Winners of the 2016 Xtreme Eating Awards

They're fatty, salty and their calorie counts are through the roof -- they're the top nine winners of the Center for Science in the Public Interest's 2016 Xtreme Eating Awards. Dig into the next few pages -- you'll either be salivating or a little nauseous by the time you reach the end.

Uno Pizzeria's Whole Hog Burger

A hunk of heaven for meat lovers, Uno Pizzeria & Grill's Whole Hog Burger weighs in with over a pound of meat -- that's more than four McDonald's Big Macs, the Center for Science in the Public Interest's dietitian Lindsay Moyer told CBS News.

Its ingredients include hamburger, sausage, bacon, prosciutto, pepperoni, four types of cheese, garlic mayo and pickles. Add french fries and onion rings and the meal tallies about 2,850 calories -- substantially more than the average person should consume in a day. Plus it has three days' worth of saturated fat (62 grams) and enough sodium (9,790 milligrams) for six days.

It's the kind of eating that leads to heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, said Moyer.

The Cheesecake Factory's Fried Chicken & Waffles Benedict

The Cheesecake Factory has made this list every year since 2007. This year's specialty is Fried Chicken & Waffles Benedict, which tips the scales with 2,580 calories, four days' worth of saturated fat (86 grams), and 15 teaspoons of sugar.

"We're in the middle of an obesity epidemic and restaurant chains just kept piling things on," said Lindsay Moyer of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. With this dish, "You're taking two of the worst brunch foods and combining them," she said, noting that Hollandaise sauce is made of egg yolks and butter, and The Cheesecake Factory's maple syrup is also infused with butter. "It's butter on butter."

Sonic's RT 44 Grape Slush with Rainbow Candy

This beverage contains 1¼ cups of sugar and a whopping 970 calories. (For perspective, the typical healthy meal should contain about 600 calories.) "It is basically liquid candy," said Moyers. "They offer a happy hour special at Sonic where these slushees are half price from 2 to 4 p.m., so this is something that is not even being promoted as a meal. It's a snack."

Jersey Mike's Chipotle Cheesesteak

At 14 inches long, Jersey Mike's Chipotle Cheesesteak is a whopping 1,850 calories stuffed with 30 grams of saturated fat and 4,330 milligrams of sodium -- equal to two Subway foot-long roast beef subs.

If you really crave it, at least get a kid's size, suggested registered dietitian Nancy Copperman of Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York.

​Romano’s Macaroni Grill Cremini Pork Shank

Two pounds of pork, parmesan potatoes, marsala wine sauce and more adds up to 1,800 calories, 43 grams of saturated fat, and 3,700 milligrams of sodium. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said it's the equivalent of eating two Outback Steakhouse 10 oz. ribeye steaks, each with a side of seasoned fries.

Dishes like this pork shank may look healthy in pictures on the menu, but they're deceiving, registered dietitian Nancy Copperman told CBS News. Ask for nutritional information before ordering, so you know what you're really getting, she advised.

Buffalo Wild Wings Dessert Nachos

The menu describes this dish as a "crispy flour tortilla sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, loaded with ice cream and our gooey breaded cheesecake bites, all topped with chocolate and caramel sauce" -- a pretty way of saying 2,100 calories, 30 teaspoons of sugar and 64 grams of saturated fat.

Dave and Buster's Short Rib & Cheesy Mac Stack

Dave and Buster's Short Rib & Cheesy Mac Stack is basically carbs on carbs, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Almost a full day's worth of calories in one meal (1,910 calories), the dish has two days' worth of saturated fat (42 grams) and sodium (3,390 milligrams). It's like eating three McDonald's Big Macs and a medium fries, plus an extra half day's saturated fat, said the group's nutrition expert Lindsay Moyer.

Maggiano’s Marco's Meal for Two

This meal boasts white-flour rolls, an appetizer or flatbread or two side salads, two pasta dishes, a dessert, plus two more pastas to take home. It exceeds a day's worth of calories, has more than 70 grams of saturated fat and it's packed with salt. Even the so-called healthy dishes, the salads, can be slathered in creamy salad dressings that pile on hundreds of extra calories and are high in saturated fats, said registered dietitian Nancy Copperman.

Applebee’s Build Your Sampler Appetizer

Cheeseburger egg rolls, brew-pub pretzels and beer and cheese dip, and chicken quesadillas are just a few of the appetizers the restaurant lets diners mix and match. You can choose two to five, but know that each one alone is about a meal's worth of calories, Moyer told CBS News. "Americans are getting too much white flour, cheese, saturated fat and sodium," she said.

But if you're dining out at any of these popular chains, there are some healthier ways to go. Along with its critique, the Center for Science in the Public Interest offers a few suggestions:

• Order from the "light" menu. The Cheesecake Factory, Applebee's, Dave & Buster's and other chains offer a number of more health-conscious choices.
• Skip the appetizer. Start with a green salad instead.
• Where's the beef? Forget it -- try a grilled chicken or veggie burger instead.
• Lose the bun. Many chains will wrap your burger, sub, or sandwich in fresh lettuce or serve it as a salad; or at least substitute a whole-grain bun.
• Veg out. Fill half your plate with fruit or vegetables (no, french fries don't count).
• Get a doggy bag. Don't clean your plate; bring home half your entrée for tomorrow.