Some of that is true, but I have to contend with your main two points:

- Healthy food does not necessarily cost more money than fast food. A head of lettuce costs a buck, the same price as a McChicken. Make your own croutons and add a tomato and maybe a green pepper and you have light lunches for a week at about the price of a Whopper meal, which would be eaten in a half-hour. A $3 or $4 a week, a single person or a couple can afford to throw away some spoiled food -- I hate doing that too, but it's not avoidable when you aren't feeding a family of five.

- We are the masters of our own time. We don't have time -- we make it. For example, I can say that I didn't have time to work out last night because I was watching the World Series, but I could've watched the game while on the treadmill. Packing lunches at night saves time in the morning.

I don't know if people truly want to be fat, but we certainly live the consequences of our choices. Maybe I don't care if I gain 20 pounds a year or if that extra weight eventually affects the physical condition of my back and knees.

There are times when I want to eat whatever I want to eat. I'm not a vegetarian or a proponent of never eating out. But I am going to make choices that will help me avoid becoming overweight. I am going to exercise as long as I'm physically able. As a former swimmer, I never had to worry about eating junk food. I ate whatever I wanted. More recently, I have decided to change my bad eating habits and make new, healthier choices before I get too old to be active. That may seem like a long way off, but as I approach the age of 30, my body is tiring and aching.

It's the habits that I make now that will affect the quality of my life later. Eating healthy food is one of those choices.

That said, lunch consists of a lettuce, onion, and crouton salad, topped with limited ranch dressing, along with a 32-ounce bottle of tap water and two Pepsis.

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)