By Chris Cosci

Bigger is better. Size does matter. No matter how you say it, people are obsessed with excess. However, this has not been the case with the food industry lately. With McDonald's losing it's famed "Super-Size" meals and fad diets making small portions stylish, it's becoming harder and harder to partake in a massive feast of overindulgence.

That doesn't mean it's impossible. If you really want to test your stomach's limit, head over to Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. For the record, this Denny's is not to be confused with the popular restaurant chain famous for its Grand Slam Breakfast -- although I'm sure the chain also has some menu items that will test your stomach's limit, just in a different way.

Denny's Beer Barrel Pub entices patrons with the lure of obscenely massive burgers. For rookies, there's the 2-pound Challenger. For the more serious enthusiast, there's the 3-pound Baby Boy. While these burgers certainly pose a challenge to even the most ravenous patron, they both pale in comparison to Denny's 96er, a 6-pound burger (or 96 ounces, hence the name) that could cause muscle cramps from lifting it in addition to any internal conditions caused by eating it.

Topped with two whole tomatoes, twelve slices of cheese and "a river of mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard" (because "an ocean of mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard" would sound revolting), Denny's 96er was like the Moby Dick of burgers -- many tried to finish it off, and some probably died trying. However, this behemoth has faced some major setbacks this year.

Trouble started in January when a 115-pound college student, Kate Stelnick, became the first person to complete Denny's challenge to finish the burger alone in less than three hours. I'm guessing she probably passed on dessert. A girl has to watch her figure, you know.

After being bested by Stelnick, the 96er was dealt a final, devastating blow. In Clinton, New Jersey, a bigger burger strolled into town. The Clinton Station Diner introduced Zeus, a 12.5-pound burger that made the 96er look like a side dish. Like the Greek god it was named for, Zeus reigned supreme, stripping Denny's of its status as home to the world's biggest hamburger. Unlike the Greek god, Zeus' reign only lasted a couple of months. Also, the Greek god didn't come with pickles, but that's beside the point.

Unable to accept defeat, Denny's raised the bar, and the country's potential cholesterol level, by introducing the Beer Barrel Belly Buster, a 15-pound mass of beef, bread and condiments. According to Denny's vice president, "every restaurant needs a gimmick -- ours is big burgers." Gimmick, dietary hazard -- what's the difference?

Cooking the burger is a long process. The chef first mixes in eggs, bread crumbs and other undisclosed items to keep the beef together (my money's on glue). The meat is then put into what is essentially a large broiler for 2.5 hours. Finally, it's lifted onto a grill to be charbroiled. When it's done, this tire-sized burger is placed on a specially made bun and topped with roughly five pounds of condiments, including 25 slices of cheese and an entire head of lettuce. As for the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard, I'm guessing it's okay to use the term "ocean" now.

While the burger is certainly a prime example of society's love of excess, not everybody is enamored with the concept. Madelyn Fernstrom, an associate professor and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Weight Management Center, asks, "What's the point of having a hamburger that's 15 pounds? It's ridiculous. There's nothing that is redeeming about it." Obviously she's unaware that Denny's uses extra lean ground beef to create the Belly Buster. So from a fat standpoint, it's only like eating a 3-pound burger.

Despite Fernstrom's comments, Denny's attracts a respectable crowd. Even if people don't order the monstrous burgers, they're happy to just catch a glimpse of one. And if anybody ever finishes a Belly Buster alone in less than five hours, Denny's will pick up the tab -- antacid not included.