Fast Food Nation and My Own Hypocrisy

Famous TV personality and former chef Anthony Bourdain (of whom I am a fan) got into a recent imbroglio with Paula Deen after he called her "the worst most dangerous person in America..." Bourdain has a particular disdain for the Food Network and many of its stars.  See: Ray, Rachel  He has a valid argument this time, however crass and over the top it may be.  


Paula Deen uses butter in every single recipe.  And not just a little butter: A LOT of butter.  She is possibly the most famous TV cook in America.  In addition to her own shows, she also has her own line of cookware, and she is a national spokesman for Smithfield (which is also one of the countries worst polluters).  People know and love Paula Deen.  So, it's not a stretch to say that people are using her recipes in every day life.  What's wrong with that?  Well, by the middle of the century over half the citizens of the United States will be classified as obese or morbidly obese.  In other words, we are a nation of fat fucks. Obviously, the whole situation can't be blamed on Paula, but she contributes to it.


The rise of fast food restaurants over the past 60 or so years has had a major impact on our diets.  It wasn't until recently that some of them finally succumbed to the pressure and started to offer healthy alternatives on their menus.  On the other side of the spectrum, Denny's recently came out with a 1,690 calorie sandwich.   Think about that.  The recommended daily intake of calories is 2,000.  You can basically have the sandwich, drink three cokes, and you would only have 10 calories to spare.  However, fast food restaurants aren't fully to blame either.  No, most of the blame should fall on parents and on schools.  Parents need to feed their kids healthy meals and teach them about fat, carbs, cholesterol, etc. when they are young.  Admittidly,  I was a porker between the ages of 6 and 12.  Then one day, as I was devouring a tray of Old-Forge-style pizza, my mother had a talk with me.  I can't really remember the details (I've probably blocked them from my memory), but the gist of it was that I was a fat bastard and needed to eat better.  I did eat better (though not much), and, luckily, I had a growth spurt.  Today, I'm having the same conversation with myself.  Eat better, get some exercise, go to bed at a decent hour.  Will it happen?  I hope so.

As for schools, they need to start serving healthier meals that kids will actually eat.  Soda machines need to be taken out, and they need to be replaced with water fountains.  Health classes need to aggressively reinforce healthy eating habits, and kids need to actually participate in gym class.  No more showing up and sitting around.  Actually, that should be everyone's new motto.








Note: This is not me.