Oz fast-food chain slammed for selling 4520-kilojoule hamburger

A 4520-kilojoule hamburger being sold by a fast-food chain in Australia has raised health concerns.

Melbourne, September 5 : A 4520-kilojoule hamburger being sold by a fast-food chain in Australia has raised health concerns.

Health experts say that the sale of the Hungry Jack's Quad Stack Burger is irresponsible, and a sign the fast-food industry is ignoring health warnings about obesity.

The mega burger containing four beef patties, four slices of cheese, two rashers of bacon, barbecue sauce, and two sugared buns is being promoted through TV ads.

It contains 71g of fat, 34.7g of saturated fat, 1930 milligrams of sodium, and 74.8g protein.

The burger has no salad, and its calorie content equates to more than half a woman's recommended daily energy intake and almost one-third of a man's.

"I was quite surprised that with so much media about healthy eating and the whole anti-supersize thing that they would come out and do the exact opposite. I was quite surprised that with so much media about healthy eating and the whole anti-supersize thing that they would come out and do the exact opposite," the Herald Sun quoted Dietitian Tanya Lewis as saying.

"I wasn't too impressed when I saw it on the TV, and even the people who watched it with me, who weren't dietitians, said the same thing. It was a bit like 'what are they thinking?'.

"It seems a bit irresponsible to me - even the way they're marketing it, you would think they might offer a free salad with it to try to even things up but they haven't even done that," she added.

Jane Scott, an Associate Professor in the Nutrition and Dietetics department of Flinders University, said burgers like the Quad were often marketed as a challenge.

"It challenges people to over-consume and this is just overkill. Once you've had one of these burgers, all you can really eat for the day is fruit and vegies as you've already reached your daily intake in most of the food groups," Prof. Scott said.

ANI