Breakfast food joins the obesity war

(2010 IHOP IP, LLC)

IHOP (International House of Pancakes), an American chain restaurant with locations across the United States, Mexico and Canada, has joined the obesity war by standing on the side of choice April 27 when announcing their latest high calorie menu creation, "Pancake Stackers."

The Pancake Stackers item is a stack of two buttermilk pancakes layered with crustless cheesecake and topped with your choice of fruit, blueberry, strawberry or apple cinnamon, and whipped cream served in a combo with two eggs, hash browns and bacon, ham or pork sausage. Prices can vary depending on location $4.99-5.99 (€3.79-4.55) and will only be available until June 20.

There is also an option for New York Cheesecake Pancakes, prepared the same way as the Stackers but instead of two pancakes layered, you get four. The exact calorie load is unknown but the Stacker combo is around 1250, according to Jennifer Pendergrass, a spokeswoman for IHOP.

With the "IHOP for me" menu, IHOP has also created a lower calorie options that max out at 600 calories. Needless to say the Stackers finds itself in the midst of the children's obesity debate following the White House Childhood Obesity Summit, the news frenzy surrounding the launch of Kentucky Fried Chicken's Double Down sandwich, the ridiculous caloric intake of Wendy's Triple Baconater, the announcement by 16 companies that they would create low-sodium products including Uncle Ben's Rice and Heinz Ketchup and Santa Clara County's decision on April 27 to ban toys in McDonald's Happy Meals until they get healthier. Meanwhile English celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has brought his campaign, started in the UK, to help children and parents overcome obesity to the US.

IHOP proudly stands by its new menu item, Pendergrass told the Glendale News Press, ""We're really about the freedom of choice for our guests."

Not only is the chain a fan of choice but also of attracting parents and children with their current campaign inviting children to eat free from 4-10pm daily the entire month of April.