The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "calories" ...
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What's on the Menu?
Eight stations in the E.W. Scripps Television station Group worked together to investigate claims by national restaurant chains about low-fat and low-calorie menu items. The group specifically gathered menus from restaurants who listed the fat and/or calorie content directly on their menus, and decided to have the food tested at Analytical Laboratories, Inc. in Boise, Idaho. They created an excel spreadsheet and assigned each station three foods listed on various low-fat/low-calorie menus on the same way. The stations each packed their food the exact same way and videotaped this procedure to verify protocol. The packages were then sent overnight to Analytical Laboratories, Inc. for testing. The test results showed that out of the 23 items tested, 78% were over the fat limit and almost 69% were over the calorie limit listed on the package. A producer from KNXV-TV then contacted all the restaurants involved in the test and asked for a response. No company would go on camera for the story, though the company that owns Chili's and Macaroni Grill apologized and said they would work to reinforce the menu standards.
Tags: food; nutrition; low-fat; low-calorie; Ohio; false advertising
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Rating the Diets
The authors used an "evidence-based approach" to rate nine different popular diet programs in terms of their nutritional value and usefulness.
Tags: nutrition; dieting; Weight Watchers; Slim-Fast; Zone diet; computer assisted reporting; calorie analysis; weight loss
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Morbid Obesity: Eating our way to the grave
The Evansville Courier & Press five-part series on morbid obesity and its effects on the community. Stories looks at Overeaters Anonymous, the growing number of overweight children, gastric bypass surgery and health risks.
Tags: obesity; health; gastric bypass surgery; diet; food; fat content; Overeaters Anonymous; calories; overweight children; body mass
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Fat-Free Fraud?
This investigation took on the latest trend in the local hip restaurant scene: dishes for dieters. Reporters used their own lab analysis to determine just how low-fat or low-calorie certain hot new menu items really were. Only one met FDA guidelines for healthy eating.
Tags: TAPE TRANSCRIPT health; dieting; food labeling; lite; calorie Food and Drug Administration