Why Fast Food Joints Are Killing Us

Americans are hopelessly addicted to fast food.
I just ate dinner at 5 Guys Burgers, or whatever the hell its called. I knew what I was getting into when we went, but Donna and I were hungry, so we went. My son, Andrew, told us that the place had vegetable sandwiches (it did!) and veggie burgers (it didn't!). They had fries, and ketchup. Sodas, the usual things. We placed our orders and sat down. If you've never been there before, I think they cut their own fries. A dry erase board on the wall denotes where the potatoes come from. In today's case they were from Ripley, Idaho. I guess someone finds that to be necessary information. Maybe they should ask where the fryolator grease comes from. There are boxes with shell peanuts that you can munch on while you wait for your burgers. They even have dunnage racks in the middle of the dining area with 50 pound bags of potatoes on them. I guess they'd rather seat the potatoes, than add a few more tables for customers!
The place was busy, and very noisy. There was a mixed bag of people, senior citizen couples, families, boyfriends and girlfriends. There were lots of overweight people there as well. About 5 minutes after we ordered, a bus pulled up and dropped off 50 people it seemed. It was so noisy, I could barely hear myself think. But dinner wasn't too bad.
I ordered a veggie sandwich with Cajun fries. Donna ordered the same sandwich (sans jalapeno peppers!) and plain fries. About 15 minutes later we got our order in two brown paper bags. They called our number out like at a deli. Each bag had a sandwich and about 5 pounds of fries in the bottom of each one. Our sandwiches fell apart without cheese in them to hold everything together. I have to say I hated the Cajun fries. The seasoning mix was powdery with lots of cayenne pepper and not much else for flavor. I enjoyed Donna's plain fries much more. Those Ripley, Idaho fries were pretty tasty!
As I looked around, though, I couldn't believe how busy the place was. I mean, a whole bus load of patrons, for a hamburger joint??? There were more than several obese people there downing burgers and fries, and drinking giant Cokes. Other than the loud music and the wall of grills and fryers, there really wasn't much to the place. Just 4 or 5 guys cooking burgers and dogs. I remarked to Donna that next time we'll bring a few slices of vegan cheese to add to our sandwiches, and maybe some red pepper relish. We'll split a plain fry, and save 3 bucks. But, hell, that almost seems like work to me, to go to a fast food joint and have to customize the entree! I might as well go back home and make the same thing for a lot less money!
I remember when my kids were young, we hosted a young student named Geoffrey from Paris, France for a few weeks one summer. I remember the first thing he wanted to do, the very first thing he wanted, was to go to McDonald's for a hamburger. When he actually got one, he was repulsed by it. Apparently fast food in Paris is just a step down from bistro fare, very well prepared, just quicker than ordinary food. In this country it's all about timing and food cost. There is no quality. He could hardly believe that you get your food in 1 minute! But when he ate it he said, "I dislike this 'amburger!" That kid from France knew in 5 minutes what took me 25 years to learn; there are no healthy fast food options in America. And it's killing nearly all of us. Hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions, cancer, all are linked to foods served at many fast food operations. But as the economy slides little by little more, fast food restaurants are getting busier and busier, as evidenced by the restaurant we visited.
I don't know if I'll go back to 5 Boys Burgers or whatever the hell they call themselves. I'm getting sick eating at fast food joints. Not so much from the food, because Donna and I are getting good at requesting vegan options. I'm getting sick from watching what everyone else is shoving down their throats. Americans aren't very educated when it comes to the foods they eat.
I hope anyone who reads this will pause before they pull into a KFC or Micky D's. That pause may save your life!