Gross?

Okay, I had to write about this article in the Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090304.wlfat04/BNStory/lifeMain/home
The article is about a web-site called "This is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks." On this site, people post picutres of foods they have made or consumed in restaurants. The foods are all uncommon creations that are high in fat and calories. The picture I have used in this blog is from the webiste. Since it's launch on February 9th, the website has had 7.5 million viewers and 2,000 photo submissions!
Honestly, when I first went to the site, I thought I was going to vomit. You should take a look. www.thisiswhyyourefat.com. There is even a picture of a 30,000 calorie sandwich filled with ground beef, bacon, corn dogs, pastrami, roast beef, bratwurst, and turkey topped with fried mushrooms, onions, cheese and butter. Maybe this is revolting to me because I'm a vegetarian. I think that plays a role. Yet, the article in the Globe and Mail says viewers love looking at the site. They claim it's both disgusting and enticing...and it's hard to look away. What fixes society's gaze on such fatty foods? Is it because it's so unreal? But it's not...people do consume these foods. The article suggests that people are fascinated by the fact that the foods actually could be lethal. If eaten all the time, these foods definitely could kill you. It's like a guilty pleasure, and people are living vicariously through the pictures. It's like the food is dangerous; consuming it is a risk. And by just looking at the pictures, you are able to enjoy the food without consuming the calories...
What a contrast to my last post of othorexia and the obessions with eating healthy. Yet I still think these two posts are very much related. They both deal with an obsession. These are the foods that orthorexics would label as "bad."
I just don't know what to say. I think in this case, pictures speak louder than words. We have gone too far. Perhaps this is a way of backlashing against all these "healthy" claims we are forced to see and deal with everyday. It's like we are not "supposed" to eat fat, so we want it even more. Yet, we want it in excess and in ways that are just over the top! I also don't like how the title of the site puts the blame on the individual. "This is why YOU'RE fat." It's very hurtful. It's not our fault as individuals that we've developed this obsession with food items. It's our society, and much, much more....