It's The Calories In Thanksgiving Feasts That'll Kill You — Not The Chemicals

In spite of what the fear-mongers might tell us, the presence of trace amounts of chemicals in our foods will not be the death of us — any of us. In fact, as we've demonstrated in our Holiday Dinner Menu, all foods contain chemicals which, in large amounts, can be dangerous to health. But our foods don't include such large quantities! My colleague Dr. Josh Bloom provides some excellent examples of how ridiculous these anti-everything activists' claims are.

What actually can be damaging in this season of holiday feasts is the number of calories many of us will consume in the next six weeks or so. Obesity is an ever-enlarging health threat —the latest stats indicate a prevalence of adult obesity of 36 percent, and in some groups, it's as high as 40 percent! Thus, it's not a bad idea to increase one's awareness of how many calories can be consumed at just one-holiday feast. Take a look at the table below, which contains a list of the foods we can expect to see on the Thanksgiving table — and the total number of calories one might consume.

Data from USDA Food Composition Database at https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

The total adds up to over 3,800 calories — more than most of us sedentary types should be consuming in one day. Now, it's true that not all of us will eat three pieces of pie at one meal,

and it's equally true that we won't all eat Brussel sprouts, or drink just one glass of wine, but you get the picture.

Now, we're not trying to ruin your holiday outlook; we're merely suggesting that you consider upping your exercise level and planning ahead for these expected temptations. For example, don't get to grandma's house hungry, and perhaps go light on calories for a while before the feasting season begins. Can't hurt, and it might help. Whatever strategy you choose, enjoy the meal and the company!