Yikes! 5,085 kilojoules and 80.5 grams of fat in one burger

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJun 9 2011

After the naming of a Hungry Jack's burger as the unhealthiest in the nation, all state governments are planning to introduce legislation requiring fast food outlets to list the energy content on their menus.

According to Jane Martin, senior policy advisor at the Obesity Policy Coalition, she wasn't shocked to read the about the offending burger – the Ultimate Double Whopper – packed a punch of 5,085 kilojoules, 80.5 grams of fat and 2.3 grams of sodium.

NSW became the first Australian state to introduce legislation, effective from February next year, whereby all takeaway franchises with more than 20 outlets were required to include the kilojoule count on their menus. Ms Martin said all states and territories should want to introduce this legislation, as well as tax on unhealthy foods and a subsidy scheme for low-income earners to eat healthier. She said, “[The fast food outlets] know what the kilojoules are in their food, and they could include that on their menus in a proactive way, but that's not happening, and this is why the government should regulate it…If they think it is a good idea, they should do it without the legislation, but they're simply not doing that.”

She added that most people did not know how many kilojoules they were supposed to eat, and that by the time they bought an energy-dense feast from a fast food outlet, it was too late. Ms Martin said people had no reference point for fast food meals, and that they didn't understand what their daily intake of energy should be. “We need to give people the tool they need to make these sorts of decisions…We are in the midst of an obesity epidemic,” she said.

“The amount of kilojoules in the food are not printed anywhere that's easily found…It's not like you're going to download this information to your iPhone while you're waiting to order. You find out after the fact, you see what you have just consumed instead of making an informed choice,” she explained.

“Your stomach is just not registering that you're full, you would know that you were full if you ate this many calories in a bigger, healthier meal…This food is so high in sugar, salt and fat, and it's just gone in minutes. And it's not of a good quality,” she added.

She said that recent statistics revealed that 25 per cent of secondary school students up to Year 11, and that 61 per cent of adults under 25 years of age were overweight or obese. “This shows that more people are getting heavier at younger ages than in the past,” she said.

Suggested total daily intake for an average adult is 8,700Kj, 70g fat and 2,300mg of sodium. Needs vary depending on gender, size and activity level say experts.