Junkfood Science: What do Tony the Tiger and major league baseball have in common?

April 18, 2008

What do Tony the Tiger and major league baseball have in common?

Tony the Tiger has been part of childhoods for more than half a century and baseball considerably longer, yet both were blamed today for contributing to the current obesity epidemic. As part of anti-obesity drives, they’ve been targeted for the endangered list as being unhealthy influences.

Remember those old Tony the Tiger commercials for sugar frosted flakes? They’re grrrreat.

But a report called “Cartoon Heroes and Villains” cited Tony as a villain because the cereal has 37 grams of sugar per cup. A new bill in the UK, coming up for debate next Friday, would ban more than 80% of all cereals from television and Tony the Tiger would disappear from TV, reported the Daily Mail.

Major league baseball has been accused of trying to “kill Americans” and blamed for encouraging people to eat junk food. One writer actually said that it won’t be long before the first fat fan dies from hot dog overdose at the stadium. “If a typical fan ate ONE popcorn (300 calories), hot dog (320) and a 20 ounce soda (230 calories) they would get a whopping 850 calories,” she wrote in Common Voice. She took particular issue with peanuts and Cracker Jacks, which have been around since 1893.

She says: “Something is so seriously wrong with this picture.”

You can say that again. :)

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