Between a healthy diet of pizza rolls, regular bowls of chocolate ice cream and more doughnuts than I'd care to admit, it would be fair to say I don't eat as healthy as I could. In fact, if I told my 10 favorite food items to a nutritionist, they'd probably run from the room recoiling in horror.
Last week, my love of junk food reached new heights as I walked into McDonald's and tried a little delicacy known as the McRib.
It was three minutes of pure heaven.
You see, I had never been able to try one before. Morgan Spurlock and his hippie, vegan, anti-fast food brigade had effectively convinced everyone that McDonald's food was the worst thing a person could ingest.
As a result, the restaurant filled its menu with healthy items and convinced everyone it wasn't the junk food boogeyman that Spurlock had made it out to be. Bringing out the McRib in the aftermath of Super Size Me would've been a terrible business decision.
In a lot of ways, it worked. The quality of the food improved, and McDonald's began to heal its damaged reputation.
With the return of the McRib, however, it seems McDonald's is getting back to what it does best: pushing delicious-but-deadly foods down the throat of the American consumer.
I, for one, couldn't be happier.
Here's the thing; I understand how bad fast food is. I understand that the more fast food I eat, the more my odds of having a heart attack go up. Whenever I walk into a McDonald's or a Burger King, I understand the risk I am taking in doing so.
So why do I do it? Do I have some sort of death wish?
No, I just believe in moderation. I'll gladly admit that eating fast food and junk food all the time is a terrible decision to make. People who eat McDonald's three times a day every day of the week (as Spurlock famously did in Super Size Me) are just being foolish and deserve whatever health problems they get.
That being said, I don't see any problem with going to McDonald's or Burger King once or twice a week. I do that on a regular basis, and so far, I've been no worse for wear. Chances are, you can accept a little fast food in your life and still survive.
At least, I'm willing to take the risk.
Now, the people who live on strict vegan diets and avoid processed meats and high-fructose corn syrup will tell me that I'm being a fool, that I'm putting poison into my body and that even if I haven't had a heart attack yet, I'm only increasing my odds for having one in the future.
Well, those people may be right, but frankly, I don't care. To me, a little fast food once in a while is a good thing. Nothing breaks up the monotony of a long day at UB like heading over to BK for some delicious chicken sandwiches.
Mmmmmm… chicken sandwiches.
If I find myself in the hospital for a coronary 10 years from now, will I change my tune? Perhaps. But for now, I'm going to enjoy my less-than-perfect diet.
To paraphrase Alfred Lord Tennyson, ‘tis better to have McRibbed and lost, than never to have McRibbed at all.
E-mail: john.hugar@ubspectrum.com
