Death by burger or let the buyer beware
Last week when I read about the new Double Angry Angus, the newest burger being promoted at Hungry Jacks, I could not believe my eyes. Just one of these burgers contains nearly double the amount of fat and salt that anybody should eat in an entire day, according to the standards advised by the National Health and Medical Research Council. In other words, these ought to come with warning labels! Or maybe people should have to take a note from their doctors saying they are allowed to have one, but only if that is all the food they will eat all day.
I admit the photograph in the paper looked good: this massive burger had two beef patties, and was packed with deep-fried breaded onion rings, two slices of melting yellow cheese, several rashers of bacon, tomato, lettuce, and lots of mayonnaise. These advertisements are designed by experts and the results do appeal to the eyes, that’s for sure. But the nutritionists say that eating even one Double Angry Angus would raise anybody’s blood pressure instantly. And if they ate them regularly it would lead to chronic hypertension, raise the risk of heart attack, kidney failure and stroke. It would be even worse for kids, putting them at risk of obesity, asthma and high blood pressure, as well.
What is Hungry Jacks thinking? With this burger they appear to have little conscience regarding the health of their customers, who are by all accounts taking to it in a big way. Hungry Jacks can, perhaps, be compared to the tobacco and alcohol industries that sell products that kill, without a qualm. They would claim that the products are legal, after all, and simply require people to have the good sense and self-discipline to use them moderately or suffer the consequences. But the tobacco and alcohol companies have also had to have warning labels and health messages on their products for many years, and there is nothing similar for fast food companies. Maybe this is an idea whose time has come?
The Australian Heart Foundation agreed that Hungry Jacks was acting irresponsibly and that the Double Angry Angus burger would never rate a tick. They have called upon food manufacturers to put pressure on Hungry Jacks to act responsibly or to have the Government ban or tax such ill-conceived meals. In a country where cardiovascular disease is one of the top killers such commercial behaviour is actually obscene. Should unsuspecting people be protected from such unscrupulous purveyors of high-risk foods? And would the same standards apply to the rich, gourmet, fat-laden meals on offer in the upscale, rotating restaurants of the city?
The problem is not confined to Hungry Jacks, of course. A survey earlier this year found that over half of the sandwiches and burgers sold by all the well-known chains, including McDonald’s, Subway, Oporto, Red Rooster, KFC and Hungry Jack’s, contained more fat and salt than was advised in a healthy, balanced diet. Calling in at a Hungry Jack’s on George Street, Sydney last week my assistant was able to obtain a pamphlet with clearly presented and comprehensive nutritional information about all of their products except the Double Angry Angus, which will be in the updated pamphlet. However, the information about it is already available online. When she asked if customers often asked for the pamphlet the manager just laughed, and said, “No one has ever asked me before. But we have to have them available, anyway.”
In a free country we have the right to eat unhealthy food and not to have every aspect of our lives dictated by the government, but that said we also need to have enough information and self-discipline to make the right choices over the long term, and are morally obliged to our Creator to maintain our body’s health and vitality to the best of our ability. Limiting fatty and salty meals at fast food businesses or upscale restaurants alike is advised. And always remember that worthy saying Caveat Emptor: let the buyer beware!
