Greed (see also: Why the drive-thru needs video monitors)

Money may or may not be the root of all evil, but I think it's pretty safe to say that greed causes, or at least contributes to, its fair share of problems in our society. For example, take obesity and our national over-intake of sugar products.

I recently started working at a national chain coffee store (who shall remain nameless). As you are probably aware, there is a large range of coffee-related beverages available at these types of shops, from regular black coffee to ultra-deluxe infusions of sweet syrups, powders and candy products. Much like a doctor sometimes chooses to induce labor for a past-due baby, customers at risk for diabetes can choose to accelerate their Type 2 onset by selecting one of the latter drinks. Once in a while, as a treat, they're probably fine. However, a Large Extreme Twisted Coffee Pancreo-Blaster isn't probably your best choice for your morning coffee, but since it's sold at a coffee shop and has a shot of espresso in it, it slips in under the radar. Note that no one is stopping by Dairy Queen at 8 am for a wake-me-up Blizzard. So come on customers, who are you kidding?

That's not to say that all customers choose these options. A lot of them actually do just get a simple (read: cheap) regular coffee with cream & sugar or a latte. And this is where the corporation steps in. "What? You don't want a $4+ drink today? Well how about a baked good/flavor syrup/whipped topping/mainline glucose IV/reverse liposuction with that latte?" In the sales world, this is called upselling. In the way that some customers look to push the envelope by adding sugary options to their morning coffee, the corporation looks to squeeze a few more bucks out of each sale. Nevermind that it may not actually be in the best interest of the customer (or their health). Case in point: today I (blindly, since it was drive-thru) upsold two muffins (ie: unfrosted cupcakes) to an obese man whose steering wheel was being held in place by his stomach. He only ordered a single latte, but ended up with probably 800 surplus calories. That was a successful upsell, but just another nail in the coffin for America's health problems. Hey kids, I just helped poison your dad's arteries a little more!

America is the land of opportunity, so if you want a muffin or a large sugary drink, by all means, you should be able to go out and buy one. But if you don't want one and have the presence of mind to avoid one, rest assured that the helpful purveyors of these products will be more than happy to help you re-analyze your decisions. Yes, lots of progressive corporations do try to do "what's right" these days, but when it comes down to it they are still designed for one thing: making money.