Let me tackle your last argument with another example: Clearly some (most) junk-food-eaters found that eating junk food was a better alternative, since they we

Let me tackle your last argument with another example: Clearly some (most) junk-food-eaters found that eating junk food was a better alternative, since they were obviously the ones who kept eating junk food. That kind of argument simply doesn't hold water. Humans do things which negatively impact them in the short term and the long term, repeatedly, consistently, and with relish.