By a timely coincidence the film Super Size Me was being shown on Channel 4 tonight, so I sat down to watch it as part of my weight-loss campaign.
I have never been so horrified by a film IN MY LIFE*. The bad news is that the thought of taking myself and my daughter to live in America is now scaring the living daylights out of me. The good news is that henceforth I will be living on carrot juice with the occasional alfalfa sprout salad.
*Actually it was a really enjoyable, watchable movie in the Jamie’s School Dinners vein. Highly recommended.
If you are still in any doubt how evil MaccyD’s are you should read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. In fact I can lend it to you on Sunday if you so wish. To be honest I’ve always prefered Burger King anyway !!!!!
Actually I didn’t need to be convinced at all about the evilness of MaccyDs (I’ve never liked them and have only eaten about three in my life – have to agree re. Burger King).
It was more all the peripheral stuff -seeing what the food is like in American schools, the size of the portions (which have grown even since I was living there), the gallons of Coke and Pepsi which are consumed, the tons of sugar which is put into everything, the sheer volume of advertising etc. It just made me wonder how I can protect the Minx from the madness.
And yes, I’d like to borrow Fast Food Nation.
Oh the freedoms of America! The fast world,the 24 hours at your fingertips, the smiling faces of welcome, come in take a seat, the freedom to be and do what you like! It has no boundaries, the freedom it offers is a challenge to your willpower.
All is possible in the USA, that is the beauty of it all, the hard part is saying No. You will love and hate it all at once!
When it first came out on DVD my friends had us all round towatch, they made burgers and chips and milkshakes for the meal, thankfully we ate BEFORE the viewing, otherwise we wouldn not have eaten at all that night. Such a good film.
But hey, the States have great healthfood stores and fantasic vegetables and fruit.
To be fair Seattle did appear to have the most astonishing seafood and wonderful vegetable stalls (the covered market is rightly famous).
I’m just wondering how I’m going to persuade the Minx that fizzy drinks are the work of the Devil and that the constant barrage of McDonalds advertising is a ‘challenge to her willpower’. I’m still not convinced that the States is the best place for her to learn lifelong healthy eating habits.