When You Think About It: FAST FOOD.

Words and photo by F LoBuono

The more I see commercials about Fast Food, the more I realize how harmful it is in almost every way.

First, the nutritional value of their products is limited at best, destructive at worst. And, I don't care what their signature product may be; beef, chicken, or fish. They have all been raised, harvested or processed in some way as to virtually destroy any benefit they may have had in the first place. Study after study shows a product that's far less than it is advertised to be. Chicken contains almost everything BUT chicken. Beef is loaded with harmful growth hormones. Fish may contain mercury or other carcinogens. Then, it is normally prepared in the fastest, most efficient ways, like quick frying - one that usually robs the food of most of its essential nutritional value.

Then, the commercials for fast food restaurants would have us worship food - too much food. There is a word for that. It's called gluttony. Our fascination with food to the point of excess is clearly demonstrated with the spectacle of the Annual Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. But, we needn't wait until July to witness our fascination with excessive eating. Virtually ALL food commercials feature products that are simply too much! Americans wonder why we've become obese while ignoring all the messages barraging us to EAT MORE!. Carl's Junior, a hamburger purveyor from the Southwest is particularly egresses. They sell us SEX and GLUTTONY. Their commercials feature a mostly naked woman seductively about to chomp on an over-sized bacon cheeseburger. The actor Vig Raimes hawks Arby's proclaiming They Have The Meats! Now, if an entire pizza isn't enough, you can get the whole thing surrounded with bacon - or, one with a dozen hot dogs baked into the crust. Really? Really.

If this wasn't bad enough, generally, the commercials usually associate eating their food with a certain lack of sophistication, if not outright stupidity. Sonic is a classic example. Two friends sit in the front of a car and exchange inane comments about Sonic's food. Some, I'm sure, may find it clever. I find it vapid. One outfit suggests that Americans are so in love with bacon we fantasize about it as a cologne. They seem to be saying the less you think about it, the more you will like their food. And, this is EXACTLY right - because if you did, you wouldn't eat it!

Lastly, there is no consideration for WHERE the food comes from. As I mentioned, you can now get a whole pizza surrounded with four feet of bacon. In fact, we've become obsessed with bacon. One commercial follows a young man around as his whole world becomes infused with bacon. We can get double and triple beef burgers. Again, Arby's (yes, the place that has The Meats) pitchman, Raimes, encourages parents, should their kids ask them where meat comes from, to tell them Arby's. His voice appears over the video of various sliced meats. Of course, the implication is that it is not ripped from the flesh of living animals, but is served in a nice, neat bun by Arby's. Well, folks, it's not that clean! ALL of these fast food entities use animals that are FACTORY FARMED. That is, the animals are raised in deplorable conditions and then slaughtered in the most cruel fashion. People don't want to hear this, but it IS the reality. Bacon does not grow on trees. It is ripped from the backs of living, intelligent creatures. Obviously, these fast food joints market their products so they you will never make the connection. After all, we ALL love bacon - right?

So, when you think about it, what's the point? The food is cheap and accessible. But, the commercials are lame and the food is bad. We need to make the right choices. When we do, we can affect change - not only in ourselves but in our society, as well. Some of us already have and it has made a difference. Because of public pressure places like McDonalds have begun to change their product and how it is marketed. There is more emphasis on the overall quality of the food - how it is raised, how it is prepared, AND how it is marketed.  Those lame commercials touting stupidity and gluttony are still out there. By the nature of the business, I suppose those elements will always be a part of it. But, we have the power to change it. Once again, we only need the will.