The men who made us fat. Part 2.

Jacques Peretti looks at the current obesity epidemic. This is the second of three programmes; this programme looks at the changes in portion size, the supersize phenomenon. Peretti goes to a fast food cafe and orders a 'child's breakfast'; it is the weight of a small child! We return to Peretti's MRi scan test which identifies the amount of internal visceral fat. Peretti then returns to the US; the supersize phenomenon began in a small cinema in Chicago which started offering larger portions of popcorn. The American fast food industry quickly adopted this, although, the chief executive of McDonald's was initially sceptical. Mike Donahue, VP of external relations, explains how the value message came across. This provided them with huge additional profits. Peretti comments on the unknown hidden risks of this new 'world of plenty'. Professor Anthony Sclafani of City University of New York, was studying rats. By giving the rats food high in fat and sugar, they rapidly gained weight. Britain's answer to McDonalds was Wimpy; the marketing manager, Peter Smale, remembers the introduction of counter service which was highly lucrative. In tandem, the packaging industry encouraged its clients to adopt 'up-selling'. Dr Susan Jebb from the MRC talks about other changes in behaviour; it is only recently that people routinely eat on the move. In the US, Tex-Mex chain,Taco Bell, introduced 'bundling', the 'value' meal. As well as creating labour and service efficiencies, it led to further profits according to Hank Cardello, marketing director of Coca Cola USA in the 1980s. Portion sizes of drinks have meant that the amount of sugar consumed has more than doubled since the 1950s. Dr Barbara Rolls from Penn State University also comments on another trend; the increase in portion size overall. Research shows that people eat a consistent volume of food, the difference lies in how calorie dense food is. Brian Watson, Creative Director of an advertising agency, talks about the launch of 'Yorkie' chocolate bars and Cadbury's chocolate fingers. Professor Philip James was asked by Tessa Jowell to study the food children were eating; the report proved unpalatable to the British foods business. Unsurprisingly, the report was unpublished. David Hinchcliffe had the unenviable task of getting the Food Industry to become more responsible, particularly regarding supersize products. Professor Terry WIlkin talks about his research into type 2 diabetes in childhood; he debunks the assertion that it is the lack of exercise which makes children obese. Peretti explains the concept of 'expandables'; this is the category of food merchandising which includes snacks and soft drinks - eating them has fewer rules and rituals. The British retail industry claims that this offers value for the consumer, particularly in these recessionary times. In the US, 1 in 3 people are thought to be clinically obese; Dr Kelly Brownell, Rudd Centre for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University, agrees that the food industry could do more. He lobbied for a tax on sugary drinks, a 'soda tax'. However, US Food companies are proving intransigent, but Brownell finds parrallels with the tobacco lobby debate and expects the tax to be introduced sooner rather than later.