A couple posts ago, I was talking about how Pizza Hut is changing their name to The Hut. I mentioned how they are also offering a $5 menu and increasing the serving sizes of many of their older items (including adding new ones).

A reader asked why. Here’s my reply: (This concept is so goddamn key to why we Americans and now, beyond, are so fat and as a result, unhealthy.)

Hi Rebecca, If you’re wondering why they are making the Personal Pan supersized, I can definitely tell you why:

“Supersizing” started around 1970 when a man named David Wallerstein, a marketing guru, starting working with McDonald’s. He reached a road block when it seemed that no gimmicks were getting people to buy more than one bag of fries or sodas. He did some observations and realized that customers didn’t want to look like pigs by going for seconds. He proposed that an increase in serving size along with a small increase in price would skyrocket sales. McDonald’s Boss, Ray Kroc was skeptical. They tried it and sure enough, Wallerstein was right! Hide our cultural taboo of gluttony by making the serving sizes bigger!

Blam!!! Obesity, here we come (back in the 70’s) and now BLAM. Obesity, here we sure as hell are. Obesity is a cause of Diabetes II which used to be called “Adult Onset Diabetes” which has now been changed bc more and more obese children are becoming afflicted. It’s no longer just for grown-ups. That’s why the Personal Pan pizza has turned into the Personal Panormous–so we’ll pay more for a little extra, thus increasing profits.

Source: Pollan, Michael: The Omnivore’s Dilemma: 2006

I’ve mentioned this book before and it’s a great read.