OPEN WIDE

Maybe they represent an attempt to feed our souls in these most uncertain of times. Maybe they’re symbolic volleys fired at mounting public-service warnings about the dangers of the national obesity epidemic. Or maybe they’re just further proof that Americans love to stuff their faces.

At any rate, while such indulgences are found in all parts of the country, they seem to be especially popular in Las Vegas, that metropolitan monument to excess. So we chose six of the most indulgent foods and drinks we could find and asked Mary Wilson, a registered dietitian and extension nutrition specialist with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, to analyze them. In most cases, the analyses are strictly estimates, because of the variables involved in preparing food under conditions that don’t involve a manufacturing plant.

We also have Wilson’s opinion of each item, although she realizes that these aren’t something that would be a regular part of anyone’s diet — or are likely to be consumed by anyone watching their nutritional intake.

“If someone chooses these items,” Wilson said, “health is not on their mind.”