With menu items like the "Quadruple Bypass Burger," and free meals for anyone weighing more than 350 pounds, Arizona's Heart Attack Grill has long infuriated health advocates. But the restaurant is being attacked anew now that its 575-pound spokesperson, Blair River, passed away last week at the age of 29. Though River reportedly died from pneumonia complications, not a heart attack, doctors note that River's obesity made him much more susceptible to illness. Is the Heart Attack Grill to blame for taking the unhealthy lifestyle joke too far, or is Rivers' death just an eat-at-your-own-risk cautionary tale? (Watch a local report about River's death.)
We can all learn from this: The Heart Attack Grill's giddy pro-gluttony concept was a relative "hoot," until now, says Osha Gray Davidson at Forbes. In light of River's death, dining there would likely be "an overwhelmingly sad experience." If anything, River's story just shows "that eating as if there were no tomorrow can become self-fulfilling prophesy."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
When did computer passwords become a thing?The Explainer People have been racking their brains for good codes for longer than you might think
-
What to know before 'buying the dip'the explainer Purchasing a stock once it has fallen in value can pay off — or cost you big
-
Fast and furious zombies, serial killer sharks and a matchmaking conundrum in June moviesthe week recommends Danny Boyle is back with '28 Years Later' and Dakota Johnson has a Sophie's choice to make in 'Materialists'
