Lights, Camera, Calories! Movie Popcorn Still a Fattening Treat, Study Says

Posted on November 19, 2009 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Women's Health

A new study finds that a medium-sized popcorn and medium soda at the movies can pack as much fat and calories as three McDonalds’ Quarter Pounders – slathered with a dozen pats of butter.

When you figure that the average American attends the movies six times a year, according to statistics from the Motion Picture Assn. of America, indulging in a tub of buttered popcorn and a soda during the show can really add up.

The new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest was based on an analysis of popcorn purchased at the nation’s three largest movie chains, AMC, Cinemark, and Regal Entertainment Group, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

At Regal, a medium-sized popcorn (about 20 cups) contains a whopping 1,200 calories – about half the recommended daily allowance for men – plus 60 grams of saturated fat and nearly 1,000 milligrams of sodium. Are you ready for the real bad news? Those belt-busting numbers don’t include a drizzling of melted butter, which packs on another 200 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per 1.5 tablespoons.

Moviegoers fare slightly better at AMC (590 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat in a medium size without butter topping), but only because the medium size there is about half the size of Regal’s medium-sized popcorn, the study said.

Cinemark popcorn was the healthiest, but don’t get carried away because it’s still high in fat and calories.

Some Progress Made on Movie Popcorn Fat

The consumer advocacy group said little has changed in terms of the nutritional content of movie popcorn in the 15 years since its last study on the topic. But that’s not to say there is no reason to be encouraged about progress to trim fat in the popular treat.

While Regal and AMC still pop their popcorn in fatty coconut oil, Cinemark (the nation’s third-largest movie chain) now uses canola oil, which produces popcorn that is lower in saturated fat.

The study’s authors also give credit to the movie chains for cutting the use of trans fatty acids and dropping hydrogenated oils once used in butter-flavored toppings. The study’s findings are published in the December issue of CSPI’s Nutrition Action HealthLetter.