Bratfest

The Bratfest is an unhealthy event that encourages people to overeat. In the interest of public health it should be changed or discontinued. Some would argue that I have no stake in this event because I do not eat meat. This does alter my perspective, but I accept that many people eat meat as a part of a healthy diet. The Bratfest is not a part of a healthy diet. The Bratfest encourages the public to come together and eat as many sausages as possible in 4 days. A massive sausage binge all for the noble cause of eating more than the previous year.

The Bratfest wants to get bigger ans bigger, but the State of Wisconsin is already very good at being bigger. 24.1% of our adults are obese, and this costs our state an additional 1486 million dollars every year in medical costs. (ncsl.org)

Obesity is not just a matter of personal choice or willpower, it is a product of environmental, cultural, genetic and biological factors. One could argue that Bratfest sends a message that eating large amounts of sausage is good for the community, and is a socially acceptable way to participate in society. This is a paradoxical message, as eating lots and lots of brats will eventually shorten your life and prematurely end your participation in the community.

The nuances of this message, along with any public health concerns are pretty much ignored during bratfest weekend. The Brat can not be made healthy, unless you just do not eat one. The Sauerkraut, onions, and relish are fine, but alas The star of the whole event, the Brat is just not good for anyone. 260 calories, 22 grams of fat, 840 mg of sodium. The 14 grams of protein, its only redeeming quality, do not compensate. A single Brat eaten occasionally in an otherwise balanced diet can be fine, but that is not what the Bratfest promotes.

There is a large electronic sign that counts the number of Brats eaten. The goal of the event is to break the record by eating more brats than have been eaten at any other bratfest ever before. This year we succeeded. We, the attendees ate 209,376 Brats this year.
209,376 Brats at 260 calories each, then we divide that by 3600 calories, then we as a community have gained a collective 15,121 pounds from this festival.

It is possible that some of use actually burned off these excess calories, there was Rutabaga Paddlesports offering 15 minute Kayak rides, and it was a fairly long walk from the parking lot, but I bet the vast majority of us didn't do an extra 5 miles before breakfast. (5mile jog/walk would burn the calories from 2 brats, not counting buns)

So what are the alternatives? Is it necessary to give up our tradition? The city could have a strawberry or spinach festival and encourage all of us to eat the healthy stuff enmass, or we could have a city-wide walk-a-thon and count laps around the track.

I think I would be appeased if the impetus to 'break the record' were dropped. Maybe the organizers could quietly encourage moderation in the number of sausages people eat, perhaps feature meals that contain sausage along side (gasp) whole grains and vegetables. But this does not have the same allure as the massive eating of sausage that is the Madison tradition.

In reality, the Bratfest might not survive without the 'break the record' advertising. In that case it would be a Madison tradition like the medical tradition of bleeding people to cure illness, and the Puritan tradition of burning witches . It is a stupid tradition that needs to end before it does anymore damage.