Our culture is set up for obesity.
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double post0
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You made a comment earlier about "when it's been pounded into your head", as if that was an excuse. It's not. That's my only point.
What I said was that it makes it very difficult to just stop doing that, which is absolutely true.0 -
Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?
It is amazing how people want to make any post personal. Where did I suggest that I can't control myself and need to "try harder"? I am size 2 and quite fit, if you must know.
That does not mean that what we have as a food culture today is normal or healthy, or how it should be.
Obviously, this food industry system is not working out for the majority of the population.
And my point was that it is not like that in all societies.
Sure, I can be a hermit and always eat at home. The fact that something ridiculous can be done to avoid a problem, is not an indicator that there is no problem. For example, I can buy a piece of land somewhere far far from NYC and get a cow and someone to take care of it. However, that should not be my only option in getting a growth hormone-free milk for my child. (Yes, I know you can buy such milk, this is an example). But some people seem to suggest that if something at all can be done to "solve" a problem for yourself, it means there is no problem.
Eating at home makes you a hermit? Is eating out your only social activity?0 -
Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?
Well, perhaps you could order two reasonably sized meals if you want to eat twice as much? Take some personal responsibility for your diet.
If a typical dinner portion only contained half of what I needed, that's exactly what I would do. In fact, I regularly order two chicken breasts or a steak and a chicken breast. This is how adults solve problems. They don't whine about how the rules of society should be changed.
You are absolutely right and this is why so many people in the rest of the world think that the US has turned into a " me-me " state where people feel they are personally entitled ( but usually don't take personal responsibility) and don't need to worry about their fellow man and their society at large.
But then you gripe about how bad things are......:o).0 -
Saying that her point is valid over and over does not make it more valid.
Are restaurant serving sizes bigger these days and/or contain more calories? Yes.
Are people eating out more often than they used to? Yes.
Can people make their own decisons about whether or not to eat out and what to order if they do? Yes.
My issue with calling it a Cultural Issue is that it tends to lessen the responsibility of the individual. It is not a culture or a restaurant's responsibility to keep me fit if I am not prudent enough to be aware of what I am eating.
How does saying something is a cultural issue lessen personal responsibility? Overcoming something cultural can be difficult, but overcoming it doesn't make it less of a cultural issue.
Please tell me how it is difficult to overcome this particular issue.0 -
Prepared food is also quite affordable. I remember when I was a kid, dining out was a luxury. Fast food was available, but the portion sizes were much, much smaller. In high school I worked at McDonald's. A happy meal drink was 8oz. and the kids could choose milk, orange or apple juice instead of soda. They offered small beverages, those were 12 ounces (it was .50-60 cents). If you were to hand an American consumer a 12 ounce soft drink (with ice) he or she would freak out at the tiny size today.
On the other hand, most families had a stay-at-home mom. We could live off of one income with blue collar service work as the wages hadn't become depressed yet. I knew men who had retail jobs at clothing stores or as grocery checkers making $15-17 an hour with bennies back in the 1980's.
Today, blue collar workers have to have two incomes to see any kind of reasonable lifestyle. Even construction workers, who once made some of the best union wages, are only earning $10-12 and hour in the private sector, and that is a skilled job that requires heavy labor.
We are exhausted and broke. So we'll call for Chinese or pizza delivery. Then we get fat.
Portion size is only one piece of the puzzle. I agree with the OP that our whole society is set up for obesity.
Then that is an example of poor planning... when we eat out many days of the week it's because we are being lazy... not because we can't cook meals at home... crockpot and freezer meals are a staple in our house... Tonight it's baked chicken breast and a side of steamed vegetables and probably some small baked potatoes... it takes about 2 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to actually cook.
ETA: Both me and my husband work full time outside of the home with a toddler in "school". I myself am out of the house a total of 11 hours of the day. I have today's and tomorrow's meals in the refrigerator thawing for tonight and tomorrow.0 -
My husband and I were in Vegas this past spring. We ate at a restaurant called Hash House A Go Go at the Quad and the servings were huge. We shared meals because they were so big and it gave us a chance to live on the edge and eat something we normally wouldnt order. So rather than order the huge meal individually and either waste more than half (who wants to walk around Vegas with leftovers LOL) or eat more than you should because it's there, we simply shared. It was so worth it because the food was excellent and the prices werent bad. We ate there almost every day for breakfast!:blushing:0
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You know you can control what you eat at home...right?
This.
I always share my meal with my toddler if she is there and if she isn't I ask for a box with my food and box half of it up immediately.
You have to be your own advocate because at the end of the day you are responsible for yourself.
