The American trend of "supersizing" - paying just a small amount more for a larger meal at fast-food joints - seems to have caught on
around the world. Sadly, nations are paying another price for bigger portions . . . and Australia is no exception.
According to the Medical Journal of Australia, the prevalence of obesity in the Australian population has more than doubled over the
past 20 years - from 8.1% in 1981 to 20.5% in 2000. The rapid and widespread nature of the obesity epidemic suggests that environmental
change is a major contributing factor.
The patterns and types of foods consumed by Australians have changed markedly within a single generation. One major area of change is
the availability of "fast" foods, and the number of people eating them now.
A key feature of fast-food marketing is the use of "supersizing", a strategy designed to provide the consumer with a "value-for-money"
addition to their meal. Supersizing is commonly employed within the context of "meal deals": complete meal options comprising the major
food item (a burger or chicken product) and, for a small extra cost, larger serving sizes of items such as chips and a soft drink.
Recent data from a US survey shows that supersizing provides disproportionate increases in energy content relative to purchase
cost - for a little extra money, you get a whole lot of extra fat content.
In July 2002, Australian researchers bought meal deals and the advertised upsizing portions from the four major fast-food chains
present in most large Australian cities. The weight and volume of chips and soft drink (non-diet variety) were measured,
and nutrients were analysed using the AusNut and AusFoods Australian food databases.
Findings
On average, a 12% increase in price increased energy availability by 23%, with a 25% increase in fat (10.3 g) and a 38% increase in
sugars (18.8 g). Large meal deals provided on average 5733 kJ (35.4% energy from fat and 21.4% energy from sugar). In one of the
burger deals, the fat content rose from 16.2% to 33.1% when "supersized", while the sugar content rose from 34.1% to 80.7%.
Based on data from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey, these single meal deals constitute 52% and 77% of the average daily energy
intake of male and female Australians, respectively.
Upsizing is a marketing strategy aimed at increasing the cost of the items by providing the consumer with an added incentive or
greater value. While it appears to be a good deal, diners are literally biting off more than they can chew, in the light of health
risks that come with being overweight.
With the growing disease burden of overweight and obesity on the Australian healthcare system, we need to be aware of the passive
increase in energy consumption that can occur in pursuit of "value-for-money" eating options. Excess sugar and fat from fast-food
meal choices adds mainly "empty calories" to the diet, with little nutritional gain - and with a real risk of expanding the nation's waistline.