McDonald’s is Evil
As another McDonald’s goes up in my community, I find myself fantasizing about plowing my car through it (when no workers are present, of course). Like Kathy Bates in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes when she repeatedly rams a younger woman’s car in a parking lot, I would surely feel satisfaction afterwards, imagining the countless number of children I had saved from a quick, greasy, “happy” meal. Of course, reality sets in and I realize that McDonald’s wouldn’t suffer if one building was wrecked just as they aren’t doing any less business since I vowed never to eat at one again. And those children’s parents wouldn’t go home and cook a nutritious dinner because that restaurant had been destroyed either.
Why single out McDonald’s? There are other fast food chains that are just as unhealthy, but when it comes to clever marketing directly to children, outright lies about nutrition, and setting the standard for oversized, highly processed, fat-laden products which can hardly pass for food, Mickey D’s is number one! I made the decision long ago to never eat McDonald’s again and rarely eat fast food at all. I have no problem driving by fast food places in search of a healthier alternative or giving my kids one of the many snacks usually stashed in the car to sustain them on the road. I try to keep my opinions to myself when I see a toddler at the park eating french fries or mystery nuggets or apples drenched in high fructose corn syrup. Parents are becoming wiser and people are realizing that our eating habits are one of the main reasons (probably number one) why our children have numerous health problems including obesity, allergies, even diabetes. Less people will be getting dinner from a drive-up window soon, right? Then McDonald’s did something that no company which sells food with ingredients that are detrimental to a child’s health should be allowed to do; marketing directly to children, they had a sticker put on my child’s shirt at school telling him to eat there for dinner to help benefit the school PTA. Talk about clever marketing! Now I am the mean mom who doesn’t support the PTA.
Why is the fast food industry more prevelant today with our supposed vast knowledge of health and nutrition? Why do more American children eat fast food meals than ever before, giving powerful corporations like McDonald’s an ever-expanding customer base? Todays’ children generally have bigger homes, expensive electronics, and better educational opportunities. Parents have the advantage of being able to provide more for their children financially, but we also have more collective knowledge at our disposal. With the click of the mouse we can find nutritional information, and yet our children are more nutrient-deficient than past generations. This is where we have failed as a society. Not only are we leaving the next generation with the burden of dealing with climate change and the federal deficit, but we are destroying their health as well.
Am I alone in my hatred for this corporate giant?
April 16th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
You are so right! It’s not that hard to get used to packing a few apples, bananas, trail mix or other healthy foods when you’re going to be out for awhile. I refuse to take my grandkids to any fast food place, except Subway.