Junk food compared with Class A drug

That could be a needle of drugs in his pudgy hand

Research recently carried out in Florida suggests that junk food may be addictive in the same way as heroin or cocaine. The three-year study analysed the brain activity in rats eating high-calorie foods such as burgers and cheesecake, and found similar results to those seen in humans with a drug addiction. Read more here. [South Park, with the unerring accuracy of a Rolex, portrayed Cartman snorting a line of KFC in what is possibly the funniest SP episode I’ve ever seen. Watch it here.]

“This is not an amusement park,” declares Sergeant-Major

Troops in Afghanistan have been banned from eating junk food. Branches of Pizza Hut, Subway and Burger King have been forced to close in Helmand by General Stanley McChrystal, a workaholic known as the ‘warrior monk’. For an interesting insight into the eating habits of various nations’ armies click here.

Forget granola – full English is the healthiest way to start the day

A healthy start?

It seemed like a lame attempt at an April fool, but it looks like scientists are genuinely suggesting that a fried breakfast is a healthy option. The study appears to show that breakfast programs the metabolism, and thus a fatty breakfast helps the body maximise energy usage. Convinced?

Other food news this week:

* Spanish wine industry in serious trouble. Click here to read more.

* Hospitals urged to chastise those with drink-related injuries. Click here for more.

* Lincolnshire lays claim to having the world’s hottest chilli. Read about it here.

* More junk food mania as Domino’s boom continues. Read more here and last year’s post on the subject here.

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Blog post of the week

* Fiona Beckett writes a highly pertinent and evenhanded comparison of Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley and Gordon Ramsay’s newly reopened Petrus. Read it here.

Recipe of the week

Lamb is undoubtedly the Easter meat, and quite frankly I wish it was the Christmas meat too. Here’s a cracking recipe for roast lamb.

Puke of the week

I made the mistake of trying Dandelion and Burdock for the first time. It will also be the last.

And finally – the greatest episode of Come Dine With Me in the history of Christianity:

Click here to watch it in all its fist-chewingly awful splendour.