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Why Did McDonald's Start "Supersizing"?

Back in 1993, Americans began to “super-size” their meals at McDonald’s, increasing the size of their soft drinks to a whopping 42 ounces (1.19 liters) and pumping up the portions of their French fries. The practice began with the chain’s tie-in marketing for the first Jurassic Park film, but back then, folks were urged to order a “Dino-size.” McDonald’s began to phase out super-sizing in 2004, but other fast-food outlets have persisted, despite complaints that people are intaking way too many calories and fat.

Before there was super-sizing, there was Dino-sizing:

  • The Jurassic Park series of sci-fi adventure films was based on a novel by Michael Crichton.
  • The films take place on the fictional Isla Nublar, located near Costa Rica along the Central American Pacific Coast, where geneticists have created an amusement park populated by cloned dinosaurs.
  • The dinosaurs in the films were created with computer-generated imagery using life-sized animatronic dinosaurs provided by Industrial Light & Magic.

Discussion Comments

By anon1000048 — On May 13, 2018

McD should have made the Dino size a veggie burger

By anon1000047 — On May 13, 2018

A good question to go along with the original would be, "When did people lose the ability to stop eating of their own volition?"

No one has the ability to make you eat too much, and if you do, it's on yourself.

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