Evolution or Body Pollution?

"We cook at least 6 days of the week at my house."

That was the statement that sent my health class into shock. My classmates, even my health teacher, were a little more than surprised to hear me say that. At first, I wasn't sure if it was because of my size or what. In the on going discussion (which haunted me for the rest of the semester), we discussed how my health teacher could not and would not cook. She ate out every day. Although not always fast food, she ate food prepared at a restaurant. My classmates, who may not have eaten at nice restaurants, ate out at least 5 times a week.

Both parties (me versus my entire class) were surprised at each others' reaction. Their general argument was that no one cooked anymore. They spoke about it like it was a flip phone or a VHS, like something that had gone out of style. My teacher even made the joke that me and my family were living in the 1800s because of our home cooked meals.

For as long as I can remember, my mom cooked. Regardless of how tired she was when she got off work, she cooked for me and my dad. Maybe this is why i don't buy other people's excuses about being to tired or not having time. We made time to cook and eat.

I said all of that for this reason: that class room discussion struck something in me. Are families all over the country like my health class? Does everyone think that cooking is "stupid"? Is it just a southern thing? Is cooking something that has faded out? Have we evolved to the point where we don't need to anymore? Or are fast food restaurants sorry excuses for us to harm and fill our bodies with unhealthy things? I'm not sure, but I want to find out. I'm convinced that there has to be families out there that don't rely on cooks in restaurants to supply them with their meals.

My class also pointed out that there are too many fast food restaurants around for me to assume that people cooked. Maybe they had a point, but I had a different way of looking at things. Although we cook most of the time, we do eat out occasionally. I assumed that so many people came to the fast food restaurants on their "occasional" time that they fast food places were able to stay in business. Maybe not, but I will soon find out.

K.DAWN