I am so bloody guilty of thinking short term about food – it’s almost like a mental illness. It’s certainly like an eating disorder. I might know, intellectually, without a doubt, that I shouldn’t eat something (the fish sandwich from Long John Silver’s for instance, which I inexplicably crave on cold, rainy days). But there’s this completely illogical “Oh, just this one time” thing that goes on in my head. Like, “Yes, in order to lose weight and be healthier I need to stop eating this crap – but will not eating this one meal of crap really make that much difference?” It’s insane. But now, thanks to my beloved magazine, The Week, I might have some new information to combat that idiocy. And more relevant to this venue, here’s one more very important reason not to feed fast food to your kids: because it’s not just that it’s a bad meal, but that this one bad meal could create a change in their bodies – for the worse.
According to Washington U. scientists, high-fat, high-sugar foods actually change the composition of bacteria in your digestive system, to “program” you to be fat. We have two primary types of digestive bacteria (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, if you must know — now bandy those impressive little terms about around the office water cooler). Firmicutes (decidedly not cute) are very good at converting food into calories which our bodies then absorb. That’s bad (uncute). Bacteroidetes, while having a decidedly less cute name, are less efficient, and therefore keep us leaner (or cuter). Scientists did a bit of flippity-flopping of intestinal bacteria among mice, and when the skinny ones got the fat bacteria, they did OK: until they started eating the rodent equivalent of fast food (whatever that might be: one wonders, did they feed them Big Macs?), which triggered a takeover by Team Firmicute, in an undoubtedly ugly Bacteria Smackdown. And this change can take place within 24 hours.
I am, without a doubt, hosting a major Firmicute orgy in my gut. But unfortunately, neither The Week article, nor the full Los Angeles Times article explains how this bacteria relates to fat mice becoming skinny mice (that would be the holy grail, now wouldn’t it?). But my kids are currently skinny mice. They’ve got good genetics (no severe obesity), rocking metabolisms and up to two periods of recess a day. But something happened to me, and I don’t think it’s just age + motherhood. Red Pill Parents, let’s give our kids the best chance to stay lean and healthy: don’t let the Firmicutes take over by feeding your kids junk food and fast food. It may be a short-term battle, but it will help them win the war. And if you need 49 more reasons not to hit the McDonald’s drive-through, let me know.
