BBC News - Freak Shakes - what do we think?

(Alex ) #1

There’s been a call for a ban, whilst I don’t believe in taking people’s decisions away from them, I do think these are a ridiculous product playing into the hands of those with eating issues and sugar problems!

Can’t be good to have this many calories coming in from one hit surely?

The campaign group Action on Sugar is demanding a ban on freakshakes and all milkshakes with more than 300 calories.

It surveyed milkshakes sold in restaurants and fast food shops in the UK and found they contained “grotesque levels of sugar and calories”.

Freakshakes are milkshakes that also contain chocolates, sweets, cake, cream and sauce.

The Toby Carvery Unicorn Freakshake came top of the survey with 39 teaspoons of sugar or 1,280 calories.

That is more than half the daily recommended amount of calories for an adult and over six times the amount of sugar recommended for seven to 10-year-olds.

It is the equivalent of drinking more than four cans of cola.

The British Heart Foundation calculates an average 25-year-old would need to jog for nearly three hours or vacuum the house for five hours to burn off the calories.

The researchers found that many other shakes contain more than half the daily recommended amount of calories for an adult.

They say that of the 46 products included in the survey with nutrition labelling available online, all would receive a red/high label for excessive levels of sugar per serving.

Action on Sugar, which is made up of specialists concerned with sugar and its effects on health, are calling for mandatory traffic light-coloured nutrition labelling across all menus.

The government is currently consulting on menu calorie labelling.

(bulkbiker) #2

So disappointing that they concentrate more on the calories and “burning them off” and less on the shit that this crap is filled with…

(Alex ) #3

I know, it’s complete b@llocks isn’t it? these shakes are basically endorsing next level gluttony with shocking ingredients… I can’t see how you’d even be able to stomach that amount of sweetness and stodge and not be throwing up after.

(Doug) #4

:smile: Would only be tiny milkshakes left.

(Chris) #5

I think it best to just put good information out there and allow people to slowly kill themselves if they still choose. Sounds harsh.

Challenge: finding the good information and getting it out there unsuppressed.

(Doug) #6

I didn’t know this was much of a thing, but from almost 3 years ago:

(Outrageous pictures, literally makes me feel faint.)

(Alex ) #7

@OldDoug

Yep, they are completely mental milkshakes! I look at some and wonder how they dont topple over?! Can you imagine spending all that money and it melts and collapses before you have chance to feel the diabetes hit?!

Pretty sure in the UK, it picked up pace in some of the “hipster” cafes in Shoreditch in London, like an on-trend thing stolen up from the States, they have been around for a while…

(Running from stupidity) #8

Yup. Problem is, the healthcare system is collapsing under the weight of sugar-poisoned patients, and that obviously affects everyone.

I mean, should we ban razor blades because a friend of mine uses them to cut herself? And looks on them as a means of possibly ending her life at some point? No, that reaction seems unduly over the top, even given that information.

I know calling for bans gets you into the news (example above, obviously), but it just puts you into the “do-gooder” or “control freak” camp with the very people who need the help.

OTOH, the ban on cigarettes has worked pretty well…

(Doug) #9

Cephalic insulin response - after half an hour, something was definitely going on, just from looking at the pictures. I’m guessing that I ended up with lower blood sugar, low enough that I needed to be sitting down. 36 hours into a fast, had not started drinking my first black coffee of the day.

Oh my poor body, I’m sorry - all those thousands of past indiscretions… :confused: