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A utopian police state? · 18 December 06

So I have this theory on how to curb the obesity epidemic: Eating in public places should be banned. Remember when we grew up (if you were my age or older, anyway) and you were taught that it was rude? Perhaps there’s a very good reason for that.

Eating should be treated the way smoking is (well ok, not the ‘you must be 16’ thing, but bear with me!), because after all, obesity is as great a killer as smoking is. And one of the major things that has been implicated in obesity is fast food. The reasons for this are three-fold. First of all, the food itself is inherently unhealthy; greasy, high in fat, high in carbs, high in calories. There you have your cigarette.

Secondly, eating fast food as you walk along the street has been proven to be almost meaningless consumption; people don’t mentally register that they’ve eaten a proper meal, so their bodies keep looking for more food. There you have your nicotine.

Finally, when other people see you eating, see food, it makes them hungry too. Makes them look around for a quick snack. Calories they really didn’t need, didn’t even want a moment before. There you have your passive smoking.

And the arguments go on… Kids seeing adults do it makes them think its ok to do it… There would be an enormous reduction in litter in the streets…

It isn’t that crazy an idea really.

  1. Another problem with fast food is that the portion sizes are far too large for most people to have as a healthy meal.

    For instance, consider a McDonalds meal consisting of a Quarter pounder with cheese, medium fries and medium soda. Total calories: 1100. Total Fat: 45 grams.

    This is over half the calories and almost 70% of the fat a person needs in a day… and this is one of the lighter meals available at McDs.

    BTW, I like the new theme. :D


    — AdriftAtSea    Dec 18, 12:51    #

  2. So, hmmm, that would be the chain smoking? The pack a day habit? What do you think?

    Glad you like the theme – nice having a boyfriend who can build these things for me ;)


    — sarah    Dec 18, 13:27    #

  3. Fuck me, it’s an update :-p

    But isn’t the fuss over the ‘obesity epidemic’ really based on financial concerns and not health ones? Smoking ok, passive smoking kills others. Obesity kills nobody else.

    So when the pundits come on and say ‘heart disease, terrible, mortality rates, awful, health, dreadful – blah blah’ – aren’t they actually saying ‘health services are stretched and people are dying too soon so they’re not paying enough taxes’? Aren’t they basically saying ‘we can’t afford for you to be fat’?

    Sorry, I just love my burgers :-)


    — Reaper    Dec 18, 18:49    #

  4. have a very merry christmas darlin :) all my best wishes, Lette :)


    — lette    Dec 22, 11:15    #

  5. That’s an interesting take you have on the issue. It seems to fall on how that people lack self discipline.

    I remember reading something about how people in poverty can only afford foods such as McDonalds because they are cheaper. I can personally say that I have been able to make significantly healthier meals for the same price as what you can get at a fast food chain. The problem is, and always has been the convenience of fast foods, and its vending machine siblings.

    If there was a fix to the problem, one would be for the corporations to take responsibility (which they claim to be making baby steps towards) for what they feed their customers. They will never make their products less available, and the ingredients will always be sub par and contain some sort of synthetic in order to maintain the ‘fast’ in fast food. Sadly, the consumers don’t accept responsibility for their own actions either, so it’s like two kids who blame each other for something they are equally to blame for.

    Obesity is only one of the many ailments that belong to our society of convenience. Convenience isn’t bad, but it’s the reliance on it that is.


    — Frankybonz    Jan 7, 00:26    #
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