The Heart Attack Grill: Where You Can Eat Free If You Weigh Over 350 Lbs.

Posted by Jasmin Ramsey, PULSE at 2:00 PM on July 27, 2009.

In the late 90s while writing a paper about fitness training studios in a marketing class Jon Basso came up with an idea for a new theme based restaurant which he would call The Heart Attack Grill. Years later this American’s dream would become a reality in Chandler, Arizona where The Heart Attack Grill has literally been serving up death sentences on a plate since 2005. Menu choices include Quadruple Bypass Burgers (8,000 calories per serving) and Flatliner Fries deep fried in loads of good old-fashioned pure lard, served by scantily clad women in nurse outfits. Basso himself (known as Dr. Basso though he holds no medical certifications) will even examine you with a stethoscope and have you exit the restaurant in a wheel chair should you feel too weak from resulting blood clots to walk out by yourself. There’s also no chance of having your kids eat for free at this restaurant -- only the customers who agree to prove they weigh 350 pounds or more can enjoy that privilege!

While the health craze movement has been increasingly penetrating various aspects of North American society for decades, everywhere from the workplace to the home and of course the food and drink industry (even Fat Burger which has been around since 1952 offers healthy menu alternatives now), The Heart Attack Grill has been promoting an anti-health rebellion.  Basso even goes so far as to prohibit the existence of any calorie-conscious choices on the menu. Those who would have normally opt for a Diet Coke can choose a drink like Mexican Cola instead which is made with real sugar.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen -- in America one man’s dream can and will be the cause of another man’s death and while some will hail Basso as genius  for his ability to produce profit from controversy, and others will defame him as an immoral murderer, chances are he will continue living this dream comfortably until the day he dies.

After 9/11 happened America’s defense spending ballooned to more than half of the federal government’s discretionary budget and measures were taken everywhere to remind Americans about the ‘threats from out there’ in the form of demonized, irrational Middle Eastern men who were determined to take away Americans’ right to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  But what about domestic threats to American lives which claim many more lives consistently each and every single year? How much is being spent to counter obesity in America which is up since last year and leads to fatal illnesses and the general degradation of society as a whole?

In a short 2008 CBS news clip, Bill Geist interviews a devoted customer who says “you only live once, you’ve got to enjoy it” after agreeing that he may indeed need to see "real nurses" after his meal is done. In 2008 the UN food agency reported that 963 million people went hungry because they were unable to consume enough calories to live a normal, healthy life. Clearly definitions of living vary depending on where you had the good (or bad) fortune of being born.

Tagged as: cbs, obesity, united nations, heart attack grill, quadruple bypass burgers, flatliner fries, fat burger, bill geist, jon basso, lard