Food Reward Friday

Two 1/3 lb beef patties, four strips of bacon, three slices of American "cheese", mayo and bun.  This bad boy boasts 1,300 calories, 830 from fat, 188 from carbohydrate and 228 from protein.  Charred and fried processed meat, fake cheese, refined soybean oil mayo, and a white flour bun. You might as well just inject it directly into your carotid artery.  Add a large fries and a medium coke, and you're at 2,110 calories.  Who's hungry?


Hardee's has decided not to beat around the bush with salads and other such healthy nonsense.  Why?  Because people say they want them, but no one buys them.  Low calorie density, unrefined, simple natural foods are bad for the bottom line.  Huge, calorie-dense burgers with bacon and tasty sauces, advertised on the roadside and on TV, make people pull into Hardee's and open their wallets.  Here's a quote from Hardee's CEO Andrew Puzder

"This is a burger for young hungry guys who want a really big, delicious, juicy, decadent burger," he said. "I hope our competitors keep promoting those healthy products, and we will keep promoting our big, juicy delicious burgers."

This is hilarious and disturbing, but I do admire his honesty.  Pudzer has clearly grasped the magic of food reward-- it's so powerful it can trump a person's concern for his health, just as gambling or drug reward can trump a person's concern for his finances or health.  He even skillfully used language in the interview that triggers the desire to eat his burgers, turning the interview into an effective marketing tool.  Hardee's strategy of saying au revoir to health foods and focusing on highly rewarding calorie-dense items has been quite good for business.