Is Bigger Better??
14 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
Today I went to Tropical Smoothie Cafe ( a local smoothie place) and ordered a Banana Strawberry Smoothie (thanks to my sister Caroline, I love anything Strawberry Banana). Once they finished my order, they handed me a gargantuan sized drink that, of course I could not finish. I then wondered to my self why is this pseudo healthy drink so large. While driving home, I observed the surroundings and answered my own question. America is large! But, then came the floods of other questions. How did America come to be this way?
Since the founding of our country, Americans have been obsessed with capitalism, a necessary evil needed to survive in this country. Everywhere that you look, there is another product being shoved down our throats: “take this pill, it will make you beautiful” “Eat whole grains , it will make you loose weight”. I am tired of all of these false testaments that the media pushes on you. Back to the task at hand, how did we become so large?
Many say that ‘bigger is better’ and of course in some cases it is, but not when it comes to our health and well being. Next time that you are in a store take a look at the overweight people, I am sure that the percentage is higher than thinner people. While I am not knocking people for being overweight, I wish people would take a closer look at what they are eating.
In Europe, the portion size is much smaller than the ones in America and there is only one answer as to why. We are greedy and we always have to have the most expensive, most humongous items that our money can buy. If you live on Long Island, one can see this everyday. For example, why do you need to have a monster pick-up truck driving down the block, or the biggest rims, or the biggest breasts, or the biggest house? Is this what we have been reduced to, living a shell of a life, wanting only what money can buy? Not to mention the mounting credit card debt that many people have.
Doctors and nutritionists are making a killing today because so many citizens are in the office everyday for weight related issues. Hello!!! We do this to ourselves and wonder how we came to be this way. While some do not care that they are overweight, others are trying to do something about it. This, in turn, costs people extra money that they could be saving for their next vacation. For example, many belong to gyms, take diet pills or simply starve themselves on lettuce and water. Why can’t we simply take a good look at ourselves before it begins to get out of control. The answer to this is, of course the media.
Santino (my son) likes to watch Nick Jr. sometimes in the morning but, the media is already filling his mind with dishonorable notions. At 9am, Ronald McDonald is already reaching out to him by enticing him with a toy if he comes to eat at McDonald’s. Naturally, Santino likes the toy that he sees and asks me to take him there. My reply to this is simple, ‘Sweetie, McDonald’s is no good for you and the food is gross, so no we are not going’. (Grandma and Grandpa, thanks a lot, take him there later in the week). Although I used to be on a fast food binge, that time is over and my son’s happiness seems to have grown 20 fold. Still, there are millions of parents/guardians that think that it is okay for a child to eat fast food 3-4 times per week and then wonder why their child is overweight. Maybe parents do not care about their children or maybe they are too misinformed. Whatever the case, the recent ‘calorie law’ does not seem to sway their decision. Sure we all fall victim to the fast food craving every now and then, but to make it a ritual should be a crime.
Besides fast foods, one should be nosy and take a look at other people’s shopping carts while in the grocery store. It is filled with sugar, carbs, red meat, and little veggies and fruit. This too, is a growing problem for adults and children alike. I love to snack and I am sure millions of others do, but there comes a fine line between snacking and unhealthy eating. Packing ‘little bites’ snacks for you or your child is doing a disservice. Even when the media comes out with something that looks enticing such as the 100 calorie packs is also another trap that people fall into. Take another look at that package, I am sure that you will find things that you do not like! Schools also like to kill our children with these foods which they pack in their vending machines!!!
Greed, carelessness, laziness, wealth(or lack of); these are just some of the things that turn us to the dark side of eating. Is it our fault? Yes and no, If you are conscious when you are feeding your children terrible food like Burger King or Fruit Roll-ups on a habitual basis then it is entirely your fault for corrupting your children and manipulating their minds to think that it is a healthy way of life. As for yourself, no it is not your fault that the media and companies drop ideas and thoughts in to your lap, but it is up to you, the ADULT, to make the final decision about what you are eating. Although, the occasional fast food or sugary snack is rewarding once in a while, it is not a replacement for a good home cooked meal. We as Americans are now trained to understand bigger is better and some of us cannot help the fact that they have to keep up with the Joneses , but we can help how we treat ourselves and our children.
I dedicate this piece to the calorie Nazi, Patricia, I love you and thank you for helping Eddie, Santino and I get back on track with our health and eating habits. You, in part, inspired me to make a change in my life, and because I am ruler of the roost, Eddie and Tino have followed suit.
