Can appliances make you heavy?

Never mind the three Rs and the ABCs. Second graders now have to pay attention to their HDL and LDL.

In early July, the American Academy of Pediatrics called for wider cholesterol screening of children as young as 8. And data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an ongoing trend in heavy kids; in the 6-to-11 age group, 18.8 percent of children were overweight in 2003-2004, up from 6.5 percent in 1976-1980. Studies have also shown a disturbing rise in the number of children with medical conditions typically associated with adults—cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

Heath experts blame the nation’s weight problem on a variety of factors, including easy access to high-calorie fast food and soda; ever-expanding portion sizes; and sedentary behavior brought on by increased TV and computer use. But those explanations are the obvious causes, the low-hanging fruit roll-ups of this issue. There are other forces at work, and while they might not be as obvious, they are insidious.

One possible contributor could be appliances. That thought crossed my mind at last February’s International Builders’ Show when I saw a major manufacturer’s prototype refrigerator with a built-in can dispenser. Press the lever on the front door of the refrigerator and out popped a 12-ounce can of soda. This novelty feature doesn’t have to dole out calorie-heavy soda—people could load the unit with sugar-free soda or seltzer—but it’s a sign that Americans are drinking a lot of pop. The company has for now pulled the plug on the project.

This sort of gee-whiz feature impressed the media at the trade show, but in the kitchen it could become a quick-delivery system for “liquid candy,” as the Center for Science in the Public Interest dubbed sugar-laden soda in its “How Soft Drinks Are Harming Americans’ Health” 2005 report. A 12-ounce can of the typical nondiet soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. One out of every 10 boys drinks five and a half 12-ounce cans, or about 800 calories per day, according to CSPI data.

Refrigerators could play a role in childhood obesity in other ways. While the average American household actually has seen a slight decrease in size (2.61 members in 2006, down from 2.67 in 1986), the typical refrigerator has grown by several cubic feet. We recently tested a Samsung side-by-side with a claimed capacity of 26.1 cubic feet of storage that’s twice as big as our top-rated model from 20 years ago.

More room for food means, well, more food. And not necessarily healthy fruits and vegetables, but rather stuff that tends to be high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt. “A much healthier lifestyle is the little European refrigerator that forces you to go shopping every day,” says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating. “It forces you to buy fresh foods over ones that are packaged or prepared.” Note that refrigerators do have features that could inspire a healthier diet, including dedicated produce bins, humidity-controlled crisper drawers, and water dispensers.

With appliance manufacturers making it even easier for us to cook typically high-calorie, high-fat prepared foods in the name of convenience, other appliances might also shoulder some of the blame for America’s bad eating habits. Two major makers now offer a double-oven range with a smaller top cavity designed for frozen chicken fingers, pizza, and other prepared foods. GE’s version has a special “pizza mode” that you set for frozen or fresh pies. “We listen to the feedback of people, and a lot of them like to eat pizza,” says Michael Delain, product manager of built-in cooking products for GE Appliances. He cites the $32 billion pizza industry and adds that the pizza mode was developed with help from Papa Murphy’s, a pizza chain whose “Take ’N’ bake” pizzas customers bake in their ovens at home.

Microwave ovens, the original speed cookers that are now found in 90 percent of households, could encourage dubious eating habits as well. Most models have a popcorn setting (not that all popcorn is bad, according to this report). But shortcut keys also make it easy to nuke any number of dishes. GE’s Advantium, a combination microwave and convection oven, boasts 175 preset food selections. Some can be for healthful food—lean protein and fresh vegetables, for example—but there are plenty of settings for processed foods, including jalapeño poppers, cheese sticks, bagel bites, and frozen egg rolls.

These algorithmic features surely are sophisticated, but do they encourage people to eat poorly? “It’s appealing to a segment of the population that doesn’t cook [from scratch],” says Nestle. “And [the companies] must know it’s a pretty large segment.” Indeed, in our recent poll on the American kitchen, just 32 percent of participants said they eat a home-cooked or home-prepared meal every night. (For more insights to the hub of the American home, read our annual kitchen-remodeling special section.)

Of course, a convenience feature on an appliance isn’t preventing anyone from maintaining a better diet. Ultimately, health is about behavior. The food you store and cook will determine whether you and your family members maintain a healthful weight and overall cholesterol levels. But when you’re in the market for new appliances, be on the lookout for features that, as Nestle puts it, “aid and abet” poor eating habits.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Visit ConsumerReportsHealth.org for information on effective ways to treat and prevent obesity, tips for cutting out junk food, and advice on a range of health-related issues for kids and adults. Use our brand-new Home Improvement Guide interactive for buying advice on kitchen appliances.

Comments

[PharmacistMike]

Very interesting article. Perhaps the GE Advantium, with the 175 preset cooking functions, could add an error function. Someone loads the microwave and hits the cheese sticks button and the microwave could flash "Error. Junk Food Not Found...try eating something good for you"

[Becky Minamyer]

I am looking for information on wind turbines that are for home use. I am soon building a house, and understand that if the criteria for "Energy Star " requirements are used, then there may be grant money available to help with the instulation of the trubine.

[Kitchen Appliances]

Never thought of the correlation between one's waist size, and the size of the refrigerator....but, it makes perfect sense. I'm going to experiment by using the toaster oven more often.