Dear DOCTOR Owen:

I live on a limited income and shop the values offered at fast food stores. I really like fried chicken, and those eateries seem to offer the most food for the best value. Can you tell me how fattening this food is? I can’t seem to lose weight, even though I try.

Cluck Cluck

Dear “Cluck”:

I might challenge your notion of limited “income.” It sounds to me more like limited knowledge. But do not feel as if you are alone. Look at all the fast food places that are in business. Most of them depend on their customers’ lack of knowledge or their lack of interest in gaining knowledge. They then spoon-feed your senses and  your sense of greed about eating more—for less.

I went to a local fast food fried chicken joint today and purchased a value pack for $4.59. Then, I analyzed the answer to your question about calories. Using the calorie method that is taught in a Diet Therapy class conducted at my clinic, here is what I found:

• One small cup of macaroni and cheese—6 ounces. Macaroni: 2 ounces at 70 calories/ounce, or 140 calories. Cheese: the other 4 ounces (assuming there’s no butter or heavy cream) at 100 calories/ounce, or 400 calories. Total: 540 calories. Payback: 5 miles of walking.
• One cup of “dirty” rice or rice dressing—total 5 ounces. Rice: 2 ounces at 70 calories/ounce, or 140 calories. Meat and oil: 3 ounces at 125 calories/ounce, or 375 calories. Total: 510 calories. Payback: 5 miles of walking.
• One small biscuit dripping in butter—2 ounces at 150 calories/ounce. Total: 300 calories. Payback: 3 miles of walking.
• 12 ounces of fried chicken (breast, leg, and thigh), estimated at 8 ounces of meat at 125 calories/ounce. Total: 1000 calories. Payback: 10 miles of walking.
• Total “Super Value” pack calories: 2350.

Assuming that you need 11 calories/pound/day to maintain your weight (12 calories/pound/day for males; drop a point after age 40 and another at age 65), you can calculate how much it is possible to over- or under-eat for the day—from that meal alone. Do the math. The average 150-pound person would need to walk 23 miles to break even from that meal. I didn’t include the beverage, but a medium-size cola would add another 240 calories.

I seriously doubt that this is the only thing you might eat for the entire day. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to demonstrate why you cannot lose weight. However, it does take some knowledge, some skills in using that knowledge, and some thought about how to eat well for the same money (or even less).

For instance, I went to the grocery store and purchased three pieces of chicken, two vegetables, and a yam for $4.25. Here is a breakdown of that meal:

• Baked, skinless chicken: 8 ounces at 50 calories/ounce. Total: 400 calories.
• Two large servings of broccoli and asparagus, plus a salad: 100 calories (balsamic vinegar and Cajun sauce dressing, add 10 calories).
• Yam: 6 ounces at 20 calories/ounce. Total: 120 calories (with butter spray).
• Total calories: 620.

What accounts for the difference? CONDIMENTS. What makes up condiments? Fat. What kills most Americans? Fat.

You could eat three similar home-prepared meals, save money, and have 550 calories less than one “super value” pack.

The fast food eatery’s super value pack “dream” statement can be likened to gambling schools’ newspaper ads—learn “casino-winning” techniques in a few weeks for only $X amount of tuition (of course). Dream on! Neither institution can live up to what it claims.

I, on the other hand, can live up to my claim of teaching methods for calorie control in a very brief time. Unlike both the fast food eatery and the gambling schools, I do not offer a dream. Instead, I have a tangible, easy-to-use approach that really works.