Different Economies - What's a Bargain?

I hate the idea that all McDonald's soft drinks are now $1.
I hate that the cheap food is the worst food for you.

I've been reading The Omnivore's Dilemma lately, talking about food industries (Fast Food Nation for all foods). And it's had me thinking about a lot of things.

Most people will go to McDonald's and think, "Well, I might as well get a bigger drink if it's all the same price - it's a bargain to get more for less. Why get a small for a dollar when you can get a Supersized for a dollar too." It's all part of the capitalist plan to increase what has historically been an inelastic demand source - the human appetite. We can all only eat so much. (But, like dogs given an ulimitied supply of food, we'll eat beyond our needs simply because it's there).

Since we don't want to look like gluttons, instead of only having one size of fries, have multiple sizes because people will get a Supersized, but no one wants to order two mediums. So, people end up getting more soda or fries than they need or even want (and therefore spending more money). From a distance, when thinking of what restaurant to go to, or when a craving for soda kicks in, people will be drawn to the Golden Arches because of the "bargain" for mass quantities of cheap soda. It's a cycle - dare I say, it's an addiction. The bargain has a cost, and I'm sure you understand the logic I'm looking at.

I don't drink coke (soda). I haven't had one in ten years - but the mentality is prevalent in other foods. It's ridiculous to look at a foot-long sub from Subway and think, "I'm going to put the whole thing in my body right now, over the next 10 minutes." Subway is probably healthy in moderation, but the mentalitiy of a "bargain" is here too. "The footlong is only $5 so I might as well get the whole thing." The fact that the original coke bottle was 6.5oz. goes to show the massive problem Americans have with food. Now they come in a standard 21oz. bottle. Some people get it two quarts at a time, the Super Big Gulp - 64oz - also known as a Two Liter. We have a disease and it is overeating/drinking.

Marketing doesn't help. Serving sizes afforded to us don't help. Convenience doesn't help. Busy, hectic lifestyles don't help. The interstate system doesn't help (that's a tangent waiting to happen there - thanks Ike).

Finally - from Omnivore's, one last observation.

You can go to the grocery store and for one dollar easily buy 1500 calories of potato chips. For the same dollar, you can only get 250 calories of carrots.

Do the comparisons. Think about the "bargains." Figure out the real costs, not just in dollars and sense, but in lifestyle, in being a slave to cravings and portion sizes, the cost take out of the environment and national (and personal) health.