
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 8, 1990                   TAG: 9003081707
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ST. LOUIS                                LENGTH: Short

SNACKING ON FORBIDDEN FRUIT WEIGHS HEAVILY ON THE CONSCIENCE

One in three people suffer pangs of guilt along with pangs of hunger for a snack, and 11 percent said they feel guiltier quenching their craving for the munchies than cheating on their taxes, a survey has found.

The survey, released Wednesday, was conducted for Continental Baking Co., the maker of Twinkies, Hostess Cupcakes and Ho Hos.

A random sample of 1,000 people 18 and older were contacted by telephone during the weekend of Feb. 2 and asked about their snacking habits and what bothered people more than snacking.

Other findings included: 10 percent said they feel more guilt snacking than lying to their spouse about how much money they spend, and 18 percent said they would feel less guilt lying about their weight than grabbing a snack.

Dr. Felix Larocca, whose medical practice specializes in dieting and eating disorders, said the results add more evidence to how strong the temptation to eat sweets and desserts is in modern society.

"It's 10 a.m. in the morning and you may be at work and you may be hungry. Why not have an apple? Instead you'll probably eat a luscious pastry and while you do it talk about how you need to lose a few pounds," said Larocca.

Despite the guilt, what will the average person give up to savor a snack?

According to the survey, 40 percent would rather snack than shop; 18 percent would rather snack than travel; 29 percent would rather snack than go to the movies; and 10 percent would rather snack than make love.

The survey was conducted by Bruskin Associates and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

by CNB