendant of Methuselah LOL), including ountless periodic "planned weight gains of up to 20-25 lbs." which I caused to use myself as a "guinea pig"---using my own techniques, to eliminate the excess weight, fat and flab WITHOUT dieting in ANY way --- by mentally slamming on the brakes---going in reverse---and APPLY the priciples I "fathered" and also practiced with great success for years with countless patients.

The latter are what I am now sharing in my S.L.I.M. For Life Trainings---in other words: my own beliefs, research, theories, techniques and system---all of which have been used to establish a verifiable track record, as opposed to more "DOs and DON'Ts": theories touted by "experts" as the latest discoveries : die-hard dictates which too often end up in the "Oooops!---Sorry!--New Findings show that our previous statements were erroneous, and we must retract them, etc., ad nauseum" bin" of annals of Scientific Facts, Advice, formulae---and embarrassing, or lethal Mistakes" and bulky files of germane goofs which corroborate my seeming harsh report, strictly based upon pragmatic observations.

WOW! another Long Jacques Girard sentence :o)---(I must remind you of the fact that my French Literature Professor at the "Universite Royale de Bruxelles" taught us to emulate a 3-1/2 page sentence said to have been written by Victor Hugo!, thus----).

Bottom line: as I write this, I again have voluntarily recently gained 23 lbs. over a period of several months and I recently began my "reverse" process. My "belly" has already reached half its recent "6 months pregnant, or beer gut size" and, when I next visit my prime Physician, I know that the scale will show that my (high) 178 lbs. will prove to be well on its way back to my "ideal" 155 lbs.---all of which WITHOUT ANY dieting, diet pills, special foods, restrictions, taboos, nor obsessing about all the maddening neuroticisms and anxieties of calorie-counting and agonizingly scrutinizing labels like a poor man's Inspecteur Clouzot :o)--- or even the regimentation of back-breaking or other "must do", stressful, imposed, stern exercise programs.

Most importantly, WITHOUT the least bit of concern for calories, portion sizes, sodium or sugar contents and othet "logical" weight no-no monsters. My dynamic self-hypnotic techniques reach deeply into the sub-conscious regions which control, know and "alert us" automatically about "all that"---thus eliminating the need for us to consciously stress out over them, for we will DO All that IS "Good" and necessary to achieve our excess of unhealthy fat and weight reduction, control and maintenance automatically. ALL WE need to do is learn to "listen, faithully trust and follow the instinctive instructions of our All-Knowing Inner Voice"!

Please believe that my preceding remarks contain absolutely no "sour grapes" or negative propaganda towards the "competition"---mainly because we HAVE NO competition! :o)---My delighted past graduates could easily testify to that.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful week ahead---Happiness, Love, Joy, Success and Peace of Mind in this shaky economy and scary world!

Your Friend always,

Jacques

Simplify your life...

Happy start of 08-08-08: Chinese Valentine's Day AND Breathtaking XXIXth Olympics opening ceremonies! ---and now:

Do you constantly feel overwhelmed? Do you find yourself praying for an easier way to manage your career, relationships or life in general?

As unmanageable as your hectic life appears, there are ways to get everything done and still have time for you:

1. Hire help. Too many people tell me, "I just don't have the money." Guess what? If you need your clothes dry cleaned, you hire a cleaner to do so. It's a matter of weighing the costs and benefits. If you do it yourself, you may end up using up valuable time and energy that could have been spent getting other work completed.

Let me share a personal story. When I bought my first home, I thought I would finally be crafty. I purchased a television/stereo stand in raw wood and planned to sand and stain it myself -- you know, to save money! Long story short: getting it out of the car, I tore the car's leather interior on both sides. I accidentally spilled the mahogany stain on my brand new living room carpet, and I broke the glass on the stand. Trying to do this myself not only ended up costing me more money than buying a new piece of furniture, but I wasted lots of time and became very frustrated. I had to learn my lesson the hard way.

2. Do one thing at a time. It's nearly impossible to do everything at once and do it well. If you are on a business call, focus. If you are working on a report, focus on that and nothing else.

I often find myself attempting to multi-task and believing I can do it all. One or more responsibilities end up getting half-done or completed under par. To remedy this, I write a list of everything I need to get done. Once it's in writing, I can stay focused on one thing at a time without my mind wandering to all of the other things I need to get done.

3. Take a message. Screen your phone calls if need be. It's time to change your thinking about the phone. If you are "working" on something important, you do not have to feel obligated to answer the phone. You have a right to take care of your needs before the needs of others. In the event of an emergency, let your friends and family know to ring once and then call back (or some other code that you can work out).

4. Don't obsess over cleanliness. Yes, keeping your surroundings clean and organized is important. However, if you are one who cannot seem to see the forest for the trees, you'll get nothing accomplished. Pick and choose what is important now.

5. Prioritize. Not everything is important right now. Take time to plan what you are doing. Figure out the amount of time each task will take you to accomplish. Do not bite off more than you can chew. Keep your goals for each day attainable. Make sure you measure your success on a daily basis.

6. Simplify your social life. A social life is of utmost importance. However, if you are feeling overwhelmed, don't arrange an elaborate dinner party. Instead, have a few friends over for a casual brunch, a football party or a catered get-together. The connection between you and your friends is more essential than a lavish extravaganza.

7. Take a break. Your body, just like your car, deserves to be refueled. You simply cannot do it all if you haven't replenished your energy source. Take a bath, exercise, meditate, watch your favorite program on television or engage in your favorite hobby. These activities are essential to include in your daily master plan.

Changing the way you think about things will change the way you manage your life. Give it a go! You'll be surprised at how much more relaxed you can feel while still being productive. Best of all, you'll find that you do have the time to have a life after all. And: don't overlook the indirect health benefits of following this revised lifestyle: blood pressure, heart, weight, peace of mind...

08-08-08 HAPPINESS, GOOD FORTUNE and a Great Weekend to you and yours! Your Friend,

Jacques

Obesity prevention should begin at age 2

NORFOLK, Va. (UPI) -- Obesity prevention efforts should begin as early as age 2, when children reach a "tipping point," U.S. researchers said.

Dr. John W. Harrington, a pediatrician at Virginia's Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, examined records of 111 overweight children from a suburban pediatric practice. All of the children had their height and weight measured at least five times during pediatric visits. The average age was 12.

Children whose body mass index exceeded that of 85 percent of the general population were classified as overweight. Researchers charted the recorded body mass index of the children from infancy. They found that the obese children had started gaining weight in infancy at an average rate of .08 excess BMI units per month. On average, they began this progression at three months of age.

"This study suggests that doctors may want to start reviewing the diet of children during early well-child visits," Harrington said in a statement. "By the time they reach 8 years old, they're already far into the overweight category, making treatment more difficult."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International


Hard to find healthy fast-food kids' meals

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Parents looking for healthy meals at many U.S. fast food chains, don't have a lot of choices, a U.S. food advocacy group said Monday.

A report by the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington found nearly every possible combination of the children's meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, Chick-fil-A and other chains is too high in calories.

Of the 1,474 possible choices at 13 chains examined, 93 percent exceed 430 calories -- an amount that is one-third of what the Institute of Medicine recommends children ages 4 through 8 should consume in a day.

Besides being almost always too high in calories, 45 percent of the kids' meals at the 13 chains studied by CSPI were too high in saturated and trans fats and 86 percent were too high in sodium.

Most of Subway's Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box and one of several healthful side items -- apple slices, raisins, or yogurt -- are less than the 430-calorie threshold.

Chili's kid's meal of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk has 1,020 calories, while KFC kid's meal of popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams and fruit punch has 940 calories.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International