There's nothing wrong with any of these places/foods in my opinion...I enjoy a Hungry Jack's burger (Burger King) a doughnut or an ice cream on occasion, about 4 -5 times a year... the problem is that many don't look at it as a once in a while treat and make pigs of themselves by over indulging...usually brought on by shear laziness to either cook or buy something more healthy.
4-5 times a year is a rational amount of "exposure" to these toxins, I think. As you said it's the people that live in these places, that are addicted to the "food", that have the most problems.
But as to there not being
anything wrong with these places? I have to disagree. Too many studies on what exactly this food is made of, documentaries on what the workers do to the food while it's cooking and being served and the simple fact that you get what you pay for.
And, can anyone tell me, what's the difference between a burger you make at home and one bought at Hungry Jacks...? When we make them, they have a beef patty, lettuce, cheese, tomato, egg, onion etc...yet some think this version is healthier...DOH! If nothing else, the patty at HJs is flame grilled which removes most of the fat content...
It is a HUGE difference, depending of course upon the availability of fresh ingredients in your area and your willingness to combine them. Have you ever seen the films showing the pink extruded meat-paste that is sold to you as a burger in those places? Or, it's been frozen to within an inch of its life, then resuscitated on the grill.
Fat, by the way, is not always the enemy. As they found when they sampled that new test-tube burger (and as any good chef knows), fat is necessary in certain amounts to make the food palatable. As the popular Paleo Diet states fat is necessary in the human diet, not something to be shunned.
Those are natural fats, though - not the added ones, nor the high levels of sugar that are added to most fast food to "flavor" it. Carbohydrates are actually more of an enemy than fat - just take a look at all the carbs in commercially-prepared food. Look at the grease they use to cook your food. Look at the preservatives. Those are ALL far more dangerous than natural fat.
I'm not suggesting that this type of food is healthy but it's all about "how much", not "what"
And I would venture to say that it's
both.
As for the "What", rat balls are rat balls - it might be
legal to have 0.00247 gms. in a half-kilo of bologna, but I don't want ANY! Therefore I won't give my custom to those places that feature brands of food known to include them. In that case, "how much" is ZERO.
Granted we all choose our poisons, so from THAT philosophical view I agree with you. But I will always feel far more comfortable preparing meals myself, with the best ingredients I can find, than going to one of these chain eateries and gambling on the
disaster du jour.