Dietitians and media outlets are buzzing with the newest announcement in fast-food gluttony: IHOP‘s Pancake Stacker.

The Pancake Stacker is basically two buttermilk pancakes with a crustless cheesecake filling, topped with a whole fruit compote and whipped cream shlemazel that so often adorns pancakes. Diners can get it on its own or in a combo meal (i.e. with bacon, eggs, hash browns) for a grand total of 1,250 calories and 2,750 mg of sodium. That’s about half of the RDA of calories for a normal adult and over the total RDA of sodium, in case you’re counting.

The calorie and health conscious are of course going to find this all appalling, another temptation for the overweight and unfit to succumb to. Another piece of evidence in the mountain case for why Americans are obese and unhealthy.

And that’s all true. But a.) I don’t much like breakfast, but I do like cheesecake, so when I see cheesecake is part of it, I feel like, AH, finally something for me! But more importantly, b.) it’s not like IHOP is where you go to get your organic vegan lentil casserole. It’s where you go to splurge on a breakfast to cure a hangover and/or make you feel guilty enough to go to the gym all week. That’s what it’s for. And as such, it should have the requisite crap to put in your body, which can be fun from time to time.

It’s not their responsibility to keep you from making bad decisions. They’re a company. They want to make money and buy a new pool. It’s your responsibility. If you want to make good decisions, then go to Ahmed’s House of Raw Seaweed, not IHOP! And if you do go to IHOP, then get the damn salad.

Source: MSNBC.com.