Warning sought for 4,800-calorie ballpark burger

The West Michigan Whitecaps made national news when they introduced this 4-pound, $20 burger. AP

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -- The West Michigan Whitecaps say they have no plans to put a warning label on an enormous new hamburger they're selling this season -- despite a vegan advocacy group's request to do just that.

Susan Levin, a staff dietitian for the Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, sent a letter to the Grand Rapids minor-league team on Tuesday. She's asking that the 4,800-calorie burger be labeled a "dietary disaster" that increases the risk of cancer and heart disease.

The 4-pound, $20 burger features five beef patties, five slices of cheese, nearly a cup of chili and liberal doses of salsa and corn chips -- all on an 8-inch bun.

Whitecaps spokesman Mickey Graham says the burger is a gimmick that's being promoted as a very unhealthy menu item.

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