NEW YORK (Reuters) - Applebee's International, which owns the
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar chain, said Friday it will
add a Weight Watchers section to its menus.
It will work with Weight Watchers International, which gives
members nutrition and exercise advice, to develop health-conscious
menu items, listing them in a separate part of the menu so customers
can spot them easily.
New appetizers, entrees and desserts will be tested in some
markets later this year and then offered next year in every
Applebee's restaurant in the United States and Canada, the Overland
Park, Kan.-based chain said.
Rising obesity rates in the United States have drawn waves of
publicity, and recent lawsuits have targeted the food industry,
criticizing its role in the trend.
Kraft
Foods (KFT:
Research,
Estimates)
said early this month it would reduce its portion sizes and improve
the overall nutritional content of its foods, beginning in 2004.
Shares of Applebee's
(APPB:
Research,
Estimates)
fell 43 cents Thursday to close at $31.05 and Weight
Watchers (WTW:
Research,
Estimates)
rose $1.05 to $44.16.
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