Wendy's says bye to Biggie

Yahoo News ^ | June 9, 2006 | Jessica Wohl

[billorites]

Wendy's International Inc. (NYSE:WEN - news), the No. 3 U.S. hamburger chain, on Friday said it would remove the term "Biggie" from its french fries and drinks, switching to the well known terms small, medium and large.

However, the new designations may confuse some diners who are used to such sizing at other restaurants.

At rival McDonald's Corp. (NYSE:MCD - news), the largest burger chain, a 32 ounce soft drink is designated a large. At Wendy's, a 32 ounce drink will now be called medium, instead of Biggie.

Wendy's is also adding a 42-ounce soft drink -- the equivalent of 3-1/2 cans of soda -- as its large. The large drink will come in a more durable, portable plastic cup that fits in a car cup holder for diners on-the-go.

"We felt like the Biggie designation is not what most customers were used to. Most people were used to small, medium and large," a spokesman said.

Wendy's had used the term Biggie since the early 1990s.

Previously, Wendy's sold a 16 ounce soft drink as a small, a 20 ounce soft drink as medium and a 32 ounce soft drink as Biggie. Now, a 20 ounce drink is a small, a 32 ounce drink is a medium and the new 42 ounce drink is a large. The company will still sell a 16 ounce drink on its 99 cent value menu.

At McDonald's, a 16 ounce drink is called a small, a 21 ounce drink is a medium and a 32 ounce drink is a large.

McDonald's famously removed the "Super Size" option from its combo meals after the 2004 release of the film "Super Size Me" -- a documentary in which filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald's fare for a month and tracked his increasingly poor health.

Kids' sized drinks at both chains are 12 ounces.

Under Wendy's new program, the sizes of its combo meals will be small, medium and large. A medium combo will cost 49 cents more than a small, and a large combo will cost 89 cents more than a small.

Customers can still substitute a bottle of Dasani water for a soft drink, and items such as a side salad, chili or yogurt and granola for french fries, regardless of the combo size.

Wendy's has four different sizes of french fries, ranging from the 3.2 ounce kids' size to a 6.7 ounce large size. At McDonald's, a small fries is 2.6 ounces, medium is 4 ounces and large is 6 ounces.

The new sizing terminology, which Wendy's is promoting in stores, comes just a day after the chain said it would virtually eliminate artery-clogging trans fats in its fries and breaded chicken items.

Wendy's restaurants in the United States and Canada will switch to a new blend of corn and soy oil for french fries and breaded chicken items starting in August. The move will reduce trans fats in fries to just zero to 0.5 grams, depending on serving sizes, while all of the breaded chicken will have zero grams of trans fats.

[MarkL]

Hey - I want my extra-DOUBLE LARGE Bucket-o-chicken pizza!

Although they went of out business in KC about 25 or 30 years ago, to this day, the best fast food fried chicken I ever ate was at Shakeys Pizza. It was always a treat to eat there, between the banjo and piano players, and the player piano when they weren't there. I seem to recall the pizza was pretty good too.

Mark

[handk]

On SuperSize Me, there a bit in the "Extra Features" section of the DVD where Spurlock lines up about six large glass bell jars (brand new), and places in each one a different fast-food item; a McDonald's fish filet burger in one jar, a Big Mac in a second jar, a bacon cheese burger from a local burger joint in another jar, and so on.

In one jar he places a large order of McDonald's french fries.

After two weeks he comes back to see how the food has decayed. With the exception of the McDonald's fries, the rest of the food is starting to look really gross; black mold, goopy oozing crap, weird green colors, etc. The McDonald's french fries? Nothing.

He comes back after four weeks. Total gross out. The Big Mac has grown a giant black/green "afro, and has turned to gloop. The McDonald's french fries? Nothing.

At the six week mark he comes back and it's unwatchable. The most grotesque crap in a glass jar you ever seen, bleeeech!

The McDonald's french fries? Lookin' good! Not a spec on them. Like the day they were bought. After six weeks... in a glass jar... at room temperature. Six weeks.

I will never eat McDonald's french fries ever again.

[billbears]

Lady, I'm 37 years old!! I'm not ridiculing a single thing. Diabetes runs in my family. Doesn't mean I'm going to change my eating habits too much though. I don't really like sweets all that much. I was fat at one time (doing a good job of getting fatter) and fat runs in my family. I didn't give a dern for what I looked like. I actually remember not changing the TV station one time when the remote's batteries went dead because I would have to get up to do it. I look at my mother, her brother and sisters, and God love 'em don't want to end up like that.

As for BMI, according to that, I should weigh somewhere around 180-185. In the past six months, I've lost 10-12% body fat and put on 25 non-fat lbs from where I started. Sorry, but BMI is a joke.

The Center for Consumer Freedom addresses the FDA

[HungarianGypsy]

Guess what? I'm not overweight (6'1", around 240 lbs) and don't have type II diabetes. It's called personal responsibility.... Actually if you calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) you are at the low end of the "obesity" range

Which is why the BMI is a crock. My husband is 6'0 and 200 pounds. He weighs the same as when he wrestled in high school. He walks many miles a day because of his job. He's very thin. Yet, according to the BMI is overweight. His dad had the same build when he was in the Marines and had to be submerged in water every time to get an accurate measurement.

