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Arby's takes "super-size" to the next level

Arby's, a unit of Triarc Companies (NYSE: TRY), has just taken first prize in its attempt to one-up the "super-size" fast-food menu with its "Pick 5 for 5.95" value meal.

If you've read Eric Buscemi's Battle of the Brands post: McDonald's vs. Burger King, you know the Big Mac and Whopper do not fall in the category of "healthy" foods. Add in fries and a drink and you've already clogged your first artery. But Arby's takes it one step further: they give you your pick of five fast-food items on a special menu -- two more than the standard value meal at McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) or Burger King (NYSE: BKC).

I went to Arby's for lunch today to pick my "5 for 5.95" and I must say it's overwhelming.

I decided upon an Arby's Melt sandwich with medium curly fries, a medium drink (sounds like the standard fast-food value meal so far but I had two more choices) mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce and a small jamocha shake.

Needless to say, I couldn't finish everything. I sat at my table staring at my unfinished meal thinking of Thomas Aquinas and what he said about gluttony in his SUMMA THEOLOGIÆ, "Gluttony denotes, not any desire of eating and drinking, but an inordinate desire ... leaving the order of reason, wherein the good of moral virtue consists."

This was just too much food, I thought. It defies all reason. How bad is this for you?

Continue reading Arby's takes "super-size" to the next level

Munching McDonald's with a one-ton family of 6

Last week I accompanied my 14-year-old son as he attended a weeklong baseball camp in Lakeland, Fla. He got to play and learn; I got to watch and yearn. I had a bit of spare time, about six hours a day, so I decided to ride around Lakeland, a city of about 100,000 residents, and do some real research: things like go to the mall and see which brands are hot and which ones are not. I even did something personally wicked and had lunch at a McDonald's Corp. (NYSE: MCD) restaurant. I had not been to a McDonald's in over a year. But, all in the name of research.

What struck me next was paralyzing as well as perplexing. Seated next to me was a family of six: grandma, grandpa, mom, dad and two 12- or 13-year-old brothers. I was astonished as I witnessed the amount of food on their table. I was also astonished by the obesity of this entire family. I figured between the six of them they weighed in at about 2,000 pounds. The two boys, even at their tender ages, probably tipped the scales at more than 200 pounds each. Mom and dad went an easy 300-350 pounds each, and grandma and grandpa, the same.

Then today I read that Florida ranks 46th out of our 50 states in fitness and health. My home state of Minnesota ranked second just behind Vermont. We'll catch 'em next year. But back to my story ...

Continue reading Munching McDonald's with a one-ton family of 6

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Last updated: November 11, 2009: 03:11 PM

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