Does anyone else find it strange that fast food restaurants have playgrounds/playplaces? I mean really, of all places, why would they be at institutions which basically promote obesity? Did you know that McDonald's even DELIVERS now in Manhattan? Yea, that's pretty much the epitome of laziness. But seriously though, why is it so common?
Here's a thought. After you exercise, even for a relatively short time, you are a) more hungry than you would be if you didn't exercise and b) more likely to indulge in something greasy because you've "earned it." Am I right, or am I right? I would imagine it is only the most disciplined of people who always eat a healthy meal after they've exercised, though surely there are some out there. But even if you want to discount that (which I don't think you should), when you exercise, you are more hungry. So imagine kids- not so much finely developed in willpower or discipline, but especially developed in whining, darting about playing Tag inside those claustrophobically small tubes (or maybe that's just because I remember trying to play in them at age 18... oops), swimming in a sea of plastic colored balls (read: germ infested wastelands), and running up steps to slide down the slide over and over. And over again. Then little Johnny and Sally come zipping out eager to eat their Happy Meal, also known as, the Fast Track to Type I Diabetes. Perhaps they even request an upgrade to a Super Size Happy Meal (I don't think they exist, but for the sake of the argument) because they're just SO HUNGRY today. Hm, I wonder why? And maybe they finish with a hot-fudge sundae with whipped cream and peanuts just because mom is so proud they played so well with the other kids. Don't forget the cherry on top! Surely all that playing in the play place balances out the 1425 calories they just consumed, right? Yea but no.
I really think this might be the reason that McDonald's starting building play places. Other than the obvious fact that they know that given the choice between their fine establishment and say, the Super Salad Shop down the street, little Johnny and Sally will certainly weigh in with their opinion, amounting to, "But mooooommmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, I want to go to the plaaaaaaayground. I won't bother you at allllllll, I'll just play with Sally the whole time! And they even have salads now at Mickey D's!!" Right, the salads sprayed with hormones, 700 calories worth of cheese, and 3500 calories worth of salad dressing. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
I dunno, call me a conspiracy theorist (no, please don't), but this just seems suspect to me. Come on now, it's not like they're building them out of some altruistic good will in their corporate hearts. There has to be a reason that equates to an increase in the Bottom Line of the McBajillions to have playgrounds at their restaurants. This are just some thoughts I've had, but surely there are other theorists out there with equally compelling conspiracies. Any thoughts?
1 comment:
Two thing:
In my last comment I put the wrong measurements for the tortillas. It is 1.5 c of flour to .5 c of water.
Also, in many Korean cities, McDonald's delivers. And there is one every two blocks- or so it seems. But there is definitely a Dunkin Donuts on every corner unless you really really want breakfast- in that case, there are none in sight anyway.
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