So, I have done a little bit of blaming in my former posts. Or at least, I've been giving a lot of excuses for why I'm fat. I'm fat because my mom didn't know any better and put me on a bunch of fad diets really young. I'm fat because after I lost my mom, I fell into a depression which then led to an unhealthy addiction to food.
But the one thing you'll never hear me do, is blame fast food chains for my weight problem.
There's a big movement going on right now to try and hold fast food chains and other junk food manufacturers accountable for the obesity problem that is so prevalent in our society. A lot of people are comparing fast food places to Big Tobacco. Since smokers have been trying to sue Big Tobacco for contributing to their lung diseases, some people are saying that we fat people should be suing "Big Junk Food".
Here's why this is ridiculous.
Unlike Big Tobacco, at no point has any fast food place claimed that eating one of their mammoth burgers was "no more harmful than drinking a glass of milk." They may not dwell on the high fat content in their food, but they've never tried to lie about it or have doctors claim that their french fries have a "lower grease content". The nutritional information, in all it's scariness, is located on the back of the tray liners in most fast food places. And all food, junk food included, now has the nutritional information printed on the package.
At no point did someone from the McDonald's corporation put a gun to my head and frog march me into one of their restaurants and force me to ingest their highly unhealthy food. I went in there all on my own.
Now, do they advertise really well so that by the time a child is a toddler, they probably know what the "golden arches" stand for? Yep. Do they show, in their commercials and magazine ads, skinny people eating a tiny burger and a salad - as if anyone has EVER ordered that? Yep. Do they tie themselves in with popular summer blockbusters so that people are more likely to go there to get the limited edition cups, or toys, or hats, or WHATEVER they're promoting? Yep.
But I'll tell you a secret. None of those things mean I NEED to go to McDonald's or any other fast food restaurant. Parents are always claiming how hard it is to say no to their kids when they want a Happy Meal or a Kid's Meal.
"They give away toys and then my kids want them!!"
Yep. I'm sorry, but I have to be harsh and say - Suck it up, Buttercup!! Saying no, is part of being a parent. It's healthy for you to learn to say it, and it's REALLY healthy for your kid to hear it. (But that could be a whole other blog post!!)
My point is, that none of these tricks that companies use to get me in the door, mean that it's their fault that I am fat. I CHOSE to walk into the McDonald's or the Wendy's or the A&W. And I CHOSE to buy that bag of lays chips - and NO, I could NOT eat just one.
They may have tried hard to persuade me with their advertising (that's kind the WHOLE point of advertising!!) but in the end the decision was mine whether to eat that unhealthy burger or stay at home and make a healthy sandwich.
I'll tell you another secret. My lifestyle changes will still include the occasional trip to a fast food restaurant or a slice of pizza. EVERYTHING in moderation. MODERATION. Which means ordering that small burger and a salad that I said no one ever orders. Or, having a grilled wrap and a small fries and just enjoying the treat.
All of this is just to say that McDonald's can probably breathe easy. I'm not gonna sue.
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