"But a BNET blogger has poked a hole in Wendy's claims of the fries being "natural". According to the report, the fries use a stew of exotic laboratory chemicals to improve the fries' appearance, flavor, and ease of cooking. The fries do away with the steam skinning -- ironically, one of the most "natural" parts of the average fast food company's fry manufacturing process. Chopped, the fries begin their chemical journey with a dip in sodium acid pyrophosphate. They're also powdered with slightly more natural D-glucose (crystallized from corn).

"Credit cards may be helping to drive the obesity epidemic: Study after study has shown that people view buying healthy foods as an ethical decision. Simply making other choices that are viewed as "good" seems to liberate people in a way that makes them more likely to pick junk food. But it seems the mere method of purchase can help influence food choices. According to the researchers involved, paying with cash is painful, and that prompts people to avoid making choices they think of as bad, like junk food.