Remember the 2004 movie "Super Size Me" with the now scandal plagued Morgan Spurlock? Seriously, look him up. Dude was has a history of sexual misconduct and even Louis CK would tell him to take a cold shower. He's done other work since this movie but he's always struck me as such a raging egomaniac that I can only take him in small doses. I watched the movie Super Size Me again because it's an excellent propaganda piece. It got people to believe that something other than their personal choices was responsible for their current health conditions.
I'm not saying some part of your weight isn't genetic, it certainly is. I'm also not saying that we don't all have weaknesses and bad habits. Eating fast food is like smoking marijuana in my view. It's not healthy, but a little but now and then won't kill you. However if you do it all the time-like this jackass did-you are going to suffer the negative consequences of it, and yes, it's partially your fault. Morgan Spurlock asks the question "Where does corporate responsibility end and personal responsibility begin?" In my view, he never answers it because that would negate the apparent thesis of his film-which is, "I am not accountable for my actions."
The movie is old, and with McDonalds now trying to go healthy, it's partially irrelevant. But it's still a great representation of someone who decided to blame everyone else but himself for his problems.
I like the thought of companies trying to bring out healthier choices, and that again is our responsibility. Manufacturers will produce what we ask them to. However, at the same time, when I think of Mcdonalds going healthier, my thoughts is this: If instead of eating a whole chocolate cake, I'm only going to eat half a chocolate cake, is that healthier? Arguably you might be able to say that, but the reality is that it's still chocolate cake. Eating less of something bad does make it good.
ReplyDeleteAll great points, though I'm not sure eating the occasional slice of chocolate cake, no matter where you get it from, will have devastating lifelong effects.
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