... there's an awful lot of righteous indignation going on with regards to this article, whether on this site or on other sites like Yahoo.

I think what people fail to realize is that fast food, take-out, and delivery have become staples because we are by and large a very busy society. That Protestant work ethic keeps us on our toes... if we're not being industrious, and not stressed to the gills, then somehow we are not doing our civic duty--our families criticize us for not making enough money, not having the best jobs, the expectations of our bosses and coworkers and lifestyles get grander and grander, yet we seem to fall short.

The dilemma between whole foods and fast foods is not that fast foods taste better (even a junk food addict gets tired of the same thing day after day) but that honestly it takes a lot of work to prepare regular well-balanced fresh meals--technically if you are doing the whole foods thing correctly, you are probably out there grocery shopping on a daily basis--veggies spoil if you don't eat them fast enough, so it's not like you can stock up, and freezing only works with some veggies (fortunately well with meats). (Thank goodness for 24 hour Super Walmart).

And say you're out shopping and traffic was hell and it's getting late, and the kids are in the back seat screaming that they're hungry--sure you're gonna go by McD's... got to eat SOMETHING on the run... There isn't any REALLY healthy fast food out there except for salads (which are hard to eat in the car).

If you're gonna cook a variety of things, then you have to have the skill and the time for prep-work. It's easy enough with a big family to spend quite a bit of time prepping ingredients, then cooking, then serving, then cleaning, and then it's time for the next meal--where on earth do folks find the time?

Moreover, when you're a mom working more than just the home and children (which is probably the majority of young mothers these days), you have a double-load of work stress piled on top of family stress, routine things like laundry, dishes, homework assistance, housekeeping, bill-paying combined with office politics, deadlines, and performance reviews. It's hard to end your day with the office stress and go straight into the kitchen a la June Cleaver to prepare whole-some foods for the family. God forbid you are a single mom... moreover men in the home have not caught up with women in the work force... they still look at their 1950's dad's who worked late, came home, and found dinner waiting for them.

Not everyone is talented or enjoys cooking, either. Moreover, not only are kids not brought up eating whole foods, but they have no idea how to make them.

I have two kids who categorically refuse to eat vegetables... they have a fit if they see or taste anything remotely green, and it's been that way since they were infants--and I tried to shovel them full of green beans and peas and brocolli--no dice. I'm at a loss, because I love green foods. So pizza helps them to get some lycopene at least. Sometimes I can smuggle blended veggies into soup--although my older son will eat beef stew and green beans once in a while thank god... my younger son won't touch them, but at least he likes eggs and nuts and cheese and some fruit and yogurt and whole grain bread. I have to go for the best I can with the time that I have, and yes, once in a while we get FAST FOOD.

I think it's probably healthier to have Fast Food once in a while, and even -gasp-candy once in a while, than to forbid it... otherwise it's an eating disorder waiting to happen--everything in balance. I'm not expecting my kids to live on Induction--that's just not appropriate to their activity level, nor do they need weight loss. On the other hand, I prefer to send them to school on eggs or waffles rather than cereal, and I know that cupcakes turn them into little maniacs.

We parents are also battling seductive images on television that show that it is NORMAL and COOL for kids to be sugar and junk-food junkies. Sunny D is advertised as a health food (yikes). And although those of us who are carbwise now know better, most other people don't... I didn't before I was a lowcarber... I believed in the low fat lie. So a sugary drink or cereal with vitamins and lowfat milk was healthy. No eggs, just egg beaters... take the fat out of cheese... don't eat nuts because they are too high in fat... buy lowfat peanut butter... and sunkist fruit snacks were vitamin-friendly health-food.

McD's et al all gear their advertisements towards the fun of childhood--i.e., what's childhood without french fries? And potatoes do have a lot of vitamin C--in fact scary enough, most toddlers get their vitamin C from potatoes than from any other single source (and most Americans get their vegetables from salsa--but what are they dipping in there, hmmm?). Chicken nuggets at least do have protein and a small amount of breading, and HiC has vitamin C, or you can get milk, and you don't want to be a Nazi and let your kids have an occasional treat... and your kids are begging and you are tired of fighting with them, etc. etc.

And not everyone really BELIEVES in the health difference between packaged and fresh foods. People assume organic health-food stores are for fanatical granola hippie types and not for ordinary working stiffs. Moreover, if it's in a package, has the FDA seal on it, it must be good (if it's in a book, it must be true). How much are people going to question what they are eating until it's too late? and THAT's exactly what's happening... grocery stores are 90% crap brand food--it's not much better than the fast food--take your hamburger helper and stove top and hungry jack and canned corn, and you may be better off with the greasy burger--at least it has some fresh lettuce, onion, and tomato on it--and GASP some protein!

When you get used to a certain image of what it means to be an American (albeit the SAD diet), it's hard not to subconsiously assume that it must be okay. We are told by pediatricians that if the kids aren't eating balanced foods, to simply give them a multivitamin and they'll be okay.

If it's okay for adults to have soda pop in the teacher's lounge, why can't kids have it in the lunchroom? It's equally (un)healthy for all of us... but see, we adults have become accustomed to bagel and donut and pizza parties at the office, someone bringing in chips, and someone going out to lunch, our daily soda pop or two, and as it is part of our emotional lifestyle, we subconsciously drop it on our children assuming that they are no different than we are... MOREOVER we assume that if we are not letting them have a bag of chips that we are somehow depriving them of the joy of childhood (pop rocks, pixie stix, orange Cheetos fingers etc.) and all the fun things we used to do when we were kids eating those things.... the sad thing is that we should have never gotten to a point of adult dietary oblivion in the first place, ourselves, but we, too, were suckered in by keggers in the dorm, giant salad bowls filled with cereal, football parties with giant subs and endless bowls of chips and dip, all-you-can eat pizza bars, and the luring "POP" of a Pringles can. Cappucino machines abound in the office--the sweeter the better. Can't get through the day without the caffeine drip and the sugar buzz....

So this whole national SADness is really about our emotions... how we deal with stress, how we seek comfort, and the primal human comfort and socialization often involves eating--it's about flavor and texture and fun as fast as possible. Our psyche is too tired and the day has only 24 hours, so we don't exercise--and the double-combination is deadly.

THAT's the battle that's turning babies into junk-food addicts. And it's not going to be a easy one to turn around until we set a good example ourselves and quit making junk so alluring in the media to capture our ignorant kids, and not kidding ourselves about what is "heart healthy" and simultaneously fake carb-board food.

** end soapbox **