Nobody needs an expert to tell us that French fries are unhealthy, but professor Eric Rimm at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is trying to ruin them for us anyway.
There really is no healthy amount to be had, according to Rimm, who calls fries a “starch bomb.” But — if you must — he suggests just six measly spud sticks.
“There aren’t a lot of people who are sending back three-quarters of an order of French fries,” Rimm told The New York Times. “I think it would be nice if your meal came with a side salad and six French fries.”
Potatoes, especially those dunked and cooked in hot oil, have been linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. A study published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that those who ate fried potatoes two to three times a week were at a higher risk of mortality than those who ate their potatoes in other ways.
In spite of researchers’ concerns for public health, folks on Twitter are having a hard time wrapping their heads — and stomachs — around the strict recommendation.
“Nobody in human history has stopped at six French fries,” says one user.
Others simply won’t have it: “I don’t need this kind of negativity in my life. #GiveMeAllTheFries.”
One restaurant employee expressed concern over the potential customer backlash, saying, “As a server, I can guarantee there’d be violence if we changed our serving size to 6 fries.”
It’s no secret how much Americans love processed potato products. According to data from the US Department of Agriculture, each of us consumes nearly 116 pounds of white potatoes every year, two-thirds of which are fried, frozen or processed in various ways.
Lisa Young, a nutrition professor at NYU, told The Post last year in a related interview, “The issue is moderation and portion control.” As long as we’re eating balanced meals, “[virtually] anything can be included in a [healthy] diet.”
Article source: https://nypost.com/2018/12/04/eat-more-than-6-french-fries-and-risk-your-life-expert-says/