We spend over twenty billion dollars a year at McDonald’s, so it’s no wonder they’re willing to spend a billion a year on advertising. Likewise with other food companies. Customers are worth it.
Especially worth it: children. Children are more susceptible to subliminal and indirect marketing, and a customer from childhood is likely to be a customer for years and years. The habits form easier and root deeper.
So what do we do?
Attacking the industry is not the solution. Lawsuits might bring change, but not all change is created equal. Simply eradicating the industry would have many negative effects. The fast-food industry does actually employ millions and fulfill some needs within our always-on-the-go culture. Sometimes access to a quick meal is valuable. Sometimes a trip to the local burger joint can be a nice change of pace. I want these choices available to me.
Rather than a crusade, let’s be part of a positive movement. How?
The solution requires education. Know what is good for you, what is bad for you, and what specific foods you will and will not allow yourself to eat (and it what quantities). Learn so that you can understand the implications of your eating habits and change the ones you need to. Make sure your kids see you eating the way you would want them to eat. Help them understand the results of eating poorly, and lead them to begin their own studies of the body, as a machine, and its needs.
The solution requires voicing your wants and needs. Restaurants respond to customer demands. Take for instance the healthy choices McDonald’s has started adding to their menu. Now you can get salads, granola, and a variety of other healthy foods at many McDonald’s worldwide. Other chains are incorporating similar programs as the combined consumer voice grows.
The solution requires personal responsibility. At the end of the day, no-one is forcing a Texas BBQ Bacon Double Cheeseburger, a half-pound of fries, and a two quart cola down your throat against your will. If you choose to eat something, you have made that choice. Make your decisions wisely and let others make theirs. That is the greatest example you can set for the world: choosing wisely from a plethora of options.
Change is happening, but it’s a slow process. There are now healthy menus available at many fast-food chains. Restaurants are publishing nutrition information about their menus. You can make decisions about what you eat based on an ever-growing body of information.
Don’t crusade. Just make your decisions wisely. Change starts with you.
In the news
- Healthy starts at day one: Obese Moms More Likely to Have Babies With Birth Defects
- I hope nobody was having kids just to reduce cancer risk…: Pregnancy May Not Affect Breast Cancer Survival
- Uh oh, the pressure’s on, guys! Men Must Contend With a Biological Clock, Too
Quote for the week
The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free. – Charles R. Swindoll
Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
