McDonalds' Intensive Care Unit

I returned last night after spending five days with my father-in-law in the McDonald's Restaurants' Intensive Care Unit. (That's not it's real name but the company would be an appropriate sponsor for the place.)

For a long time, I've been trying to eat in a more healthy manner, and as I endlessly repeat on this blog, you get what you want -- my ICU vacation was the appropriate prod I needed to enthusiastically embrace the French way of eating when I'm in the U.S.:

• smaller portions
• lots of fruits and vegetables
• no processed foods

My father-in-law is ninety-one-years old, thin, and in good physical shape. His heart is finally wearing out, and so the doctors will install a pacemaker. The observations which follow, regarding diet and weight don't pertain to my father-in-law. Someday, no matter how well one takes care of oneself, the body and mind fall apart and sadly, that is what's happening with my father-in-law.

However, it was frightening to see that there are many people in the ICU ward who are middle aged, overweight and don't exercize. I overheard several cardiologists lecturing their patients and their patients' families on the necessity to alter their lifestyles. Diet and exercize. Diet and exercize. Diet and exercize. That's the mantra. There isn't a magic pill. There isn't even any long lasting major surgery that will solve the problems that a bad diet and lack of exercize cause.

In the Third World, people are starving to death. In the United States, people are eating themselves to death. It's called gluttony, and it's ugly.The ICU was filled with overweight people in their fifties and sixties. There were many people who were diabetic and had heart trouble and recent limb amputations. I would suggest that if you're trying to lose weight and are thinking of spending money on a spa, you should save your money, and experience a more immediate transformation by simply sitting in the cardiac ward of a hospital.

When I was waiting at the gate for my plane to take off, I looked around at the people sitting there and at least half of them were eating something. Where did we get the idea that we have to be eating constantly? We get it from the television and the constant advertising that shows happy, skinny people eating. McDonald's brings you Nirvana with their HAPPY meal. Happiness is always at hand if we're putting food in our mouth.

But health, and the happiness engendered by good health, can be found in consuming less food and ignoring all the food that is advertised on television. Watch the commercials, nothing that is healthy for you is advertised on television. Nothing.

Once again, corporations and the consumption they cheerlead are dangerous for you. And remember, if you can walk to the bathroom and wipe yourself today, it's a good day for which you should be thankful.