[Richard Kimball]

Well, as Newbaum Turk says, "You want the big one? I've got the big one!"

[Buck W.]

Fortunately, we have Whataburger in Texas. Nice juicy, square burgers.

[billbears]

List of 'fat' famous people

Barry Bonds: 6'2": 228 lbs: 29
David Boreanaz: 6'2": 218 lbs: 28
Tom Brady: 6'4": 225 lbs: 27
President Bush: 5'11": 191 lbs: 26
Nic Cage: 6'1": 210 lbs: 28
George Clooney: 5'11": 211 lbs: 29
Tom Cruise: 5'7": 170 lbs: 26
Matt Damon: 5'11": 187 lbs: 26
Johnny Depp: 5'7": 190 lbs: 27
David Duchovny: 6'0": 212 lbs: 29
Vin Diesel: 6'2": 200 lbs: 26
Cheryl Ford: 6'3": 215 lbs:27
Harrison Ford: 6'1": 218 lbs: 29
Brendan Fraser: 6'3": 234 lbs: 29
Richard Gere: 5'11": 187 lbs: 26
Ethan Hawke: 5'9": 172 lbs: 25
Hugh Jackman: 6'2": 210 lbs: 27
Lebron James: 6'8": 240 lbs: 26
Dale Jarrett: 6'2": 200 lbs: 26
Bobby Labonte: 5'9": 170 lbs: 25
Nick Lachey: 5'10": 180 lbs: 26
Karl Malone: 6'9": 259 lbs: 28
Dr. Phil McGraw: 6'4": 240 lbs: 29
Mark McGuire (playing weight): 6'5": 250 lbs: 30
Donovan McNabb: 6'3": 240 lbs: 30
Yao Ming: 7'6": 310 lbs: 27
Brad Pitt: 6'0": 203 lbs: 28
Keanu Reeves: 6'1": 223 lbs: 29
Cal Ripken: 6'4": 210 lbs: 27
Andy Roddick: 6'2": 197 lbs: 25
Will Smith: 6'2": 210 lbs: 27
Sammy Sosa: 6'0": 220 lbs: 30
Denzel Washington: 6'0": 199 lbs: 27
Bruce Willis: 6'0": 200 lbs: 29
Billy Zane: 6'2": 210 lbs: 27

OBESE:
Mel Gibson 5'9": 214 pounds: 32
Matt LeBlanc: 5'11": 218 lbs: 30
Steve McNair: 6'2": 235 lbs: 30
The Rock (Dwayne Johnson): 6'5": 275 lbs: 33
Arnold Schwarzenegger: 6'2": 257 lbs: 33
Sylvester Stallone: 5'9": 228 lbs: 34
Mike Tyson: 5'11 ½": fighting weight between 218-235: 30-32

According to the government these people are overweight or outright obese. Have you seen the physiques of some of these people? The BMI index is shameful

[Young Scholar]

Now, a 20 ounce drink is a small, a 32 ounce drink is a medium and the new 42 ounce drink is a large.

Disgusting, but if people want it, I guess they can have it.

I hope they never complain (and demand the government intervene) about money problems or the cost of health care, if they choose to spend money on something so unhealthful.

[handk]

I've got a Wendy's coupon for a free combo meal (burger, fries, drink).

I haven't eaten at Wendy's for a very long time.

After reading your post, I think I'll toss the coupon in the trash.

[stands2reason]

You can order a "large". The sizes are still there.

[stands2reason]

Uhhh, that was sarcasm.

[Armedanddangerous]

Remember back in the old days when they sold those trays of HUGE french fries?

[Ainast]

O. M. G........

I sooooo have to get me one of those. I am so frickin hungry right now. Thanks alot man.

[pollyannaish]

In this case, that's true. But several chains have quit offering their huge sizes in an effort to placate the obesity lawsuitmongers.

The problem is that people order what they order and eat what they eat. This does nothing to solve the obesity problem...just makes those of us who want to save money pay more for less.

[pollyannaish]

I completely agree.

As goofy as he is, he knows that the fight is not what others foist on you, but what you foist on yourself.

Just like anything else, health has to come from the inside out. If it is forced on you, you will rebel.

[MinorityRepublican]

It would be funny to call "The Rock" a fattie and he'll kick your @$$!

[stands2reason]

No, a medium Domino's pizza is and has always been 12 inches.

Large is 14 inches.

The small was a 10 inch pizza, but they don't carry it anymore.

[Ainast]

I just performed that same experiment with my car. I accidentally left half a tripple whopper and fries in a bag in the backseat of my car when I went on vacation. 1.5 weeks later when I got back from my vacation.... eeeewwwww.... Not much of a smell but it sure does look nasty. I'm just glad no fireants got to it.

[stands2reason]

Since when is Richard Simmons considered a "regular person"?

[billbears]

It would be funny to call "The Rock" a fattie and he'll kick your @$$!

LOL, he'd take your computer, shine it up real nice, turn it sideways and stick it straight....well there you go (yes I watched my share of 'rassling back in the 90s). Either him, Vin Diesel, or Mark McGwire. There's a few people I'd consider saying it to but those three, no thanks.