• Associated Press via CTV, Friday, November 17, 2006 10:45 AM

Burger King should pull its ad campaign for the XXL burger--the caloric equivalent of eating 10 fried eggs--because it violates a Spanish initiative against obesity, the country's Health Ministry says.

It has been asking the fast-food chain to abandon the campaign for more than a week because the commercials go against an agreement signed by the Spanish Federation of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs, of which Burger King is a member. Under that pact, members of the federation said they would refrain from promoting huge servings. Each sandwich has an average of 971 calories--nearly 50% of the recommended daily allowance for an active teenager--and 25 grams of saturated fat. These numbers go even higher when condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise are added.

"In this campaign, we are simply promoting a line of burgers that has formed part of our menu in recent years," Burger King says. "Our philosophy can be summed up with the motto: 'As you like it,' in which our customers' taste trumps all."

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