Ben Evert.com

(CBS) Ordering a medium popcorn and soda combo from a major national movie theater chain is the equivalent of eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter, according to a new study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

According to laboratory analysis conducted by the Center for Science and Public Interest (CSPI), the concessions from Regal, the country’s biggest movie chain, have 1,160 calories and three days worth – 60 grams – of fat. Regal said that the medium popcorn had 720 calories and the large had 960, but CSPI’s tests found those numbers to be understated. A small popcorn at Regal had 670 calories – the same as a Pizza Hut Personal Pepperoni Pan Pizza. Even if you share a small popcorn – it’s still about a day’s worth of saturated fat per person, according to CSPI.

“It’s hard enough for Americans to maintain a healthy weight even when limiting their eating to breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” said CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley. “Who realizes that they might be taking in a meal’s worth of calories during a movie? Splitting a medium popcorn with two other people sounds like a reasonable thing to do, but who would think they’re getting an entire day’s worth of saturated fat?”

The study is published in December’s Nutrition Action Healthletter, and updates research CSPI conducted 15 years ago.

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