In Defense of McDonald's

I admit, I'm addicted to french fries. Their hazelnut iced coffee is better than anything else I can get locally. The Snack Wraps are a perfect light meal. When I'm traveling, McD's is a sure thing for food my taste buds will recognize, food my stomach won't reject, and a clean bathroom to freshen up in. I've been to crappy Taco Bells, crappy Hardees, crappy KFCs, and crappy Subways, but never a crappy McDonald's.

What business WOULDN'T want their customers to say this about them? Isn't this exactly what every business SHOULD be striving for? The BEST coffee in town. The PERFECT light meal. Top notch cleanliness. THE sure thing.

What's so wrong about that?

While I had the guestbook open to comments from non-Squidoo members, someone left this comment:

"McDonalds is the easiest target because of its unhealthy fast food that can give innumerable amounts of children diabetes. You cant expect every parent to read the nutrition facts. Just check out super size me its completely true and the surgeon general on that movie who expains how bad this fast food is for americans. McDonalds is wrong for your health and there is no point in arguing that it is good for you in any way."

Personally, I think that if you say "you can't expect every parent to read the nutrition facts," you're saying that you can't expect every parent to be responsible. Not every parent is responsible, we know that much. But by saying you don't expect them to responsible is like saying you don't expect them to take care of their kids. Yeah, I would darn well hope we would expect them to do that.

In the end, you're responsible for what you put in your body, or allow your children to put in theirs.

Obesity and heart disease, specifically, are dangerous conditions that can cause severe health problems and lead to death. At even it's mildest form, being overweight can cause uncomfortable health issues, and social and emotional disturbances. It is becoming a wide-spread issue that needs to be addressed with education and regarded with personal responsibility.

However, just as I don't want to hear anyone blame cigarettes for giving them lung cancer when they decided to smoke, I don't want to hear anyone blame what they ate when they chose to eat it. I generally have little sympathy for people who encounter problems and turn the other cheek, and even less for those who refuse to take responsibility for what they have done to themselves. The best living comes when you take control of your life. Otherwise you're only admitting that you're weak an not in charge. And for many who blame McDonald's and other things for making them fat, sick, gamble, etc., that may be true.

Is some McDonald's food bad for you? Yes. Is 80% of what they sell in the grocery store bad for you under the same circumstances? Yes. Will your grocery store ever be as easy a target as McDonald's? No, and that's a shame. It's also a whole other story.

Through moderation and limited visitation hours, McDonald's and I have learned to coexist quite well. I eat what I am hungry for when I decide I would like a treat, and make up for it with balanced meals and plenty of exercise the rest of the time. McD's supports me with a clean rest stop on the road, and I support McD's with my late night McFlurry runs.

I do believe we really can all just get along. Millions of people do it every day, and millions more can if they want to. Apple pie, anyone?