OMG! Did you see what Michelle is eating? Burger, fries, AND shake!?! And a Diet Coke? LOL! Some role model.
While this isn't a real tweet (though it is 108 characters), this does reflect some views on Michelle Obama's "audacity" to eat a fast food meal, and symbolic of the fuss that prominent people are going to get over their lunch choices. And those who are trying to get others to eat better will get harsher treatment when they are out.
We don't see what Michelle Obama eats for every meal nor do people tweet what she eats. The finished product is what counts, not just one meal. And Mrs. Obama has nothing to worry over, other than this line of criticism. Then again, this is like every TV commercial for some food where women are jealous that another woman eats something and still looks good.
Imagine what we would do if we knew the world was judging us by what we ate in one meal?
Michelle Obama's "transgression" was to have a lunch at Shake Shack, the New York City institution now in DC. Mrs. Obama ordered a ShackBurger, fries, chocolate shake, and a Diet Coke. Though a reporter from The Washington Post saw her order the meal, no one saw her eat the meal. ABC News freaked out enough to ask nutritionists whether this was a good idea. The original count of the meal came out to 1,566 calories and was upgraded later to 1,700 calories.
Given her prominent position — and that the Secret Service has to secure the perimeter so it's more obvious when the First Lady orders food — what should Michelle Obama do?
- Eat salads, tofu, and lovely berries in public and scarf down an occasional burger in private brought in by the Secret Service.
- Eat healthy in public and walk into fast food restaurants chastising those who eat burgers and fries.
- Never be seen eating in public, other than state dinners. After all, do we ever remember seeing Nancy Reagan eat?
- Do as she darn well pleases, showcasing that finding one's balance involves good and not so good in a lifetime of choices.
For those who aren't familiar with Shake Shack, the long-time NYC franchise only recently moved into the nation's capital. Now if some prestigious restaurant comes into your city, wouldn't you want to try this out for yourself?
And if you were trying it out for the first time, wouldn't you want a full cross-sampling to see whether the food lives up to the hype?
I was in Washington, DC last fall and if Shake Shack had been around, I would have crawled to DuPont Circle to try it out. And I haven't been back to New York City in way too long.
The next time I am in a city with a Shake Shack, I will order a lot of food, calories be damned. But I won't order a Diet Coke, that would be too weird. And I will take a page out of the Michelle Obama handbook: hold my head up high, order what I want, enjoy the food, and walk a little more or cut back in meals down the line.
Comments