• A Japanese tourist upset with a $1,000 restaurant bill said she called the police about it.

• Junko Shinba was visiting Singapore and said she wasn’t informed of the cost of the meal beforehand.

• She told AsiaOne she didn’t expect her dish of Alaskan king crab to weigh nearly 8 pounds.

A Japanese tourist who discovered her restaurant bill had soared to $1,000 took the matter up with the police, saying she wasn’t properly informed of the meal’s cost.

Junko Shinba, who was visiting Singapore, was dining at the Seafood Paradise restaurant on August 19 when she learned that the chili-crab dish she ordered cost about $680, the Singaporean outlet AsiaOne reported.

Shinba, 50, told AsiaOne a waiter had suggested the dish, which is famed in Singapore and the neighboring country Malaysia.

But this dish was cooked with an Alaskan king crab, which costs diners about $20 per 100 grams at Seafood Paradise, AsiaOne reported. Chili crab is typically cooked with mud crabs.

Shinba told AsiaOne the waiter highlighted the crab as a dish priced at $20 “without explaining that they charge per 100 grams.”

Paradise Group, which owns Seafood Paradise, told Insider in a statement that restaurant staff had twice communicated the dish’s cost to Shinba’s group, and that its staff pointed to per-gram prices on the menu to help the diners understand.

“To prevent any miscommunication, the staff even brought the whole Alaskan king crab to the table before preparation,” it added.

But Shinba said she wasn’t told “the whole crab would be cooked only for us” and assumed her group would be given only a portion of the crab, AsiaOne reported.

An image of the receipt provided to AsiaOne by Shinba showed the Alaskan king crab cost about $680, meaning it weighed about 3.5 kilograms or 7.7 pounds.

“There were three plates full of crab and many other dishes — we were unable to finish everything,” she told the outlet.

Combined with the cost of other dishes, the total bill for Shinba’s table came to about $1,000 on the receipt.

Shinba then asked Seafood Paradise to call the police, and officers later arrived on the scene, AsiaOne reported.

After some discussion, Shinba’s group was given a discount of about $78, and her friend paid for the meal with his credit card, the outlet said.

Paradise Group said its restaurant manager assisted Shinba in making a police report and offered the discount “out of goodwill.”

Shinba also contacted the Singapore Tourism Board about the incident, and her case was referred to the Consumers Association of Singapore, AsiaOne reported.

Crab dishes at Seafood Paradise typically cost about $7.90 to $8.60 per 100 grams, though its snow-crab dishes are priced at $19.60 per 100 grams. The cost of its Alaskan king crab is listed as “seasonal” on the restaurant’s menu.

A representative for the Singapore Police Force declined to comment on Shinba’s case, citing the confidentiality of its police investigations.

A representative for the Consumers Association of Singapore did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

September 20, 2023: This story was updated to include comments from Paradise Group.

Read the original article on Insider

Welcome to TikTok Debunked, a series where Yahoo Canada digs into the truth behind popular TikTok health, beauty and food trends.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.

TikTok’s obsession with health, food and lifestyle can often be motivating, inspiring and exciting.

From drinking chia seed water to lose weight, or using berries to naturally dye your hair, the app is a place for people to learn new tips and tricks on the daily.

On the other hand, some viral trends can be questionable. One of those fads is the “10-day egg diet,” where people mainly eat eggs for 10 days in a row to help them lose weight. The fad has been around for years, but had a resurgence this year.

But, is the diet safe and sustainable? Should you try it? Read on for everything you need to know, including a dietitian’s opinion.

The claim — and how it started

• For 10 days straight, dieters eat mainly eggs for three meals a day. The trend does allow apples, oatmeal and green tea, but it focuses on egg consumption.

• In one of the most viral videos of the trend posted by @mercygirldevell, receiving 1.8 million views, the creator a three boiled eggs and green tea for breakfast, three more boiled eggs and an apple for lunch and plain oatmeal for dinner.

• “Lose 10kg in 10 days with me,” the user wrote on the screen, referring to the trend’s supposed capacity to help you lose weight quickly.

Context

• The TikTok search “egg diet” has over 191 million views, with videos from dietitians, fitness fanatics and curious users trying out the trend.

• Despite the popularity of the diet, some TikTokers and health experts expressed concern that it fuels restrictive eating and eating disorders.

  • For example, TikTok user @oaklandgrammy explained in a video, which garnered over 300,000 views, the egg diet resulted in body dysmorphia and obsessive behaviour about food and exercise.

  • Personal trainer @adampoehlmann_pt agreed, saying the fad can cause unhealthy relationships with food and lead to unsustainable weight loss.

What TikTok users are saying

On TikTok, users were either for or against the diet.

On one side, some TikTokers said the diet helped them quickly lose weight.

“I did this to lose weight for a family wedding, and it really did work!” wrote one user in the comments.

“It’s hard, but trust the process because the egg diet worked for me,” shared someone else.

On the other hand, many people wondered about the safety of the diet and whether you still receive all your required nutrients.

“There’s no way this is a good idea? There’s not enough protein, or iron, or other vitamins and minerals, right?” penned a TikToker.

“No way I could eat eggs all day for 10 days. Is this even verified by science? Why not just go into a calorie deficit to lose weight instead?” asked another.

An expert weighs in

Yahoo Canada spoke to registered dietitian and food influencer Abbey Sharp to get to the bottom of the trendy diet.

In her opinion, this is just another example of a “mono diet” that helps to prevent overeating.

