A cheeseburger with a croissant-donut hybrid (aka a cronut) for a bun, topped with cheese, bacon, maple bacon jam and a fried egg. A peanut butter milkshake infused with bacon bits. A hot dog on a stick, covered in chocolate and rolled in marshmallows and graham cracker bits. Pulled pork drizzled with maple syrup and sandwiched between layers of red velvet pancakes.
While this sounds like something straight out of a movie like Supersize Me, it’s actually just a small sample of the foods being served up at Toronto’s CNE this year.
I’ll admit I was intrigued – until I got to the chocolate-covered hot dog. And as much as I love bacon, eating all of these artery-clogging foods in the span of a few hours sounds like a recipe for some major indigestion.
So, just how bad is it to eat all of these deep-fried delicacies in one go? Marsha Feldt, a dietitian with Sunnybrook’s Family Practice, says that while our bodies are designed to handle a lot, eating a burger containing several thousand calories is not the best idea. “These foods are already high in fat, and even more fat is added when you cook them in a deep fryer,” she says.
Many of the foods listed are high in sodium as well as carbohydrates, which your body converts to sugar during digestion. “People with certain medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes should definitely stay away from eating these kinds of foods, as it’s a heavy load for your body to handle,” says Feldt.
If you absolutely must taste test the outrageous food at the Ex, don’t eat it every day. “From a common sense perspective, you probably aren’t going to feel very good after eating that much,” says Feldt.
If you do decide to indulge, keep in mind that it will take a lot of physical activity to work off what you’ve eaten. Assuming a 160-pound person consumes 3,000 calories at the CNE’s Food Pavilion, to burn it all off would take:
[list type=”arrow”]
[li]7 hours of swimming laps[/li]
[li]3.5 hours of jumping rope[/li]
[li]5 hours of running at 5 mph[/li]
[li]13.5 hours of ballroom dancing[/li]
[li]9.5 hours of walking at 3.5 mph[/li]
[/list]
Suddenly, a simple sandwich or salad is looking pretty appealing!
(activity source: Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 compendium of physical activities: A second update of codes and MET values. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011;43:1575)
