Now, I don’t deny we are so over-indulgent that we have a lot of hard work to wean ourselves off the treats (only in this time of recession, don’t we have a patriotic duty to buy the cheap processed food and keep their profits high? ;-}). But there is increasing evidence that the tsunami of chemicals we have introduced into the world have knocked many biological systems way off kilter… plus there is substantial evidence that those damn food ads do in fact have a brainwashing effect (I don’t have a tv). Plus, many people have been so stressed out by slavedriver bosses and insanen attempt to soothe stress… it doesn’t work, but that doesn’t stop people from trying… I’m afraid if everyone stopped their milkshakes and genetically modified fries, there’d be a lot more shooting or just stranglings…

Food and heroine are (loosely) related though, in that they fill a void – as you say. Of course withdrawal from the former isn’t a fraction of the withdrawal from the latter, but it’s still there. Withdrawal symptoms don’t have to be catastrophic to define an addiction.

Somebody who decides not to binge, who breaks an eating habit, will most definitely feel withdrawal symptoms though. Depression/fatigue/crankiness etc… therefore carbs must be addictive. Considering that obesity disorders are fast increasing and flat-lining people by the thousands every year, I’d even go so far as to say that death rates from heroin users pale by comparison and is therefore a less serious addiction in the eyes of the W.H.O. Sounds stupid but I believe it’s true. I’m not making light of heroin addiction at all, but the statistics speak for themselves. People are happily killing themselves for food, and you can be damn sure it ain’t carrots they’re after.

Also… look at all the many versions of the same saccharine shite (Space Gunge… Alien Goo etc…) on every shop counter in Ireland! Refined sugar will be the demise of the human race – how can kids concentrate in school when they’re constantly crashing and peaking?!? Chippers for dinner… Frosted sugar flakes for breakfast, Coca Cola for lunch?

We might as well just add a constant dose of Ridalin to our drinking water, it might cancel the problem!!!

Couldn’t find that one but here’s one that relates to tt’s comment about the Canadian Airlines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnJt4-CA47w

Generally I agree with you of course – also about the diets. Exercise!

Fast food chains all take huge advantage of that fact, but the product is rarely what you see on the tin.

Did you know that the dressing on MaccyD’s caesar salad has more calories than a Big Mac?

McDonald’s is ok… as a treat. Everything is ok in moderation, but that fact just isn’t stressed enough. Diets, for this reason are just as damaging as the over-consumption of junk food.

Excuse me, but while attacking the commentators here for being ignorant you actually patronise them yourself. I always thought that being mature or not about something is for others to decide, not a self-granted virtue.

Of course that not every fat person is fat by being lazy or gluttonous, but, apparently, most of them are. I don’t think anybody here is despising them, though.

And comparing (over)eating habit to heroine addiction is a manipulation. Simply because one is a habit (in most cases) and the other – addiction.

Hadn’t thought of throwing in the odd mojito. They say variety is good for a balanced diet!