KFC - New Double Down Sandwich - Ugh.

So it seems the citizens of Nebraska and Rhode Island are basking in the glory of a new"sandwhich" from KFC which does more than border on "bad taste" (pun intended...of course). The KFC, "Double Down" "sandwich", has been unleashed into their respective areas. I keep using quotes for the word "sandwich" because most sandwiches I have ever seen require at least two pieces of bread. However, KFC has a new spin. Instead of bread adorning the "meat" (bacon, two kinds of cheeses and sauce) the "sandwich" is being held together by two pieces of fried chicken.

The The Vancouver Sun did an independent calorie analysis for this monstrosity and concluded the "sandwich" will likely contain about 1228 calories.From the Sun:

But if our figures hold true, and KFC won't confirm they don't, the Double Down is more caloriffic than the Wendy's Triple with Everything and Cheese (1700 mg sodium, 960 calories, 26 gms of fat), the Burger King Stacker Quad (1770 sodium, 1020 calories, 69 gms of fat), and compares closely to the fat, salt and calorie totals of three McDonalds Big Macs put together (3060 sodium, 1620 calories, 87 gms fat).

Now why is this important to the Philly Food Feed? Besides the obvious health hazards of this edible edifice, the "Double Down" presents a perfect example of what is wrong with the food system in America. I called a KFC in Middletown, Rhode Island to find out the cost of the "sandwhich" and was informed that all of that Kentucky Fried juicy goodness costs $4.99.

$4.99 for roughly 1200 calories. What is the significance? Well, if you are paying any attention to the news lately, you will see that the health care crisis in America is dominating the headlines and cable news networks. One sixth of the economy is devoted to health care spending. America spends more on health care than any other country, per capita. With that being said, Obesity ranks as one of the biggest factors in health care spending.

Where am I going with this? What does this have to do with a 1200 calorie, 5 dollar sandwich? Well, I did a little research. I went online and looked at various supermarkets in my area and their prices of produce. Then I took their sales and did the calorie counts per pound of what they were offering. Then I multiplied and came out with various equivalents. All that jargon aside, it would take $14 dollars to eat the amount of broccoli that equals to 1200 calories. It would take $16 dollars of squash to meet the same caloric amount. Now I know nobody is going to eat 7 pounds of broccoli (although up until now I didn't think a "sandwich" would substitute fried chicken for bread), but you get the point. For people on or around the poverty line (the ones most affected by Obesity and the ones most likely not to have health insurance), it makes more fiscal and caloric sense to eat a "Double Down" than a double order of broccoli and there is something really wrong there.

If the President really wants to talk health care reform, start with the Farm Bill and corn subsidies. I cannot guarantee this, but that sandwich probably has more corn by-products in it than chicken. Some people who are aware of corn subsidies and their effect on the fast food industry's low low prices say when you are eating fast food, you are actually paying twice - once for the product and then with your taxes that help subsidize the Farm Bill. I think anybody who buys this "sandwich" (see, quotes until the end) are paying three times - with the third time being their health.