Las Vegas is the ultimate land of sin and excess. Ever since the old mob days, people have converged on the Nevada city to live out fantasies of being high rollers and of extreme gluttony.
The Heart Attack Grill feeds on this carnal human instinct by cooking the most fattening, greasy, and disgustingly huge portions possible. More than anything, it's the pinnacle of un-health.
Hamburgers named after heart procedures, unfiltered cigarettes, and butterfat milkshakes lumber through the restaurant carried by ladies clad in nurses' outfits ready to write you a "prescription."
The door even has a disclaimer: "Cash only, because you might die before the check clears." Its most famous gimmick, however, is their over-350 pound guarantee. If you're over the prescribed weight, you eat for free.
Sad irony abounded on Wednesday, however, when one diner suffered a heart attack while eating a "Triple-Bypass" burger. Confused tourists laughed while the man clutched his chest in agony until someone realized he wasn't kidding.
People are quick to blame restaurants like this for the obesity epidemic, and it's easy to see why. Heart Attack Grill might be a single store, but fast-food joints have long capitalized on gluttony to bring in customers by touting the extreme portion sizes as "good values."
One third of Americans are obese, and fast food companies have their share in the blame, but truly they're more of a symptom of a culture than death peddlers. After the landmark documentary Super Size Me, companies like McDonalds and Burger King began actively promoting healthy options like salads and fruits on their menus.
Now, the sad truth is that people simply don't want it. Convenience is only part of the equation; people truly do just want greasy and nasty foods.
Michelle Obama has been trying to combat the obesity epidemic, but things haven't been easy on the first lady. She's actually encountering resistance to her work from Tea Partiers and conservatives who view it as another instance of the government getting fat.
Huge resistance erupted when former New York Governor David Paterson attempted to put through a tax on soda to help combat the obesity epidemic.
We Americans tend to like things that allow us to reminisce about the past, when burgers were a quarter each and nobody worried about their health.
It's hilarous to watch Paula Deen craft her butter soaked monstrosities on the Food Network, remembering the days when nobody knew how bad butter was for you.
Just like losing weight as an individual, losing weight as a nation will take a radical change in thought. Our culture has to change from one that values materialism to one that values a better quality of life, and that doesn't happen overnight.
Sure, we can point fingers at the Heart Attack Grill, saying that it's the main problem behind our national health decline. It's a really easy scapegoat to throw under the bus, but we need to work as individuals to demand better quality of food. The free market reacts to what we want because that's what it will make the most money on.
Most people know the advice: it's easier to put weight on than lose it. Let's not make it harder by resisting the people trying to help us.
