On the morning of November 16, I went to work like any other day. I checked my email, listened to my voice mail, finished up a couple quick tasks, while eating my breakfast, then headed off to the gym for my morning work out - as has been my typical work-week routine. During my work out I was texting a good friend of mine from back in Michigan. We were messing with each other, as we tend to do for comedic flair, and as I finished up my work out I was in a pretty good mood. I went into the locker room and took a nice, steamy shower. It was definitely the start of a great day. But when I got out of the shower, things took a turn for the worse. I reached for my phone and saw another text from my friend, and my heart immediately sank in my chest: "Hostess is going out of business."

Obviously the above is a joke. No, my heart did not sink into my chest, but I'm not going to lie - I was a little bummed. Remember the night I stuffed my face with Hostess products? This was not the first night I had engaged in such behavior, and usually my munchies of choice were Hostess baked goods. True, I don't need to be doing that anymore - it's almost as if the universe knew I was really serious about getting the rest of this weight off finally and decided to throw me a bone - but at the same time, I did enjoy occasionally indulging in their treats. Odds are most of their more popular foods (like Twinkies) will be auctioned off and reproduced by other companies, but it just won't be the same. In any event, I started thinking.

The entire country is painfully aware of our obesity epidemic. Every year the number of deaths and fatal-illnesses contracted in relation to obesity rises. And yet, it seems like we just don't care. Take for example this situation with Hostess. Even though some of the food items have knock off versions from other manufacturers, it still stands to reason that if a company this large goes out of business it would lower the amount of junk food available for purchase on store shelves. However, instead of having one less junk-food-manufacturing company, huge auctions will be held to ensure these tasty treats are still made. Doesn't this seem a litte ... well ... contradictory?

I'll explain. Some areas of the country believe that alcohol is dangerous, so there are dry counties in several states. Some areas of the country believe that marijuana is dangerous, so most states (and the nation as a whole) consider it illegal. Some areas of the country believe that guns are dangerous, so they put limitations on who can own a gun in their personal home. But, at the same time, anything if put in the hands of the wrong person can be considered just as dangerous, if not more so, than the items listed above. Now, I have had my fair share of drinks and I smoke pot from time to time, and although I've never shot a gun I know I would be just as responsible with it as I am with the other items. And I know a lot of people all around the country are the same way I am. However, because some people abuse these items, there are laws and limitations that prevent them from being public domain. So, why not put these limitations on junk food? Think about it - to one person alcohol is much more damaging than a Twinkie, but to another person the roles could be entirely reversed and a Twinkie could be lethal. Just because the death is slower does not mean that Twinkie isn't causing damage.

I guess I could go on and on - tying in the hypocrisies of our government and the over-abuse of power - but that's all a different story. My point is this - if our country was so concerned with the obesity problems we face, we would make some changes. But we don't. Why? I don't know. I don't know why a child can't have a glass of wine at a restaurant during dinner with their parents, but they can walk into a convenience store and buy bags and bags full of sweets, that essentially cause much more damage than the wine. I don't know why one potentially-abused substance is considered more dangerous than another. I don't know why we as a nation continue to manufacture the foods that keep killing us! "Well, junk foods aren't killing everyone." Then again, neither is alcohol, or marijuana, or guns, or anything else we've deemed as harmful. So, why ban one and not the other? Why look away from something that's causing harm - especially on a group as large as obese Americans! If you ask me, junk food kills more people each year than alcohol and drugs combined! Yet one is legal, and one is not.

Just food for thought, pun intended!