Diners, Drive-Ins, and Death by Heart Disease.

I think the reason so many other countries disdain us can be summed up in one Food Network show: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. For those of you who don't watch the Food Network, this is a show that travels America and raises lofty paeans to greasy spoons. And boy, are they greasy.

One of the main difficulties I see with American culture is reflected in this show. It's not about concern for health; it's about the Horseshoe, a 6-egg omelet topped with cheese sauce (oh, yes, my friends, Velveeta cheese sauce), sausage, ham, and not one, not two, but three different kinds of potatoes (all fried, of course). This show praises the fact that you can get a "regular" order of corned beef hash that's three huge handfuls of meat and potatoes. Or deep-fried macaroni and cheese. Or deep-fried cinnamon rolls. It's not about getting enough to eat; it's about getting enough food to feed two or three on one "regular" plate. And we wonder why we have more obesity than (almost) any other country in the world?

The problem is that bigger isn't always better, but I think we've lost track of that in a sea of Baconators, Horseshoes, and Super-Size fries. We see nothing wrong with artery-clogging "comfort food," even though tying emotions to food is a dangerous thing. We think the bigger the portion, the bigger the love. We think it's better to get a heaping plateful of decent food than a bit of the truly tasty. We associate grease with good; grease is American; grease, my friends, works.