Are Girl Scout Cookies Making Us Obese?

Posted on Oct 27th 2010 11:00AM by Hilary Walke

Dr. Andrew Siegel, a physician from the New York metropolitan area, has created a bit of an uproar in the Girl Scout world. Though he claims that the Girl Scouts Association is a wonderful organization that he has nothing against, he feels that the unhealthy nature of the product it sells is a major contributor to America's unhealthy state. Because the cookies are an integral part of the Girl Scouts program, he takes issue with the fact that the organization claims customers are getting a "great product."

"I feel a moral, ethical and medical imperative that this information needs to be shared and understood," said Siegel in a YouTube video he produced himself. "The combination of enriched wheat flour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils...and high-fructose corn sweetener in the cookies is a combination for a very unhealthy existence."

Check out the full video below.

He confidently believes Girl Scout cookies, such as the classic Thin Mints, promote insulin resistance and weight gain, and contribute to the obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease epidemics. Nonetheless, his appeal to force GSA to improve its cookies was ignored. Whose side are you on?

We asked our readers how they felt when it comes to Girl Scout cookies: major health problem or once-a-year indulgence?

Laura F.
LAY OFF! AND QUIT PICKING ON MY GIRL SCOUTS.

Lisa F.
All things in moderation! Girl Scout cookies are once a year. They are not available all the time unlike the cookies readily available in the grocery store EVERY DAY. LAY OFF!!

Ashley W.
If you turn on the news, no matter what it is, its bad for you now. I'm sick and tired of it. If stuff is that bad for us it shouldn't be for sale to buy.

Amy J.
I am going to have to agree with Laura and Lisa... GS cookies are once a year. Lay Off the GS.

Nathaniel O.
Although, I am the first one to open a box of Thin Mints, I will have to agree with the Doc. It's unfortunate that this has to happen but there really should be more regulations with ALL FOOD that we consume. His fight is for Girl Scout cookies, I guess he has a sweet tooth. Others fight about fast food or sugar drink soda etc. Do these cookies even have the Label that shows what's in it? I'm thinking it's not so much about banning all the food, just make it a little healthier, clean and SHOW US what's inside the food. Then let us make the decision whether or not to eat it!

Heather R.
So, is he against all cookies, or is he really just picking on the GSA? Comes off as a pompous behind. First, Girl Scout cookies are available for how much of the year-two months? Other cookies, let's use those black sandwich cookies with the white filling as an example, are just as "dangerous" if not more so and are available all year. If all Americans limited their cookie consumption to a couple of boxes over the course of only two months during a year we would be A LOT healthier as a nation. GSA does offer several "healthier" versions of cookies for those with concerns. He really does come off as being really pompous and self-important. It seems to be more about how they ignored him than the real concern of cookie consumption.

Becca K.
I think Americans in general need to hold themselves accountable for what they consume. One or two Thin Mints on occasion will not make you fat or diabetic, but if you can polish off a whole box and not exercise and not watch what you eat then you'll have problems.

Amy P.
I would love to see an organization push something healthy instead of cookies. I'm sooo tired of fundraisers that only offer 'junk.' Moderation.... great concept - do the cookies come with that warning... to only eat a few? People buy these things and store them in the freezer to eat all year long. I do disagree with selling junk food to raise money, regardless of the organization.

Maria J.
I agree with Laura, Lisa, and Amy....They are on sale ONCE a year! People look forward to buying the traditional flavors and supporting the GSA! Pick on Nabisco or the Little Keebler Elves!

Pam S.
Sheesh! Give me a break. If he doesn't like the darn things he doesn't have to buy them. I'm not buying any this year because I don't want Thin Mints around to tempt me. LOL. Besides have you ever eaten a healthy cookie ????? YUCK!

More on Making Healthy Diet Choices:
Should People Be Able to Buy Soda With Food Stamps?
Apple & Eve Fruitables: Too Good to Be Food?
Healthy Apple Pie Recipe

5 Comment

Tags: cookies, girl scout cookies, girl scouts, health, obesity, thin mints

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

meboettger 10-27-2010 @ 12:39PM

Give me a break! Does this doctor not have anything better to do? To blame obesity on Girl Scout cookies is like blaming spousal abuse on frozen dinners! If you want to lay blame on obesity, then at least blame it on a cookie you can buy all year!!

