Health, schmealth: doughnut wars are heating up in a city that isn't necessarily on a diet.

Oh, the gooey glaze. Oh, the creamy chocolate coating. Oh, those yummy sprinkles.

L.A.'s doughnut wars are about to get a lot messier.

Celebrating its 51th anniversary, Santa Ana-based Winchell's, which posted roughly $70 million in sales in 1997, has announced plans to double its locations to 500 nationwide. The company launched a new venture last month in Pomona called Winchell's World, a 6.000-square-foot venue with drive-through service and a see-through display for customers.

In addition, the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based phenomenon known as Krispy Kreme has just opened a store in La Habra, the first of 42 planned Southern California locations.

Known for exhibition-style doughnut-making and drive-through service, Krispy Kreme's sales are expected to reach $30,000 a week at the newly opened site, said Richard Reinis, chief executive of Great Circle Family Foods of Los Angeles, which is building and operating the stores. Later this year, Krispy Kreme outlets will open in Orange, Van Nuys, Gardena and Ontario.

All of which comes on top of the 1,843 doughnut shops already established in Southern California - the highest number of doughnut shops per capita in the United States. Which, of course, begs the question: Why is there such demand for the calorie-laden pastry in this fitness-crazed community?

"It's an easy thing to have available. It falls into a quick-fix and it's very satisfying," said Karen Berk, co-editor of the Los Angeles Zagat Survey. "We're a car culture. People often eat, shave and fax memos from their automobiles, so having a hand-held meal makes sense."

Much of the customer loyalty is due to availability of product. Those 1,843 shops in the nine-county Southern California region amount to 2.82 shops per 10,000 households, according to NPD Foodservice Information Group in Rosemont, Ill. The national average is 1.02 shops.

Reinis said the 62-year-old Krispy Kreme chain is undaunted by the stiff competition. "There is no more availability of doughnuts here than there was coffee before Starbucks came aboard," he said. "No one is serving the Krispy Kreme quality product that we offer. There are inferior products out there and people are eating them anyhow, so there's a proven audience."

His theory is seconded by some diehard doughnut lovers. "There are never enough doughnut places. I've been anxiously waiting for Krispy Kreme to arrive here. I'm on their mailing list," said digital artist Chris Howard.

But on this day, Howard was over at Donut King.

"I have to worry about the fat. I do have a gut, but there's room," said the 35-year-old Howard, after buying a glazed doughnut and coffee.

Others just shrug off concerns about health. Every work day for the past 12 years, Dolores Quintanialla, 35, has patronized the Winchell's on Washington Boulevard in Culver City.

"Nothing is healthy anymore. I buy a dozen at least two or three times a week for my family," she said. "My son likes the chocolate ones, and my dad loves the sprinkles."

At Randy's Donuts in Inglewood, the 40-foot rooftop doughnut statue has been a beacon for people of all weights and measures for 47 years.

"People will come on their way to workouts and after. They tell me they just came from the gym and are ready for an old-fashioned," said co-owner Larry Weintraub.

Berk noted that the dearth of after-hour eateries makes doughnuts an attractive option for people with nocturnal cravings or who work late shifts. That's the rationale the Culver City Police Department provides.

"It's kind of an ongoing joke about police officers and doughnut shops," said Lt. Raymond Scheu. "But you have officers working a! 2, 3, 4 in the morning in a small community who want to take a coffee break. Your options are limited.

"We very seldom have doughnuts around here. If you go to the detective bureau, they're handing out non-fat pretzels, or you'll see guys eating full-grain bagels," he said.