Larger meal deals mean more fat
13 December 2002
Special 'meal deals' at fast food chains which allow people to upsize portions for a small extra cost could also be upsizing Australia's waistline, nutrition experts have warned.
'On average, a 12 per cent increase in purchase cost increased energy availability by 23 per cent, with a 25 per cent increase in fat (10.3 g) and a 38 per cent increase in sugars (18.8 g),' lecturers from Melbourne's Deakin University said in a letter to the Medical Journal of Australia 2002; 177: 686.
Large meal deals from 4 major fast-food chains — KFC, McDonalds, Red Rooster and Hungry Jack's — provided, on average, 35.4 per cent energy from fat and 21.4 per cent energy from sugar.
'The public needs to be aware of the passive increase in energy consumption that can occur in pursuit of 'value-for-money' eating options,' the lecturers said.
Australian Divisions of General Practice chair Dr Rob Walters, meanwhile, has called on the Federal Government to consider banning junk food advertising to children as part of its new alliance on childhood obesity, following a New Zealand Government proposal to ban junk food advertising to children.
A Flinders University study showed that Australian children saw more food ads on TV than children in almost any other country, Dr Walters said.
Last Reviewed: 12 December 2002
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 13/12/02
