Vices parte deux

I'm watching "Super Size Me" and wondering if fast food is really so bad, or if it's just made bad by the portions in which it is served.

We all know it's low quality, and not the best for you, but is really any better than what you would find in a grocery store? It feels like the difference between a lean cuisine and a fast food meal, really are the portions.
I also wonder if the way we collect information about bad habits as far as health is concerned, is really accurate.

Alcohol has long been considered "bad for us" bad for our livers, and our brain cells. But alcohol, while it can be dehydrating, is also a blood thinner, just like the baby aspirin we are told to take to limit our chances of blocked arteries, strokes and heart attacks.  So, is it possible that we both drink and smoke, or drank and eat foods rich in saturated fats, would something get canceled out?

These health problems seem to be distinctly, though admittedly not exclusively, American. We overdo things. We overdo work mostly, that seems to be the biggest problem with health. Stress is directly linked to premature death and a myriad of diseases: heart diseases, cancer, and addictions. Everything is about productivity and as a result not only are we ridiculously stressed, but the products and services we provide in our businesses get cheapened, so that they are made more profitable. Soda, something as American as Coca Cola isn't even made with sugar anymore, not in this country at least, it's made with Corn Syrup.

The solution: This really isn't about dieting or limiting your tobacco and alcohol consumption, those things would become more moderate if our attitudes were better. We need to lessen our emphasis on work. Life is about life, it should be enjoyable, it's not about some achievement you can put on paper. Things like money and title are awesome, but they are not everything.