I sold GS cookies approximately 40 years ago, and no one was crying about it then. Why is it that this society is always looking for places to lay blame for their problems instead of ways to solve them? If you are fat, stop eating the darn cookies, or chips, or whatever else it is that you eat too much of!

Let's face it, doc, if your patients are obese because they are eating too many GS cookies, it really isn't the Girl Scout troops' fault, and you know it!!!! Perhaps YOU need a little therapy yourself!

Leigh 10-27-2010 @ 12:29PM

Sounds like the doc is out for publicity and picking on the Girl Scouts is a great way to get some. Should most of us probably eat fewer sweets...Yes. But don't set out to make an example of an organization that does so much good for girls. This is the primary source of funding for individual troops so unless you have some bang-up idea for a different funding model, keep your mouth shut.

catherine 10-28-2010 @ 4:35PM

This is a pathetic argument. These cookies are sold ONCE A YEAR, while there are hundreds of different types of cookies on sale at grocery stores all year round. I rarely buy those, because I love the Girl Scout cookies the best!

If this guy wants to target cookies, he must target ALL cookies, not just the Girl Scouts. Out of all cookies, the Girl Scout ones are the best because they actually help fund a wonderful and important program.

Rwillian 12-13-2010 @ 11:11AM

Go Dr. Siegel! My daughter is a GS and WILL NOT be selling foods that are 100% detrimental to ones health. Let us not forget what our Surgeon General states about hydrogenated oils. I feel GS is sending mixed messages and/or being hypocritical by selling foods that are dangerous to ones health. WHY can't they simply remove the hydrogenated oils?

Janos 1-31-2011 @ 1:41PM

Whether people consider this a pathetic argument, it is still a good argument and one that people need to consider and understand more. The fact is, people in our country people are seriously over weight and and growing to become more unhealthy.

In 2007, Forbes listed the United States as the 9th country under the list "World's Fattest Countries." Quoting: "U.S. weighs in at No. 9, with 74.1% of those over 15 years old considered overweight. But given that its population is nearly 20,000 times that of Nauru (#1 Country), clearly the U.S.’s size belies it rank."

After looking at the stats, you can see that compared to all the big nations, the United States has the largest amount of overweight citizens compared to Australia, Europe, India and China.

In 2010 World Health Organization statistics ranked the United States as No. 8 of countries with high obesity. In 2007 the USA was 74.1% overweight and in 2010, we are now 79%. These are scary numbers, that means almost out of every 10 people 15 years or older, 8 of them are over weight.

Of course, Girl Scout cookies are not responsible for 8/10 Americans being over weight or obesity in this country. However, by selling cookies to citizens with such a high amount of weight problems, is this really a great idea? and good for healthy behavior? probably not.

Could girl scouts sell something else? probably, or at least create a healthier and natural cookie. There are organic cookies that are healthy, made with natural honey, organic oats and have high amounts of fiber.

People can argue that buying the currently made boxes of girl scout cookies is not the reason for obesity, but does it help? most of us can agree that it probably does not. The other thing is how many people who buy these cookies only buy one box? When we suggest that the girl scout cookies are only sold once a year, maybe people who buy them buy a lot, seeing that they can not be bought often.

My niece is a girl scout, two years ago, I bought ten boxes of cookies from her. How many others do the same? The only difference is, she gave them away, as I did not want them and was only trying to help her reach her goal of boxes of cookies to be sold, now thinking about it, don't most people buy cookies from the young ladies to help them? Are people helping others to hurt themselves? Maybe...

Boy scouts sell Christmas wreaths.

We all need to keep in mind that we live in a country where we need to put nutritional information on boxes because people have no idea what is good for them and what is bad. I do not need to tell you that eating moon cakes, oreos, twinkies, ding dongs, swissrolls, powdered donuts or hot dogs is bad for you, you already know it, but eat it anyways... While I am buying my 100% wheat bread, the same aisle has junk food and I see people purchasing these items all the time. We do not need to have nutritional information on boxes to know that junk food is bad and that vegetables and fruits are good for us.

In closing, IF and ONLY if, you can eat things in moderation, then eating a few girl scout cookies will cause no harm. However, if your one of those people who does not do at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, then consider staying away from girl scout cookies or all cookies for that matter.