In re-reading our exchange, I hope I haven't inadvertently given the impression of being one of those paragons of inflexibility who won't let their kids eat a cookie! They're old enough to make their own choices, and are all pretty omnivorous (and since they're rapidly growing boys, the emphasis is definitely on the "omni"). While I'm basically a vegetarian, as are my partner's daughters, I'm not bothered about what other people eat one way or another, aside from what I assume is the general discomfort about the statistics viz. obesity, childhood diabetes, etc. in our country.

Obviously, the occasional greasy fast food meal isn't going to kill anyone, but I guess what bothers me about the situation at so many "family" oriented events is the implied assumption that, given their druthers, deep fat fried everything is what people *choose* to eat, ie, what constitutes a special treat. On those occasions when I eat something especially greasy and "junk"-y, a pretty yucky feeling usually follows, a reminder of why it's not a good idea to eati that way on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it's a sad fact that many people do make that sort of food their regular diet, rather than treating it as the occasional indulgence. Presumably it's all part and parcel of the "supersize me" phenomenon, but it seems like a telling indication of what our culture considers "good" that a major feature of a grand day out is the availability of as wide a variety of fried, fatty food as possible.

~D