Nutrition Experts Warn Fans about Increased Heart Attack Risk from One High-Fat Meal

WASHINGTON—Plan to grab a Quiznos Classic Italian Sub for the Super Bowl this year? Think again. Dietitians find one large sub contains 1,190 calories, 68 grams of fat, 135 milligrams of cholesterol, and 3,550 milligrams of sodium. To help consumers make informed nutrition choices, dietitians with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine singled out popular party items with extraordinarily high levels of saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol.

Super Bowl Sunday is America’s second-biggest food consumption day of the year, after Thanksgiving, but many fans don’t realize that some items sneak in more saturated fat and sodium than most people should eat in an entire day. PCRM dietitians want fans to know just how unhealthful some of these party foods actually are.

“Studies show that sports fans already face an elevated risk of heart attack on big game days,” says PCRM dietitian Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “Adding fatty products will raise blood pressure, stiffen major arteries, and cause the heart to beat much faster. Football fans deserve to know that even one very high-fat meal can raise the risk of heart problems on game day.”

Here are five shockingly unhealthful products:

To schedule an interview with registered dietitian Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., please contact Jessica Frost at 202-527-7342 or jfrost@pcrm.org.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research,and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.