I think she is just commenting on the history of society in terms of the increase in portion sizes of the last 60 years and the increase in our waistline.
I don't think she is using it as an excuse to eat what ever she wants. or blaming anyone else.
She makes valid points.
Saying that her point is valid over and over does not make it more valid.
Are restaurant serving sizes bigger these days and/or contain more calories? Yes.
Are people eating out more often than they used to? Yes.
Can people make their own decisons about whether or not to eat out and what to order if they do? Yes.
My issue with calling it a Cultural Issue is that it tends to lessen the responsibility of the individual. It is not a culture or a restaurant's responsibility to keep me fit if I am not prudent enough to be aware of what I am eating.
It makes it as valid as it is...
I'm not really interested in your view on personal responsibility. If you are responsible you will be healthy and your body/size will reflect this.
I was commenting on her point about the changes in society. Again valid.0 -
Oops! Double post!0
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so are restaurants supposed to go out of business because nobody eats there due to non-tasty food or are they supposed to serve food that keeps their doors open...
I'm confused here.0 -
Prepared food is also quite affordable. I remember when I was a kid, dining out was a luxury. Fast food was available, but the portion sizes were much, much smaller. In high school I worked at McDonald's. A happy meal drink was 8oz. and the kids could choose milk, orange or apple juice instead of soda. They offered small beverages, those were 12 ounces (it was .50-60 cents). If you were to hand an American consumer a 12 ounce soft drink (with ice) he or she would freak out at the tiny size today.
On the other hand, most families had a stay-at-home mom. We could live off of one income with blue collar service work as the wages hadn't become depressed yet. I knew men who had retail jobs at clothing stores or as grocery checkers making $15-17 an hour with bennies back in the 1980's.
Today, blue collar workers have to have two incomes to see any kind of reasonable lifestyle. Even construction workers, who once made some of the best union wages, are only earning $10-12 and hour in the private sector, and that is a skilled job that requires heavy labor.
We are exhausted and broke. So we'll call for Chinese or pizza delivery. Then we get fat.
Portion size is only one piece of the puzzle. I agree with the OP that our whole society is set up for obesity.
Then that is an example of poor planning... when we eat out many days of the week it's because we are being lazy... not because we can't cook meals at home... crockpot and freezer meals are a staple in our house... Tonight it's baked chicken breast and a side of steamed vegetables and probably some small baked potatoes... it takes about 2 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to actually cook.
ETA: Both me and my husband work full time outside of the home with a toddler in "school". I myself am out of the house a total of 11 hours of the day. I have today's and tomorrow's meals in the refrigerator thawing for tonight and tomorrow.
But how on earth did you overcome the cultural issue?!
This is exactly what more people need to do. A bit of planning and prep goes a long way.0 -
You know, honestly, this is one of those "our culture" OPs that I have trouble not agreeing with to a large degree.
If someone grows up in the U.S. and follows the clean your plate method (and let's me honest many parents teach this to their kids) and eats out regularly, they very likely will become overweight. And I will agree with the OP that I really enjoyed eating out in Japan because I could try a variety of dishes that would add up to a meal, rather than being forced to order 1 thing in a restaurant and box up over half of it. Yes, the value is there in the sense that you get the leftovers, but I hate carrying food home as I'm often hiking (we often walk several miles with our kids to go out for tacos for example), or we're traveling and the food will spoil in the car. It does indeed take some of the fun away.
That said, it is not an excuse. We will often share 1 or 2 plates among the 4 of us, or we go to restaurants where the portion sizes are sane, such as steak houses and sushi restaurants. I'm also not afraid to order the "woman's cut" steak while I'm cutting, for example. The "big man" B.S. can suck it when it comes to food . . . okay, while I'm cutting, bulking is an entirely different thing. lol
The point though is that there are all sorts of obstacles out there in regard to any of our goals, not just our dieting goals. Think about all those things that you'd rather be doing than going to work. But you still go to work. This is no different. Yes, it can be hard, but set your mind to it and get it done.0 -
so are restaurants supposed to go out of business because nobody eats there due to non-tasty food or are they supposed to serve food that keeps their doors open...
I'm confused here.
Apparently they are supposed to police our well-being instead of functioning as the market dictates.0 -
The point though is that there are all sorts of obstacles out there in regard to any of our goals, not just our dieting goals. Think about all those things that you'd rather be doing than going to work. But you still go to work. This is no different. Yes, it can be hard, but set your mind to it and get it done.
I found this last part so inspiring. I actually struggle a lot with telling myself "no," but I never actually looked at it from this perspective. Thanks!0 -
How is it difficult to overcome something that your parents drilled into your head over and over and over for at least 18 years? Really?Saying that her point is valid over and over does not make it more valid.
