It was the summer of ‘93; I had a thrilling job at The Lobster Roll (aka Lunch). Despite my lovely attire of a uniform t-shirt and khaki shorts, I was seeing someone. He told me he noticed that I was friendly with one of the cooks (approx. weight 425). His theory was that if I was friends with the large guy, I must be nice. Well, I knew it wasn’t the outfit. I was 19 and leaving to go abroad in September. He was 27, an artist, in Montauk for the summer to surf and paint. When surfer met my parents, before we went out one night, I don’t even think he said hello. The point of my story is that this was fun but ill fated. Even at 19, when you know nothing, I knew this was a waste. A waste with an old fashioned Chevy Malibu convertible that was fun to ride around in. I was reminded of this when I contemplated one of my favorite foods.
One of my favorite foods isn’t something I should eat. Considering I am practical by nature, it doesn’t make sense that I dally in it. When we met with Dr Oz last month, he mentioned this food as the single worst food you can eat when it comes to weight. This wasn’t the conclusion of one small study but from the Nurses Health Study and Health Professionals Follow up study. Over 120,000 doctors and nurses, not obese at the start, were monitored every 4 years for 12 to 20 years. So what was the sad news? Fries, alone contributed to 3-4 pounds every four years and were correlated with the most weight gain for a single food. No small fry.
Knowing something and hearing it from someone else are very different. I had read this study, even blogged about it (a different part of it) but hadn’t heard the word “worst.” I rarely order fries but they make their way to the table piggybacking with grilled chesses and chicken sandwiches and other foods my children eat. I literally take a silent no French fry vow before the fries arrive to remind myself. For me, it’s easier not to start as one, especially when they’re crispy, can lead to too many. About once a month, I let myself reach over. So fries are still in my life but limited and as an alternative I bake spicy sweet potato fries at home. In relationships, I left silly choices in my teens. In 1998, the human equivalent of dark chocolate: fun, interesting and good for me.
Are you a fry lover? How often do you eat them? Did you know fries were “the worst”? What’s the worst uniform you’ve had to wear for a job?
