Let’s Hope We Are Not What We Eat!

Every continent except for Antarctica is represented on GlobalPost's list of the world's top 25 fattest countries, according to 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. The causes are simple yet infuriatingly difficult to reverse — humans are eating more and moving less.

The WHO projects that in 2015, the number of overweight adults will balloon to 2.3 billion, up from 1.6 billion in 2005. And the number of obese will rise to 700 million, up from 400 million.

And, in the wake of that wonderful news, comes word of some of the newer selections of “fast food” made available to us. And, thank God we can get our pudgy fingers on the stuff without even getting out of our cars thanks to the Drive-Thru Window!

I’ll be honest. I only became kosher because it was important to my wife, Elana. But today, with my own ongoing struggle with weight, and the hope for a healthier, slimmer version of myself down the road, I am grateful to her because thanks to kashruth, I will never let this stuff pass my lips.

Take for example the new “Hot Dog Stuffed Crust” pizza with a “mustard drizzle” whatever the hell that is. It’s being offered by the popular U.S. pizza chain, Pizza Hut.

"The Hot Dog Stuffed Crust pizza is only available in the UK and there are no plans to introduce this product in the U.S.," Lisa Beachy, a spokesperson for Pizza Hut, told HealthPop in an email.

With reports indicating that a slice of plain stuffed crust pizza contains about 265 calories with 11.6 grams of fat and a hot dog contains about 170 calories and 15 grams of fat, you’re looking at one slice of pizza that contains 435 calories with over 31 grams of fat.

Why don’t they go all the way with their marketing of this suicidal slice and deliver it in a casket-shaped box? Maybe it should come with a form customers can use to fill in their epitaph.

Of course, as the health of North Americans continue to decline as our caloric intake increases, comes word of more restaurants coming forward with other ways to hasten our departure from this world.

For those of you who have said to yourself, “My God, I wish I could combine my two favourite foods – bacon and ice cream – your prayers have been answered!

Yup, another entry in the “Thank God I’m kosher” file comes word that a Nashville, Tennessee, Burger King is testing a "Bacon Sundae," that comes with standard toppings such as fudge and caramel, but also includes a strip of bacon. A blog reports that the product is similar to a "Maple Bacon Sundae" sold at Denny's. Jack in the Box also unveiled a "Bacon Shake" earlier this year.

It was bad enough that we might consume bacon and ice cream, separately, on the same day, but when did we become even too lazy to do that, that we had to combine it into the same meal?

Burger King has no plans at the times to release the sundae nationally. Come on everyone, “AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!”

"As part of Burger King Corp.'s normal course of business, the company is currently testing menu items in a small sampling of U.S. restaurants located in the Nashville, TN area," Burger King spokesperson Randi Farynyk told HealthPop by email. "The brand does not have plans to expand the test to additional markets at this time." Nutritional information could not be provided since the food will not be sold nationally.

I’m assuming that when Burger King recently announced that it is looking to revising its menu to be healthier by launching 10 new items such as smoothies and wraps, the bacon sundae was at least #11 on that list.

I hope, for all our sake, that the old adage is wrong, and that we are not, what we eat. If we are, then pass me the Goddamn salad!