Are restaurant serving sizes bigger these days and/or contain more calories? Yes.
Are people eating out more often than they used to? Yes.
Can people make their own decisons about whether or not to eat out and what to order if they do? Yes.
My issue with calling it a Cultural Issue is that it tends to lessen the responsibility of the individual. It is not a culture or a restaurant's responsibility to keep me fit if I am not prudent enough to be aware of what I am eating.
How does saying something is a cultural issue lessen personal responsibility? Overcoming something cultural can be difficult, but overcoming it doesn't make it less of a cultural issue.
Please tell me how it is difficult to overcome this particular issue.
If someone tells you every day of your life that you're ugly and worthless, you're going to believe you're ugly and worthless, even if objectively you know that isn't true. If someone tells you every day of your life that you MUST finish every bite of food on your plate, you're going to feel like you're letting them down by not doing so, even as an adult. You may recognize it's stupid and not true, but changing your habits and the soundtrack in your head isn't something you can just DO.
Like I said, my parents didn't do that to me over food. But there were other things that my mother especially would say to me over the years that even now I fight every day to remind myself aren't true. She didn't mean to make me feel bad. I know that. I don't think she ever realized what she did. As a mother muself, I struggle every day to be very careful what I say to my daughter because of that. I may not have experienced it with food, but I do know what it's like in other ways.0 -
Saying that her point is valid over and over does not make it more valid.
Are restaurant serving sizes bigger these days and/or contain more calories? Yes.
Are people eating out more often than they used to? Yes.
Can people make their own decisons about whether or not to eat out and what to order if they do? Yes.
My issue with calling it a Cultural Issue is that it tends to lessen the responsibility of the individual. It is not a culture or a restaurant's responsibility to keep me fit if I am not prudent enough to be aware of what I am eating.
How does saying something is a cultural issue lessen personal responsibility? Overcoming something cultural can be difficult, but overcoming it doesn't make it less of a cultural issue.
Please tell me how it is difficult to overcome this particular issue.
There are many things that could make it hard. Habit would be a big one, but social pressure, financial guilt, and other things could be at play.0 -
This is how I feel when people start talking about the food on cruises.people rave about restaurants, because the portions are "MASSIVE".0 -
You know, honestly, this is one of those "our culture" OPs that I have trouble not agreeing with to a large degree.
If someone grows up in the U.S. and follows the clean your plate method (and let's me honest many parents teach this to their kids) and eats out regularly, they very likely will become overweight. And I will agree with the OP that I really enjoyed eating out in Japan because I could try a variety of dishes that would add up to a meal, rather than being forced to order 1 thing in a restaurant and box up over half of it. Yes, the value is there in the sense that you get the leftovers, but I hate carrying food home as I'm often hiking (we often walk several miles with our kids to go out for tacos for example), or we're traveling and the food will spoil in the car. It does indeed take some of the fun away.
That said, it is not an excuse. We will often share 1 or 2 plates among the 4 of us, or we go to restaurants where the portion sizes are sane, such as steak houses and sushi restaurants. I'm also not afraid to order the "woman's cut" steak while I'm cutting, for example. The "big man" B.S. can suck it when it comes to food . . . okay, while I'm cutting, bulking is an entirely different thing. lol
The point though is that there are all sorts of obstacles out there in regard to any of our goals, not just our dieting goals. Think about all those things that you'd rather be doing than going to work. But you still go to work. This is no different. Yes, it can be hard, but set your mind to it and get it done.
I agree that looking at it from a Big Picture standpoint that the culture has shifted towards bigger servings and higher calories. I just hate that it is used as fodder for "restaurants made me fat!" type blaming or the "it is the culture we live in!" excuses.0 -
whenever i got out to eat, i usually ask the waiter to split the meal in half ahead of time and put half in a to go box for me, or to right away bring a to go box out and i will split the meal myself and put it away. that way i only have what i want to eat left in front of me, instead of falling victim to the "having to finish the plate in front of me" problem.0
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so are restaurants supposed to go out of business because nobody eats there due to non-tasty food or are they supposed to serve food that keeps their doors open...
I'm confused here.
They somehow manage to keep plenty of restaurants open in my example of Japan. And food is tastier and fresher.
And even donuts are fresher, tastier and much smaller. Probably around 100 cal each. If you want an American equivalent of donut, you'd have to buy several. Ahh, it was so nice to just pick up a tasty sweet snack with a small coffee and hot donut and not have it cost you a calorie equivalent of a lunch.0
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