Matter of fat: Big is not better

Even as health-conscious people in the West and elsewhere opt for a $1-a-day (Dh3.67) meal to beat the bulge (and the recession), in Dubai, the race is on to bring the biggest burger to town.

Fatburger, an American chain partly-owned by National Basketball Academy Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, opened its first Middle East branch at Dubai Mall this November.

But check this. Instead of bringing its famous half-pounder to Dubai – Fatburger has gone one bigger and brought us the three-quarter-pound Triple Fatburger.

Based on calculations of the nutritional data posted on the Fatburger website, this new concoction totals approximately 1,100 kcal. That’s more than half the daily recommended calorie intake for an adult male (2,000kcal).

Portion size

"The portion size [offered here] is different from the US," defended Jake Berchtold of Fatburger. "We use quarter-pound patties here rather than the third-pound patties we use in the US. Our meat is United States Department of Agriculture choice beef which we import from America."

This latest addition to Dubai’s burger league, comprising Mc- Donald’s, Burger King, Hardees and the like, will offer more choice to burger fanatics and those who do not count calories.

* How often do you eat fast food? Vote in our poll.

This leads us to the obvious question. Why is there so much demand for fast food in a nation that is already bulging from high rates of diabetes and obesity?

Universal appeal

"The burger is a universal food," explained Mana’a Salem, who stood in line to try out a new burger franchise this week.

"A couple of times a week, a burger can really break the monotony of rice dishes. I’m not really concerned about the health aspect. I don’t eat it that often and I have good metabolism," said the 40-year-old Emirati father of one.

To see how the Triple Fatburger compares with others, XPRESS compared it with some of the biggest burgers – the Big Mac, the Triple Whopper (Burger King), the Superstar (Hardees), the Rocket Double (Johnny Rocket’s) and Chili’s Mushroom and Swiss.

* How many times do you eat fast food? What do you do to stay healthy? Here's what people of Dubai have to say.

The Triple Whopper with cheese topped our list, both in size and calories, at a gut-popping 1,250kcal. Add fries and soda, and the meal has already met the recommended daily intake for an adult male, not to mention the 84 grams of fat in that sandwich!

The Big Mac, ironically the smallest of the six burgers in size, had the least calories – 540kcal, with 29 grams of fat.

Figures speak

Meanwhile, statistics reveal a worrying trend in the UAE.

According to the 2006 World Health Organisation (WHO) survey, more than 10 per cent of children in the UAE are obese, with one in five people (21.3 per cent) at risk of becoming obese.

Moreover, Type 2 diabetes affects approximately one in five people here, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The UAE has the second-highest diabetes rate in the world after the South Pacific island of Nauru.

The question is, will it stop an increasing number of people here from shovelling down fast food?

Burger facts

A basic burger is made of minced beef patty in a bun.

It entered the human diet at the turn of the 20th century.

It originated from the German city of Hamburg. The word hamburger came from the Hamburg steak.

Contrary to popular belief the hamburger doesn’t contain ham.

A Doctor’s advice

"Obesity and diabetes are definitely an epidemic in this area," said Dr Abdul Razzaq Al Madani, Endocrinologist and Director of Dubai Hospital.

"There has been an increase in Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents in the region. In Saudi Arabia, new cases of Type 2 diabetes in the age bracket of 7-18 are increasing."

Al Madani also said that we are more at risk due to changes in lifestyle and our genes. "Most people here have a family history of diabetes. Add to that the fact that all our jobs have become more sedentary. Fast food restaurants are also on the increase."

He added: "Obesity is the major factor in contracting Type 2 diabetes, and it also increases risk of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart attacks and strokes. It also leads to breathing difficulty, osteoporosis and back pain."