“You’re going to eat the bare minimum number of eggs to numb the hunger which is likely to result in a significant calorie deficit,” Sharp explained

While eggs are incredibly nutritious — a source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins A, D and E, choline, iron and folate — Sharp said eating mostly eggs isn’t the way to go.

“The bigger issue is that consuming an excess of eggs displaces other important nutrients that you can’t get from eggs, like fibre,” she revealed.

Moreover, the dietitian explained there’s no such thing as a “perfect food” that offers all the nutrients your body needs to thrive.

Specifically, limiting your diet can “increase the risk of malnutrition or under-nutrition” and can be “disruptive to the gut microbiome which depends on diet diversity,” according to Sharp. This could also lead to constipation due to the lack of fibre.

Sharp added the diet is unsustainable as once you stop eating eggs, you’ll gain all the weight back.

As such, she said it’s not a safe or nutritious way to shed pounds. Instead, she recommends people follow a balanced diet that includes fibre rich carbs, protein and healthy fats.

Is it debunked?

Eggs are a versatile and tasty option for many people. From omelettes to quiches and more, it’s a breakfast (or lunch) staple around the globe.

However, after digging into the “10-day egg diet,” Yahoo Canada has debunked this trend.

This is because eating mostly eggs for a period of time is an unsustainable weight loss method, and doesn’t offer all the essential nutrients your body needs to thrive.

Sharp wants readers to know that while TikTok is a great place to find food ideas and inspiration, you should always take the app with a grain of salt.

“Most creators on TikTok are not credible nutrition professionals. And even if they are, it’s impossible to give individualized advice or advice in enough context to build out a plan that will uniquely work for you,” she concluded.

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

There seems to be a new fascination with the Roman Empire these days. On TikTok, a trend has emerged where users ask their boyfriends, fathers, brothers and other men how often they think about the Roman Empire. The answer is often surprising — some men say that they think about the fallen empire every day.

This trend has taken the platform by storm. The hashtag #romanempire has over 1.1 billion views on TikTok.

Don’t Miss:

While modern-day internet trends like this highlight the persistent fascination with the Roman Empire, it is not just its grandeur and military might that captures attention. Its economic challenges, particularly the inflation that plagued the empire, offer insights that resonate today.

Here’s a look at the intriguing story of inflation in the Roman Empire.

Currency Debasement

Established in 753 B.C., Rome’s initial days as a monarchy witnessed the bronze aes as its primary currency. The republic era began in 509 B.C., and by 211 B.C., the silver denarius took center stage, initially made of 95% silver.

Gold coins were minted in substantial numbers under Roman leader Julius Caesar. The gold aureus, a significant coin of the era, held a value equivalent to 25 silver denarii.

Fast forward to 54 A.D., and Emperor Nero’s reign became synonymous with the notorious practice of coin clipping. By reducing the precious metal content while maintaining face value, Nero introduced the empire to the perils of currency debasement and the specter of inflation.

While the empire grappled with a manageable inflation rate for a while, the Crisis of the Third Century in 235 A.D. brought with it significant political and military disturbances. This led to increased government spending and more aggressive coin debasement.

Story continues

Diocletian attempted to rectify the situation through the introduction of the gold solidus, but it was in small issues. It was under Constantine’s rule that the empire experienced some economic stability, although Rome’s grandeur would continue to wane, leading to its eventual fall in 476 A.D.

While there was no such thing as the consumer price index in ancient times, some historians have estimated that Roman inflation reached 15,000% between 200 A.D. and 300 A.D.

Inflation In The American Empire

Fast forward to today, and rising prices remain a concern for people in the most powerful empire of the modern world: the United States of America.

In August, the U.S. consumer price index increased by 3.7% from a year ago. While this headline inflation figure is down from its 40-year high of 9.1% last June, the prices of many necessities, like food and shelter, remain elevated.

Last year, billionaire investor Carl Icahn noted that rampant inflation was a key factor that brought down the Roman Empire. He also warned investors that “the worst is yet to come.”

“We printed up too much money and just thought the party would never end,” he said.

Icahn also cautioned that “inflation is a terrible thing” and “you can’t cure it.”

The U.S. dollar has long held its position as the world’s primary reserve currency. It’s also considered a safe-haven currency because of America’s robust economy and stable political system. But contrarian thinkers have been sounding the alarm on the greenback’s dominance.

For instance, renowned global investor and economist Marc Faber recently said that the U.S. dollar “will become over time — not tomorrow, but over time — a worthless currency.”

Faber suggested that investors should look outside not just America but also its allies.

“My view is that as inflation will reaccelerate in the future, that investors should have money outside of the U.S. dollar region, and that includes the close allies and vassal states or provinces of the U.S., that are Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand — the woke countries are all in the American empire,” he said.

A Long Way To Go?

While inflation has been an ongoing concern, history tells us that the downfall of an empire could take time.

Nero, recognized as the first to practice coin clipping, rose to power in 54 A.D. Although Rome faced significant challenges, especially during the Crisis of the Third Century, it persisted until its eventual fall in 476 A.D., lasting over 400 years after Nero.

America began its rise to imperial power in 1898 following the Spanish-American War and achieved global dominance post-World War II.

As for currency debasement, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took the U.S. off the gold standard in 1933. And in 1971, President Richard Nixon completely removed the dollar’s link to gold.

Today, the U.S. dollar is fiat money — like most global currencies. While some experts have been predicting the dollar’s demise, compared to the timeline of the Roman Empire, America could still be in its early stages.

Read next:

Image by Clarence Alford from Pixabay

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This article The Roman Empire’s Financial Collapse: Are We Witnessing History Repeat Itself? originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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