Americans Eaten by Guilt

Even in America, the birthplace of fast food and junk food, it is a widely known fact that burgers and fries aren’t the healthiest of foods. While American waistlines expand, a chorus of newspapers and TV programs informs them of the dangers of a bad diet. Even First Lady Michelle Obama has planted a garden on the White House lawn. Yet in a country where one can sample national cuisines from around the world, even Barack Obama is tempted by fast food; and world dignitaries are routinely taken by limousine to the most famous burger joints in Washington, such as Ray’s Hell Burger.

It should be of no surprise, therefore, that an average American cannot walk past a fast food place with indifference. According to a study done by the organization Healthy Women, which surveyed members of the online community Allrecipes (consisting mostly of women), 54 percent of people experience “deep regret” over their choice to chow down on a burger.

Of course, guilt does not prevent the guilty from abandoning their high-calorie ways. The same study revealed that 56 percent of those who go to fast food restaurants come back at least a few times a month, and nearly 15 percent go twice a week. The most common excuse is that fast food fits in with the hectic lifestyle.

There is hope, however. Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, executive director of Healthy Women, says that 75 percent of respondents have undertaken attempts at eating better, much more than five years ago. However, the pit stops at fast food restaurants often sabotage their efforts.