Supersize Us!

The other night M and I watched (or tried to watch) Supersize Me. M made it through, I fell asleep. A total reversal of roles, but I guess it happens. One part that I did see talked about how even though the food is pretty well-known to be not an integral part of a well-balanced diet (i.e. it isn't real good for you), the Golden Arches can found everywhere including inside some hospitals. I didn't think much of it. As I've never seen them in any of the hospitals I've been in. Another part of the movie that I saw talked about how McDonald's works to ingratiate the youth. Again, I didn't think much of it, I take the kids there once in a while as a special treat but very infrequently and certainly with no regularity. But the two pieces came together on Monday when I took Four to his doctor appointment at DuPont. In the waiting area, there is a train table that the kids love to play with. And there in bright yellow and red is a fully McDonald's train. One of the experts in the documentary called this "brand imprinting for later actuation in life." Another compared the 10,000 ad and marketing exposures that children face to the roughly 1,000 opportunities for the family that eats every meal together to encourage healthy eating habits. Good Luck!