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| -Short Attention Span Theater- | ||
| Twinkie's Anatomy: What's Inside That Tasty Treat? | ||
| 2007-09-26 | ||
| (CBS) NEW YORK America is well-known across the globe as a country with an obesity problem, a problem that's become so bad, our snacking habits have turned us into a so-called "Twinkie nation." Over 500 million of the popular golden cakes are sold each year, but what exactly are they made of? CBS 2's Dr. Holly Phillips decided to dissect the anatomy of a Twinkie, worshiped today on sites across the Web and even on the big screen. Dr. Phillips says there are 39 ingredients packed into the dessert, and all but one are processed. The ingredients cellulose gum, calcium sulfate, and polysorbate 60 are also used in sheetrock, shampoo, laundry detergent, and even rocket fuel. Author Steve Ettlinger spent five years tracking down the source of every ingredient found in a Twinkie. "I was surprised that so many not only came from petroleum, but at least five came from rocks," Ettlinger says.
"There is no cream in the cream, as they say. It's mostly Crisco," Ettlinger says. Processed foods have been indicted as the main contributor to our childhood obesity epidemic. The 290 calories and nine grams of fat are less-than-friendly to our coronary arteries. Hostess, the maker of Twinkies, issued a statement about the Twinkie's anatomy: "Deconstructing the Twinkie is like trying to deconstruct the universe. We think the millions of people would agree that Twinkies just taste great." Ettlinger says there is no denying a Twinkie is far from a health food. "It is what it is. If you want healthy, if you want something good for you, eat your broccoli," he says. And while snacking can help boost energy throughout the day, research shows that processed, high-sugar snacks give quick jolts followed by even more fatigue. When it comes to those guilty pleasures, moderation is key. | ||
| Posted by:Delphi |
| #27 Ettlinger's book is actually a very good examination of food production and not an anti-Twinkie screed. In fact, he points out that only one of the ingredients is a preservative and the shelf life is measured in weeks, not months or years. |
| Posted by: E Brown 2007-09-26 23:10 |
| #26 When Twinkies are outlawed, only outlaws will have Twinkies.....someone had to say it.. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-09-26 22:10 |
| #25 Remember: excessive consumption of Hostess Twinkies™ leads to the development of irrational behavior, up to and including homicide. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2007-09-26 21:36 |
| #24 Are they talking about Twinkies (bleh) or a "Tasty Treat"? They need to make up their minds. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-09-26 19:12 |
| #23 Let me get this straight, the guy spent 5 years researching the concept that twinkies are unhealthy? |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-09-26 18:31 |
| #22 Twinkie's, I love 'em to death... 5 or 6 every morning wid my cofee gives me that extra edge... HEY! |
| Posted by: Dan White 2007-09-26 18:27 |
| #21 Even worse, there's a whole river of it that Israel has caused to flow right next to Jordan - an act of Zionist aggression that deserves great opprobation by the peaceloving world. Not to mention the fact that they pipe it into Gaza and the West Bank. Is there nothing those criminals won't stoop to do against the poor Palestinian people? |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-09-26 17:51 |
| #20 DHMO causes burns on contact with both the solid and gaseous forms! |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2007-09-26 17:49 |
| #19 I blame Bush and the Evangelicals. Don't they actually immerse people in the stuff ?? |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-09-26 17:49 |
| #18 It's worse than that, lotp. Dihydrogen monoxide is an addictive substance. If you remove DHMO from the diets of an addict, and then remove all possible substitutes, the withdrawal symptoms inevitably result in death within days. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-26 17:44 |
| #17 I'm with you on that, Bright Pebbles. yuck. Rambler, the real outrage is that millions of Americans are walking around with massive concentrations of that chemical in their bodies!! -- and the Bush administration is doing nothing about it thanks to their corporate puppetmasters. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-09-26 16:48 |
| #16 "For some reason, the FDA, EPA and other agencies just brush them off and refuse to regulate it!" Bush, Cheney, Halliburton to blame, again. |
| Posted by: no mo uro 2007-09-26 16:46 |
| #15 I'm not a food snob or fussy eater but Twinkies taste vile. They taste like deep fired artificial sweeteners. A0589 trust me you won't like them. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2007-09-26 16:26 |
| #14 Sea, the website talks about their efforts to have the federal government do something about DHMO. For some reason, the FDA, EPA and other agencies just brush them off and refuse to regulate it! I always like to use DHMO as an example with people who claim they never have any chemicals in their food. It's really fun, especially with the chemically illiterate. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-09-26 16:15 |
| #13 There oughta be a *law*. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-09-26 16:04 |
| #12 Geez, Rambler. I think we're all doomed! |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-09-26 15:48 |
| #11 I'll bet they didn't even mention that dangerous chemical Dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO). DHMO has been found in many disease causing agents and toxic subtances. DHMO is found in alcoholic beverages, which cause many drunk driving accidents, and is also found in sewage. See the link for more shocking information about this chemical. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-09-26 15:36 |
| #10 Dumb articles like this ignore the fact that nature doesn't respect stupid human food anxieties. Most plants, including a lot of common edible fruits and vegetables, have some proportion of silicates - rocks. Not only that, but plants tend to come with some pretty complex chemistry, with plenty of compounds that, if isolated, the FDA would never approve of. |
| Posted by: buwaya 2007-09-26 15:32 |
| #9 Is there something wrong with rocks? Rocks play a very important role in not only our economy but in how our bodies work. Besides, a large part of soil is nothing more than rock. Personally I like rocks. They're heavy, make good weapons and are very useful in daily life...like throwing rocks at your smelly neighborhood greenie. I mean, after all, you're just 'sharing' part of 'Gaia' with him. He should be happy for it. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2007-09-26 15:15 |
| #8 Twinkie.... mmmm.... Must buy some.... |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-09-26 15:11 |
| #7 I recommend that anyone with easily offended sensibilities engage some pretty strong filters before Googling "Twinkie's Anatomy". |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-09-26 14:57 |
| #6 Look for a store that stocks American foodstuffs, anonymous5089. If they don't already stock Twinkies, they'll be able to order it in for you. I do the reverse to get my favourite Dijon mustard with tarragon and schokoladehagel. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-26 14:56 |
| #5 T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. is a series of experiments conducted during finals week, 1995, at Rice University. The tests were designed to determine the properties of that incredible food, the Twinkie. Now this is a study the government should fund. I mean, have you seen Al Gore lately? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-09-26 14:54 |
| #4 A5089, I'll be happy to send you a case. Think French customs will let them through? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2007-09-26 14:54 |
| #3 I didn't even know what a twinkie was, but after reading the above article and the Esteemed Site Owner's link, then, I just know I must get one (or more) and eat it (or, more likely, them). An another bad thing for me to buy online. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2007-09-26 14:31 |
| #2 Twinkies became fatally insipid once they removed lard from the filling. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-09-26 14:21 |
| #1 The TWINKIES Project |
| Posted by: Fred 2007-09-26 13:57 |