“Value marketing” encourages overeating and contributes to the skyrocketing rates of obesity in children and adults. It has a high price for public health. Because to realize their bargain, people feel compelled to consume their entire purchase.

It’s a powerful business strategy, and a human health tragedy. In the past two decades, my how America’s appetite has grown.

	By 1996, 25% of the $97 billion spent on fast food was for items promoted on the basis of either larger sizes or extra portions.
	The supersizing phenomenon has led to bigger everything: Bigger sodas, snacks, candy, doughnuts. “Bigness” even spread to cars (SUVs), homes (McMansions), clothes (super-baggy).

An early megaportion pioneer was the movie theatre owner who noticed customers were reluctant to buy two boxes of popcorn. But being offered a single container was another matter: They eagerly bought twice the popcorn -- and saw the savings as a bargain.

"Value meals" involve the practice of “bundling”: Adding sides like fries and a soft drink to turn a fast food sandwich into a meal.

Soft drinks are an especially bad health “bargain.” They cost the least to upsize, deliver the biggest calorie boosts and give retailers some of the highest profit margins.

In 1983, a Taco Bell exec first tested the value meal concept (cutting the average price of a single item by 25%, but bundling it with other items to maintain the average check). Its success proved that offering more for less induced people to eat more.

As Taco Bell’s sales took off, the value meal concept spread quickly to Burger King, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut and Domino’s. Facing lagging sales, in 1991, McDonald’s joined its competitors, introducing its value menu.

	Americans are constantly induced to spend a little more to get a lot more food. Getting more for your money is ingrained in the American psyche. But bigger is rarely better when it comes to food. Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy Center for Science in the Public Interest

Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish

	Spending $1.57 more on a cheeseburger buys 600 more calories.
	64˘ buys 330 more calories of French fries.
	37˘ buys 450 more calories of a soft drink.

(Source: The National Alliance for Nutrition and Physical Activity)

Since 1970, America’s spending on fast food has grown eighteenfold, from $6 billion to $110 billion per year.

Fast food is high in fat, sugar and calories, low in fiber and virtually free of fruits and vegetables (beyond fried potatoes).

25% of all vegetables eaten in the U.S. are French fries.

The number of fast food restaurants has exploded -- present in virtually all public spaces.

Eating Fast Food Too Often

By 1999, heavy users (who eat fast food 20+ times per month) accounted for $66 billion of the $110 billion spent on fast food.

Frequency of kid visits to fast food restaurants is linked to:

	Higher intake of soft drinks, cheeseburgers, French fries, pizza, total fat and calories
	Decreased intake of fruit, vegetables, milk

Consider the findings of a recent study published in the January 2004 issue of Pediatrics:

	Nearly one-third of U.S. kids ages 4-19 eat fast food every day, a study of 6,212 youngsters found.
	Kids’ fast-food consumption has increased fivefold since 1970.
	Fast-food lovers consumed more fats, sugars and carbohydrates and fewer fruits and non-starchy vegetables than kids who didn't eat fast food.
	Fast-foodies also consumed 187 more daily calories, which likely adds up to about six pounds more per year, the study concludes.

	When you choose double-cheese, when you choose super-sized meals and it's more calories than your body requires, those calories will be stored as fat.           Nutritionist Monica Holt

Pizza Hut, Applebee’s, Denny’s, Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, etc.:

	Family restaurants exacerbate the high-sugar, high-fat toll because of larger portions.
	Most common entree for kids: Chicken pieces breaded and fried (nuggets, tenders, strips) and French fries.
	A restaurant plate of pasta has up to six (USDA) servings of grain.