August 16, 1995
From Food and Health Correspondent Elizabeth Schwartz
WRIGHT CITY, Missouri (CNN) -- At the "Elvis is Alive" Museum and Cafe in Wright City, Missouri, owner Bill Beeny (17k JPG image) and his wife are among the believers. "I sincerely believe that Elvis Presley is still alive. Yes," Beeny said. And he could be hungry. "We would count it a real privilege to be able to serve him. We have a Hunka Hunka burning love pizza and a Hound Dog hot dog. And I'm assuming he's still eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches," said Beeny.
If the King walked in the Beenys' cafe today, he could eat his favorite foods and peruse a few cookbooks, including "The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley" and "Are You Hungry Tonight?" The artery-clogging recipes include favorite Southern recipes from Elvis' mom, like glazed donuts, cheeseburgers, frosted brownies, and those famous peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
As if peanut butter weren't fatty enough, Elvis liked to fry the sandwich in butter. "He liked to eat all this stuff. No wonder he kept getting bigger and bigger," said Mrs. Beeny. But the Beenys think that's all changed, now that Elvis is shopping in modern supermarkets.
Elvis died, or as they say around here, allegedly died, in 1977, when healthy eating wasn't such a big thing. But the Beenys contend that the King has heard the health messages of the '80s and '90s, and now he's fit and trim. The most recent Elvis sightings have him at a slim 170 pounds.
Bill Beeny says he has proof: a recording of a phone call he says Elvis made a few years ago, where he mentioned his new strict diet. (43k AIFF sound)
But registered dietitian Chris Rosenbloom (17k JPG image) is absolutely sure that Elvis is dead. "The diet might have killed him if other causes didn't. I am convinced, on the basis of his diet, that he is no longer with us," she said.
Take those peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Rosenbloom's analysis shows they have 815 calories and a whopping 60 grams of fat. An adult male is supposed to eat no more than 65 grams of fat in a whole day. "I would love to have been Elvis's nutritionist. I think we really could have done wonders with him," Rosenbloom said.
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