The fourth meal

It's not unusual for Desirea Ouellette and her friends to find themselves hungry in the late evening and seek relief, either on campus at Florida Southern College or elsewhere. One of the places they sometimes wind up is Taco Bell, that culinary magnet for collegians.

“Whether it's at Denny's or Waffle House or something like that, after you drink or after you go out and you're hanging out, it is common in my age bracket to go out and get something to eat,” said Ouellette, 21. “I guess it's basically limited by the amount of places open that time, and that's why Taco Bell gets more business.”

Ouellette, a junior at Florida Southern, has never considered applying a name to the post-dinner repast, but the marketers at Taco Bell are happy to supply one. In a series of TV commercials aimed at the youth market, Taco Bell flashes the term “Fourthmeal” to promote its food as the antidote to late-night stomach rumblings.

The ads feature a self-assured young man who arrives to rescue strangers stricken by late-night hunger, extolling the virtues of Taco Bell food. In one spot, the unnamed hipster weaves through a crowded nightclub, commandeering the DJ's microphone to declare, “Everyone is a Fourthmealer. Some just don't know it yet.”

The commercials exude a frivolous tone, but many nutritionists and health authorities are not amused. At a time when the phrase “obesity epidemic” has become almost a cliche, they say Americans should not be encouraged to expand the traditional routine of three daily meals.