Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
19 November 2010
Burgers Are Getting Bigger
High fat and loaded with calories hamburgers
keep growing larger and more unhealthy
Despite the strongly worded advice of physicians many people are determined to satisfy their cravings for bigger and bigger burgers.
Burger King has been selling its Whopper, a quarter-
In 2006, the company added a Triple Whopper, which it describes as “a monster of
a burger. Three flame-
It weighs in at 1,230 calories. 
As dietblog.com points out, adding a large chocolate
shake makes for a massive meal. “According to the calorie calculator, after eating
the burger, a 135 pound (61 kg) woman would meet her entire day’s calorie needs about
one third of the way through the shake.”
Ballpark Burger is Bigger
However, the Triple Whopper is just a snack when matched up against what’s available
at a minor-
The Associated Press reported on April 2, 2009 that fans of the West Michigan Whitecaps
will be able to buy a “1.8-
The bun measures 20 centimetres across and the whole honking hamburger loads 4,800 calories into anyone that consumes it.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which is based in Washington, D.C., is shocked. Its staff dietician, Susan Levin, has written to the West Michigan Whitecaps asking the club to put a “dietary disaster” label on its “monster burger.” Ms. Levin says the label ought to read, “WARNING – Eating meat is associated with increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and death.”
Heart Attack Grill
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is silent on the menu at the Heart Attack Grill in Tempe, Arizona; it probably hasn’t come to the group’s attention yet. When it does, the owner will surely get a letter.
For customers who are brave, or foolish, enough the restaurant serves a “quadruple
bypass burger.” It comes with four half-
It packs 8,000 calories, more than three times what the human body needs in one day. Customers should not even think about the fat content.
But there’s no pretence at the Heart Attack Grill, where the motto is “Taste to die for.”
There is no salad bar in this eatery, just the “All-
The man who runs the place, who calls himself Doctor John told Bill Geist of CBS Sunday Morning News (November 25, 2008), “I run, perhaps, the only honest restaurant in America. Heh, this is bad for you and it’s gonna kill you.”
Sources
“Minor League Team, Major League Burger.” Associated Press, March 25, 2009.
“A Meal to Die for.” Bill Geist, CBS News, December 29, 2008.
Image credit: N.P. Clark
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