WMD (Weapons of Mc Donaldization)

Over 99 billion served worldwide. Or so says the giant hoarding at a neighborhood McDonald’s fast-food restaurant. What I’d like to hear though is how many they have killed. No, really, I am serious. May be I am being unduly harsh on McDonald specifically, but we can include all its kind and its competitors in the statement. One of my co-worker’s husband had a heart attack recently at the age of 26. Boy, was that shocking or what! No prizes for guessing what his diet was like; burgers, French fries and coke, day after day, every single day. And he is not alone in leading this lifestyle. Have you noticed how every customer at McD’s is asked: ‘Would you like some fries? Anything to drink?’ Even if someone was intending only to satiate his transitory hunger, he would be cajoled into buying these ‘necessities’. Good for the marketing mind, not so good for the over-burdened heart!

Together, they have revolutionized the eating habits of the western world, and sedulous efforts are on to raise the ‘Mac index’ of the eastern world too. We know how ‘hip’ it is to visit a McD’s in India. It is considered a form of ‘American culture’ that many are willing to adopt blindly. The irony is that the western world is gradually waking to the benefits of vegetarianism and healthy food, while India, for instance, is fast falling in the same trap that will ruin whole generations and take much time to recover from. But that might not quite happen. Whereas here in the US, it is the minorities and the relatively poor that are targeted with prices of food as low as a couple of dollars; in India, it is still the stage for the relatively affluent classes. Obesity is an alarming epidemic in the US, with 65% adults being over-weight, 30% being obese and 5% being morbidly obese. If you are curious to know where you stand, you might consider calculating your BMI (Body Mass Index). Divide your weight (in kg) by the square of your height (in meters). Under 25 is normal; 25-30 is overweight, 30-40 is obesity and over 40 is morbid obesity.

I cherish the fact that I am a vegetarian. Though that was meant to be for religious reasons, it is reassuring to hear the health and goodness of being so. It is associated with lower cholesterol (animal fat has more saturated fatty acids, except fish oil), heart disease, hypertension, diabetes. I recently read that such a diet can also help insomniacs in regularizing their sleep patterns. Including lettuce and broccoli in your diet is not all that bad, is it?

But here’s something striking to ruminate about: Indian doctors recently met at a conference to discuss the exceedingly high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (high levels of homocysteine) in vegetarian Indians, and a cause of early onset coronary heart disease and stroke. This results from a deficiency of folic acid, B6 and B12 vitamins found in greens, milk and eggs that are excluded from a vegan diet.