When it comes to coffee, Starbucks and the Washington Examiner agree: Forget the War on Obesity. In an apparent betrayal of First lady and food inspector-in-chief (and apparent Starbucks drinker) Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" healthy lifestyle campaign, Starbucks announced a new cup size for iced coffee, tea, or lemonade drinks this week, called the "Trenta." It should probably just be called "The Coffee Bucket." (Not to be confused with this April Fools prank from Starbucks that they seem to have actually made real.)
According to Starbucks' website, getting a "Trenta" Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha could set you back more than 1,000 calories. That's almost two Burger King whoppers and just half of the FDA's recommended daily caloric intake. And it is so large that the National Post has released a graphic revealing the cup is, in fact, larger than the average human stomach.
Not that Obama can complain. Starbucks employees contributed over $40,000 to her husband's presidential campaign, compared to a piddling $3,000 to his opponent, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz (Hillary Clinton got less than half what Obama got). And when she urged Americans to do volunteer work during the week of the inauguration, Starbucks provided free coffee to those who filled out pledge cards in accordance with the call to service.
To be fair, that Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha comes with whipped cream and was made with whole milk. But even Starbucks, by choosing such a large size, admits that sometimes you have to indulge. The question is, with former Office of Management and Budget Chief (and coffee-fiend) Peter Orszag gone, who at the White House will be first in line?