From such a distance I discover the nonsensical catastrophy of the American diet. What are Americans doing to themselves? How big are the burgers getting. And how false is the meat? Majority drugs and ill-fed cattle. The farm Papa grew up on would be ashamed of what happens now. These “Farms” don’t sing E-I-E-I-O.
When I came to Korea I was well-underfed. I could afford little, an avocado and banana was lunch, usually no breakfast, and dinner would be whatever I could get my hands on (including plates left behind at a patio table). Since arriving I’ve put on weight and have fretted about this gut I seem to be developing, but when I see the advertisement for KFC’s “Double Down,” I realize I don’t need to be so concerned. The weight I’ve put on in Korea is not the grease-leaden, fat-heavy, hormonal, steroid-injected weight in America.
What’s happening over there? And WHY? What is this desire for more, bigger? My friend Charles and I discussed one night the great freedom afforded in the United States, but how such freedom is abused. The freedom to want more and strive for more is wonderful, but in our consumption of food (and other meaningless vices, for that matter), we are exploiting freedom and abusing it. It’s unhealthy and over-indulging. Ellen says it so well!
This blog post is no stone. I’m by no means free from vice and indulgences. I was just blown away by this American trend for consuming and CONSUMING. It’s quite disgusting.
I agree whole-heartily that it's disgusting. I think a lot of it stems from the bigger and better mindset that seemed to show up right after our break-up with jolly old England. Before that, England was like 'Hey, America, no going past the Appalachians', To which rebellious teenage America said, 'Eff you, old man, I do what I want'. Unfortunately there was so much past the Appalachians that there was a need for bigger and better machinery to make pioneering that way easier. Bigger business to drive people out that way, bigger cars for longer roadtrips (well, this is more of a modern things but I mean really? Ford Excursion anyone?), bigger meals so your farmer can keep working that big damn field he was given. Now that we're more sedentary, it's hard to go back, I guess. But if you're still eating something like the Hawaiian plate lunch (which includes a heaping serving of meat, two scoops of rice and macaroni salad, it was designed carb heavy to keep workers from getting tired) and all you're going to be doing is playing your Xbox all day, yer gonna get fat, and when you get fat, you're gonna need to start doubling up on them plate lunches to satisfy your enormous hunger.
ReplyDeleteThere's also the argument of the effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which I know everyone likes to freak out about, but don't really understand. From my chemistry and biology classes (though it's been a while, and I may be absolutely wrong as far as I know.) I've come to understand that since such is a factory made chemical not found in nature, the body has no idea what to do with it, so it's just kind of sits there, chilling in your cells fooooeeever(cue some ominous music). Now, that sounds gross and all, but there have been some studies to suggest that the shit also causes your body to crave more of this junk, so you have to down that entire 24 pack of soda you just bought to quench your incredible thirst, and these sodas are just empty calories. I mean, there's so much sugar in one soda that it'll cause your muscles to weaken considerably while your body processes that junk.
There's also the relation to the alarming lack of P.E/Recess for elementary school kids. I can safely say that the last recess I had was in third grade, and I was only required to take one P.E. class after the sixth grade. Of course, that's just from my experience, I'm pretty sure other schools do it differently, but I don't know. But the point is, all these kids aren't getting the exercise they need and as a result are gaining some weight and craving huge fatty meals, which fast food companies are more than willing to give them.
Good lord, that was really long, and partially incoherent. Here is a (disgusting yet related) link to make up for lost time.
http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/