Stephen Dubner, the co-author of the best-selling book Freakonomics, has praised the unlikely food saviour, contradicting years of negative feeling towards the much-maligned greasy treat. The double cheeseburger, with one slice of cheese, comprises of 23 grams of protein, 7 per cent of the daily value of fibre, 20 per cent of calcium and 19 grams of fat , making up a relatively low 390 calories. For a mere 65p to £1.30, the burger is actually a surprisingly healthy snack, Dubner argues.

"The more I thought about the question, whether the McDouble is the cheapest, most bountiful and nutritious food ever, the more I realised how you see the world, not only our food system and the economics of it, but even social justice."



Now, an argument has been sparked that the beleaguered burger ought to demand more respect.



Kyle Smith, a columnist from the New York Post, frankly declared: "Facts are facts – where else but McDonald's can poor people obtain so many calories per dollar?"

However, critics say that the burger's cheap price does not factor in external costs – including the vast expense of mass production.