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The Ultimate Calorie Bomb

The Ultimate Calorie Bomb

If a 110% sugar high, obesity and a possible heart attack are on you list of “health” goals, then please do get your hands on the new Baskin Robbins Heath Shake.
 
Known as "the death shake" by some on the internet, the shake comes packed with 2,300 calories, a half pound of sugar and more than 100 ingredients, including syrup, artificial flavors galore and even nitrous oxide. Really? You need a chemical compound commonly used as laughing gas in the local dentist office to be added to this take-a-sip-and-keel-over shake?!
 
If this is not scary enough for you, then perhaps you should consider these Baskin Robbins nutritional facts: The shake contains 108 grams of fat, 64 grams of saturated fat and 303 grams of carbohydrates. Remember, the average male is supposed to consume about 2,500 calories per day and the saturated fat in this shake has more than three times the recommended daily allowance of just 20 grams.
 
This shake is a prescription elixir for heart disease, if the diabetes and obesity don't get to you first.
 
These fast food calorie phenomenons, like the 1,360-calorie salad, lead health experts and consumers alike to wonder if one's health is really in his or her hands. Of course, people should be held personally responsible, but shouldn’t major corporations and businesses share a bit of the accountability?
 
We want to know: Do you think food and beverage chains can take some of the bad rap for the nationwide weight and health problems? And if you tried the Heath Shake and lived to tell the tale, share it here. [The Consumerist]

Posted: 9/23/08
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alegria

Has anyone ever read "Eat This Not That?" Its a really great book put out by Men's Health and they list the ingredients from a lot of fast food menus and suggest healthier alternatives. It's a great companion for those of us who don't get to live in NYC.
Link

  • By alegria
  • on 12/31/08 12:26 PM EST
ChangeChamp

Yikes. It seems almost criminal to offer such a thing... call in the calorie police!

alleecmo

What size was the shake tested for this nutritional analysis? On BR's website it says it's "only" 1420 cal. for a 24 oz ("medium") Heath shake. 67 g fat / 40 of 'em sat fat / 184 g carbs. For me, 24 oz is a LOT of shake. I usually get the 12 oz chocolate at McDs when I get a hankerin' (440 cal / 10g fat / 76g carbs). But that does not have a "burnt sugar" candy bar chopped up in it, either.

FitnessQueen

Coleman: Love your tip! The kiddie portion is a great option. And as much as I think people are personally responsible for their health, I do think that chains have to take some of the rap. There needs to be more information available to the public in order for people to make informed decisions.

aliciak

Wooooow. I'm glad that here in New York at least, fast food chains (I'm not sure if Baskin-Robbins counts?) have to display calorie counts for everything. Scary stuff!

  • By aliciak
  • on 9/25/08 1:34 PM EST
coleman

Wow. Something I've learned if I get an urge for something like ice cream. Order the kiddie portion. The first few tastes are usually the best anyway.

  • By coleman
  • on 9/25/08 10:35 AM EST
cobber

I'm glad I gave those up years ago. I was a daily shake-a-holic.

  • By cobber
  • on 9/25/08 10:01 AM EST
joepierce

I'll have to whip in there for desert after I finish off my Hardee's Thickburger (1420 calories).

Mmmmmmmmmm. Shake.....

carolineshannon

I think there is such a fine line between personal health and the responsibility that major food and beverage manufacturers play in the total outcome. Yes, an individual is responsible for keeping his or her body healthy. And when they are diving headfirst into a milkshake, they know that what they are slurping is not good for them. But can they grasp that there is a possibility that there are 2,300 calories of not-good-for-them stuff in a single shake?! I don't think it is safe to assume that the average consumer -- fast food binge or not -- is fully aware of the impact some of these foods and drinks can have on their health. Like Lizzie314 said, if a food and beverage manufacturer is PROUD of their products, then putting the nutritional information on display should be no problem. That way, when a consumer still chooses to gulp up every last drop of that 1/2 pound of sugar, then at least they will have done so after making an informed (bad?) decision.

LauraLee311

Thank goodness I don't like Heath bars! Now a peanut butter cup shake--that might be another story...As Kiki says, "these things are on the menu because there is a demand for them." If a giant shake looks to good to be true, it probably is. Same with fast-food salads that are loaded with goodies. Most of us know (as much as we try to deny it) when these "healthy" meals are not good for us. Besides, my guess is it's mostly teenagers, whose metabolisms are sky high, who would drink the death shake.

Lizzie314

I think there's a social responsibility to these companies to at least publish the nutritional value in a very visible location so that people know what they're getting into when they step into the store. HOWEVER, there's also the curiosity factor, right? What DOES a 2,300 calorie shake taste like? Is it the best shake ever? I don't think I'll ever know...but I'd be tempted to find out.

Kiki76

Unfortunately, these things are on the menu because there is a demand for them. I'm all for treats in moderation, but this is ludicrous! With all we know now about obesity, diabetes and heart disease, corporations should be more responsible about what they serve.

  • By Kiki76
  • on 9/23/08 10:43 AM EST
Karadc

Well now I know where I'm headed for lunch...

  • By Karadc
  • on 9/23/08 10:42 AM EST
bella08

I don't think a 2300 calorie shake should even be on a menu. It is nice to have a treat once in a while, but high-calorie items like this can actually be very harmful.

  • By bella08
  • on 9/23/08 10:35 AM EST