"Have you thought about writing your family history, but found yourself stuck from the start? Writing a family narrative can be a daunting task, but Karen Jones Gowen found a way to bring her mother's story to life." (Homespun Magazine)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

84 Grams of Fat in One Meal

I've posted about the simple things for awhile, now it's time to go to the other side. The other side of hell that is. I just read about the worst hamburgers in America, and I feel ashamed to live in a country where people eat more calories in one meal than a family in Namibia might get for an entire week. And I am not making that up about Namibia. My son spent nine months there and I heard about it firsthand. Well, secondhand. He and his companion found a starving man behind a trash bin. The man was skin and bones, covered in garbage. They wouldn't have noticed him except he moved a bit and it caught my son's eye. They took him to the hospital, but it was too late to save him and he died several days later.

Here's the hamburger link but don't read it on an empty stomach or it will make you nauseous. I sit here blogging and checking my email and come across this on Yahoo. Before breakfast. And yes, I am quite nauseous right now just reading about these hamburgers. Okay, I admit that I despise excessive and habitual reliance on fast food. It's on my list of What Destroys Families and Makes Americans Fat. We have kitchens in our homes and supermarkets around the corner, why not cook real food? Why not make a simple sandwich and take it to work? Or if you're a construction worker who uses 8000 calories a day, how about two sandwiches, two bananas, some peanut butter cookies, and a handful of almonds? What is the attraction of the fast food? It's disgusting, expensive, and unhealthy. And it's an abomination to eat 84 grams of fat in one hamburger.

In my church, the members are encouraged to fast once a month, to abstain from food and drink for two consecutive meals and then donate the money saved (and to be generous in the donation) for the welfare of the poor and the needy. I love this. Think of what our world could be like if every person did this. Once a month. Give, give, give--that's what makes our world a better place. Not consuming as much food, fuel, stuff as fast as we can.


Okay, I am done with my rant, sorry if I offended anyone. I like a hamburger occasionally. And hot dogs, and fries. But please, a little moderation is called for! Okay, I'm done for real now. Peace Out.

7 comments:

  1. I won't eat fast food anymore. For years, when we made the trek from MA to NY to visit family, fast food was an easy choice. It as hard to convince my kids otherwise since they were small. Then my son saw Supersize Me and got disgusted, refusing to eat the stuff. Now we get sandwiches from a local place and eat them on the way.

    I am saddened when I see chubby kids in my city, knowing they're malnourished because often they're eating empty calories.

    When I here about this western "cuisine" going to poor countries and being a symbol of the west, it saddens me. It's the last thing they need.

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  2. I eat fast food once in a while, but I'm very picky about what I order.
    I love the "eat this, not this" book series and reference them all the time...
    I agree that lack of fast food control is a major problem...

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  3. my first job was at a fast food joint, seeing tny kids come in to buy lunch or dinner broke my heart I had to quit

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  4. Moderation, with a sprinkle of common sense, is the key. If this rule applied to all things -- I figure we would all be happier.

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  5. Hear! Hear!!! It's so sad when people do rely on fast food for their meals - it may seem cheap and fast but they're so unhealthy and in the long run expensive! You are so right about making stuff for yourself - that's what kitchens are for! :-)

    The excess is truly phenomenal and needs addressing really!!

    Take care
    x

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  6. With my son in Africa, esp. Namibia, emailing us about the poverty and lack of food, it changed my approach toward a lot of things.

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  7. I was in McDonalds the other day (for my husband, I swear) and as we were leaving we held the door for five little chunky kids to enter. They were followed by their mothers, chunky as well, each holding a baby in a carrier. My though was "Train 'em young". When kids are impressionable what are we teaching them?

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I don't post very often, but if you leave a comment I'll know someone is out there reading. And then I will post more! Bwa ha ha!