Fallacious Fast Food

I am pretty much anti-fast food (unless it is an emergency, In-n-Out, or a sandwich place). The reasons behind this are manifold: John got sick at Taco Bell six years ago and "won't touch the place with a 25-foot pole;" I happen to hate the the idea that McDonald's injects their food with flavoring in order to make every burger, fry, & shake taste exactly the same; and regular encounters with fast food leads to an unhealthy lifestyle. If I have to eat all of the fat and calories that are contained in a McD's meal then I'd rather save them (the fat and calories) for a nice slice of chocolate sheetcake, butterfinger pie, or e'claire.





I discovered this website (via Jimmie Nixon's blog) that compares pictures of fast food ads vs. the food that really shows up on your plate, er, tray. Very interesting. I taught a few lessons this past year on advertising and it's impact on my 5th graders. I used this PBS website to expose them to the lies and deception that can be found in advertising and marketing. This was very enlightening for all of us.





Beyond all of this, John and I greatly enjoyed the documentary, "Supersize Me", which details the journey of Morgan Spurlock who vows to eat nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days straight. Obviously, he grows increasingly unhealthy and it is revealed, rather dramatically, that one cannot live on fast food alone. Below is a clip (actually an extra in the DVD) that shows an experiment he did to show the breakdown of fast food in one's body. Notice the McDonald's french fries. John conducted the experiment on his own and found that eventually, after at least a year, the McD's fries do finally rot and break down. Very disgusting (which is why the jars are not allowed in the house, except to take the picture you see below).





McD's McNuggets on top left, McD's fries in top right, and Sonic fries on the bottom. If you're feeling bold, enlarge the photos for a close-up look. Both fries were purchased on 11/29/04; the McNuggets about five weeks later.

Here's the experiement performed on Supersize Me: