Doctors and nutritionists tell us that obesity is a crisis.They recommend eating very healthy foods and lots of exercise.
And when you go to the hospital what's the first thing you see? McDonald's. That's right 4 out of 10 hospitals have a fast food restaurant right there. And the hospital cafeterias aren't much better.
Money talks, health takes a hike.
All that education, all those fund-raisers, all those doctors' admonishments, and yet hospital administrators and boards take the money and run. "Do as I say, not as I do." That motto has replaced, "Do no harm."
McDonald's has a right to sell food and every individual has a right to eat it.
But don't hospitals have an obligation to provide healthy foods? It's a free country but they don't allow smoking. It's a free country but they don't allow guns. It's a free country but they don't allow dirty sheets and filthy instruments. Then, why, oh why -- with 2/3 of Americans overweight or worse, obese -- would the bastion of health allow fast foods right in the lobby?
"It sends a bad example when fast-food restaurants in the lobby are undermining what cardiologists are telling their patients upstairs," said Jeff Cronin, a spokesman for the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. "There are plenty of fast-food outlets in America, without putting them in schools and hospitals."
He should have said, there's plenty of WrongSize fast-food outlets, and they shouldn't be anywhere in America, let alone schools and hospitals.
Government regulates everything in your life. We all know government regulates liquor, driving, insurance, airline security; but, they also regulate hunting and fishing. Think about that. They protect fish more than they protect our children. They protect spotted owls before stopping Americans from eating themselves to death.
Not only won't the government stop McDonald's from overfeeding Americans. But even hospitals can't get off mainlining junk food.
The entire country needs to check into rehab.
2 comments:
Hi there,
Thou hast no right but to do thy Will.
There's actually, IMO, a much more sinister and pervasive side to this: not the obvious, voluntarily-consumed fast food junk in the lobby, but the crap they serve the patients. I am routinely appalled by what I see being fed to hospital and especially nursing and extended-care homes: margarine, empty starches (to people who are often barely eating), grossly overcooked veggies, etc. If these people dont have diet-induced morbidity when they come in, they will be by the time they check out ... or don't ...
Love is the law, love under will.
-MR
Thanks for comment. I never realized how bad -- not that kind of bad, but really unhealthy -- nursing/extended-care food is.
Unfortunately, your comments bring back the complaints of my father from his extended care home. Here I thought he was being difficult, complaining about the food. It probably wasn't the best for him, nor good tasting.
I'm glad that at least all my visits including going out to lunch.
I'm adding those "away-from-your-own-home" eateries to my list, and let's change their food offerings as well.
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