By Mike Barnett
Editor

I've been real interested in food lately. I started a diet in May, lost quite a bit of weight, and my recent thoughts have pretty well focused on nourishment, or lack thereof.

It's been brought to my attention, while sitting here in my office waiting on cooler weather and craving a Whopper and supersized fries, that the food we eat is drawing increasing media scrutiny.

Case in point: have you heard about the heavier-than-normal (is that politically correct?) guy who's suing fast food joints because he's (to heck with political correctness) fat?

It's true. It's true. An overweight maintenance worker, in cahoots with a New York City lawyer, has filed suit against McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King and KFC. Seems the maintenance worker has suffered two heart attacks, claiming it was fast food advertise ments "that got me," and that he is now addicted to fast food.

As John Stossel would say, "Give me a break." Looks to me that the worker and his lawyer smell deep pockets. Remember the tobacco companies?

My thoughts: Whatever happened to personal responsibility? I'm a former smoker and fast food addict. I quit the first and cut back drastically on the second because it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that too much of either is not good for your health.

Is there some insidious plot by the fast food giants designed to kill you with KFC orginal recipe (the best), Quarter Pounders and Whoppers? Hardly. They're in business to make money. And they make a lot of it by providing what consumers want and demand. If memory serves me correct, that's called free enterprise.

But it wouldn't surprise me if the lawsuit progresses. Remember McDonald's big payout to the woman who sued because her coffee was too hot?

If the lawyers find success here, watch out. Is mom next? She's the one that told you to clean your plate before you could have dessert. If you're overweight, I guess it's her fault.

Ranchers, you raised the beef that goes into fast food hamburgers. Will you be sued? And you farmers. Those buns contain a lot of calories. You raised the wheat used to make the buns. You planted the potatoes used to make the french fries. The oil used to fry the fries came from farm products. Are you also a target?

Far-fetched? I hope.Who knows in this crazy world? My advice to the obese maintenance worker: Work harder, eat less...live longer. Forget about the lawsuit.

Which brings me to the second focus of media attention: the current war between low fat, high carbohydrate diets and high-protein, low carbohydrate diets.

The battle lines have been drawn between advocates of both; first, in the New York Times and more recently in the Sept. 2 edition of Time magazine.

I must admit I haven't tried the high carbohydrate, little-to-no fat approach. I love salad, fruits and vegetables but I can't imagine going a day without eating meat, which is shunned in many of those diets.

But in my continuing weight control battles, I have tried the high-protein, low carbohydrate approach. It worked great for a couple of weeks...until the urge for bread, potato chips and bananas got the better of me.

Both diets have implications for farmers and ranchers. "Experts" say a lifestyle that encourages mainly fruits, vegetables and whole grain food products will keep you slim and trim. That's good for the farmers' pocketbooks. High protein advocates tell startling stories of remarkable weight loss, and certainly that helps the ranchers' bottom lines.

Know what works best? Mike's 12-step plan for food addiction (take 12 steps for every calorie you eat). Simply, it's the suggestion I made earlier to the overweight maintenance worker. Eat less. Exercise more.

It works for me. I eat what I want—fruits, vegetables, bread and meat—only less of them. Sometimes I get a little hungry, but that's a small price to pay for better health.

Better yet, eating some of everything keeps farmers farmin' and ranchers ranchin'. That makes all of you happy.

Know what makes me happy? Every once in a while I take a diet break and saunter into McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King or KFC...