Ronald's McDonald's "Obesity House"?

Ronald's McDonald's "Obesity House"?

This morning my McDonalds on Western Avenue asked me to pay $1 for a cup of water with its Big Breakfast. When I balked and walked the manager caught me and claimed the rule was just for customers 17 to 25 years old (I wonder if they card) because teens fill the cup with soda pop when no one is looking.

In this era when excessive sugar (especially from soft drinks) is blamed for the epidemic of obesity (especially teen) and diabetes (personally diagnosed with Type II) should restaurants be legally permitted to twist customer arms to imbibe more than they want to of the most unhealthy foods.

Last year the same McDonalds tried issuing only tiny 4 ounce glasses if you requested water. They gave that up -- perhaps because we customers simply brought our own 8 ounce store glasses (which we saved whenever we could get them). I no longer patronize a McDonalds up on Howard since they only give you a 4 ounce glass of water at the counter and you cannot even refill it at the open machine.

Recently at a McDonalds over on Clark I thought I could get around their 4 ounce at the counter policy by drinking the whole 4 ounces at the counter (did not take long :-]) and asking for more. For some reason the employee took it personally and filled my glass so completely with ice that there was next to no water inside it. That makes three out of three around my way waging war on plain water.

Aren't there rules that restaurants which serve X number of people must have comfort facilities, etc.? Isn't it more important to protect the health of people who may already suffering from a medical condition that can be worsened by intake of sugar or even caffeine (e.g., caffeine and food together raise blood sugar more than food alone)? Aren't there rules against cooking with harmful ingredients like trans fats -- and against selling cigarettes to teenagers? Isn't it just as important to protect Chicago restaurant patrons from being tugged into intaking food groups which are lately recognized as proliferating -- and exacerbating -- major diseases?