In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and

populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach,

green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man

and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using

God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want

chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said,

"and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they

gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled. And God created the

healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man

found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the

wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman

went from size 6 to size 14. So God said, "Try my fresh

green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing,

buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and

Woman unfastened their belts following the repast. God then

said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive

oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep

fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own

platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol

went through the roof. God then created a light,fluffy

white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is

good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it

"Devil's Food." God then brought forth running shoes so

that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan

gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have

to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed

and cried before the flickering blue light and gained

pounds. Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in

fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the

healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and

deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds. God then gave lean

beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still

satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its

99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries

with that?" And Man replied,"Yes! And super size them!" And

Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. Then Satan

created HMOs.

That's one of the best I've seen in a long time.

------------------
Songman55
Joe Ayala

But why blame Satan?

People should put the blame where it counts: themselves.

There's such a thing called "free agency' meaning that whatever you do or won't do, is because of your own decision. Every action and thought is yours alone.

All those that sue fast food outlets, tobacco companies, and such...are just big whiners that want to turn their self-induced addiction into a big profit maker.

To me only a fool would order super-sized meals and drinks. Super-sized meals in the rest of the world are still half size what you get in the US, so medium-sized in the US.

I think that we've become pretty well informed during the last two decades or so on what overeating, smoking and drinking can do to you.

I guess that I'm lucky that I grew up on homecooked meals...with butter! And I'm still having homecooked meals..cooked with oil, now. Not because I shun butter but because it's a different food culture. Eating should be a pleasure. As with all stuff, moderation, moderation, moderation! (although I utterly fail at moderation when eating ice cream)

Cooking is one of my many pleasures and I enjoy making my own salad dressings, dips, chutneys, etc.

Good topic, Fran! Bon Appetite!

Taike