WHO: Governments should regulate fast food to slow obesity
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somewhere, way back, someone said (basically) "education not legislation"...
I agree with that.
FWIW, I'd like to see something like MFP logging done in classrooms everywhere.
Totally this! But with the goals, measurements, etc. adjusted for children and teens. Tried to get my children to track, just so they could see what they were eating and they had no interest.0 -
I think governments should use education, not regulation, to battle obesity.
THIS.
Also personal accountability. Fast food makes people fat like guns kill people.
I'm all for education. But you can't legislated or enforce personal accountability. So what do you actually do?
Agreed that you can't legislate personal accountability. At least, I don't want to live in a society that tries. But part of the education is creating a culture where good health is valued. My observation--and this is purely anecdotal, no science or studies--is that people learn healthy habits (or not) from their home culture. Those who grew up in homes where eating nutritious meals at regular times together with the family are much more likely to repeat this pattern when they move out and start their own families. Those who grew up in homes where playing outside and sports were valued are more likely to stay active as they grow up. If we can build a culture like that, we will be closer to addressing the root causes of the problems. How to do that? Wow: tall order.0 -
I agree that all of society bears the costs of poor health, much in the way that society bears the health costs of smoking or motorcycle riders w/o helmets. It would seem that the answer is to tax unhealthy activity to give the government the money to pay for the health issues.
Of course the government would just spend the money on other things, so maybe that's not the solution. There could be disincentives in the health care act; smoke cigs and get a smoking related cancer? You'll be made comfortable but you're gonna die? I doubt a society that ducks responsibility at every opportunity will go for that.
So, short of education campaigns I don't see where government is going to solve the problem. And since we're not allowed to openly condemn bad behaviour because of political correctness I don't see what can be done. We have met the enemy and he is us.0 -
Salt and pepper also, but they actually add that during cooking.People have freedom of choice. People know whats in McDonald's meat just like they know poison is in cigarettes and they still choose to partake in those activities. The government cant really stop someone from shooting up heroin if they really want to just like they cant stop someone from eating 5 cheeseburgers.
Regarding meat consumption, its pretty sick that we have fields and fields of wheat for our animals that we are just going to slaughtered but people are starving to death and dying right next to these crops. We basically have imprisoned animals like the Nazis
Interestingly, the only ingredient in a McDonald's hamburger patty is ground beef.
Yeah, they sprinkle some on at the grill. I just meant IN the patty. But yeah.
not when I worked there.0 -
Salt and pepper also, but they actually add that during cooking.People have freedom of choice. People know whats in McDonald's meat just like they know poison is in cigarettes and they still choose to partake in those activities. The government cant really stop someone from shooting up heroin if they really want to just like they cant stop someone from eating 5 cheeseburgers.
Regarding meat consumption, its pretty sick that we have fields and fields of wheat for our animals that we are just going to slaughtered but people are starving to death and dying right next to these crops. We basically have imprisoned animals like the Nazis
Interestingly, the only ingredient in a McDonald's hamburger patty is ground beef.
Yeah, they sprinkle some on at the grill. I just meant IN the patty. But yeah.
not when I worked there.
Not what?0 -
Salt and pepper also, but they actually add that during cooking.People have freedom of choice. People know whats in McDonald's meat just like they know poison is in cigarettes and they still choose to partake in those activities. The government cant really stop someone from shooting up heroin if they really want to just like they cant stop someone from eating 5 cheeseburgers.
Regarding meat consumption, its pretty sick that we have fields and fields of wheat for our animals that we are just going to slaughtered but people are starving to death and dying right next to these crops. We basically have imprisoned animals like the Nazis
Interestingly, the only ingredient in a McDonald's hamburger patty is ground beef.
Yeah, they sprinkle some on at the grill. I just meant IN the patty. But yeah.
not when I worked there.
Not what?
lol sorry johnnythan.... early in the am... we didn't put salt on them when we cooked them!0 -
We make our own choices. Each bite we put in our mouth is a choice. Some people eat fast food everyday and are thin. We don't need government to tell us things are "bad" or "wrong", we need to be accountable for our own choices. Government has way more important things they SHOULD be working on instead of focusing on something we, as people, can do for ourselves and should. We make our own choices. The government has other things to do. Think before you eat!0
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Salt and pepper also, but they actually add that during cooking.People have freedom of choice. People know whats in McDonald's meat just like they know poison is in cigarettes and they still choose to partake in those activities. The government cant really stop someone from shooting up heroin if they really want to just like they cant stop someone from eating 5 cheeseburgers.
Regarding meat consumption, its pretty sick that we have fields and fields of wheat for our animals that we are just going to slaughtered but people are starving to death and dying right next to these crops. We basically have imprisoned animals like the Nazis
Interestingly, the only ingredient in a McDonald's hamburger patty is ground beef.
Yeah, they sprinkle some on at the grill. I just meant IN the patty. But yeah.
not when I worked there.
Not what?
lol sorry johnnythan.... early in the am... we didn't put salt on them when we cooked them!
Oh really? Maybe it's added before they're frozen and shipped though. I thought it was added at cooking time, but I've never worked there :laugh:
Either way, there are no crazy mystery killer chemicals added to the burger patties.0 -
One thing that I think is being missed here is that most people are not capable of knowing what's good for them. That, coupled with misleading practices by big food companies, is what has led to the catastrophic obesity crisis we currently face. In times where the public good is at odds with big business and big money it is the responsibility of big government to step in and impose regulations to help the little guys.0
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We make our own choices. Each bite we put in our mouth is a choice. Some people eat fast food everyday and are thin. We don't need government to tell us things are "bad" or "wrong", we need to be accountable for our own choices. Government has way more important things they SHOULD be working on instead of focusing on something we, as people, can do for ourselves and should. We make our own choices. The government has other things to do. Think before you eat!
I think the government would be silly not to focus on the general health and well being of it's population. People have already shared a litany of reasons why.
That said - regulating fast food is a tricky subject.
I don't think it would cost much to take some basic steps like advertising regulations though. Whether that is limiting the mediums they can use, or the message they convey - seems like a no brainer really.
I think it is absolutely ridiculous to not want the government to at least invest in educating people about weight loss. And this goes farther than putting calories on fast food menus. What does that mean if people don't even understand the concept of calories??
You can see from browsing MFP posts, that a lot of people (me included) are here because we have (had) no clue about nutrition.
I think the major problem, at least for the US, is that bureaucracy makes having an up to date, research based nutrition policy hard to pull off.
The problem in Canada is bureaucracy + we have a leader who doesn't believe in things like...science :frown:0 -
not when I worked there.
Not what?
[/quote]
lol sorry johnnythan.... early in the am... we didn't put salt on them when we cooked them!
[/quote]
Oh really? Maybe it's added before they're frozen and shipped though. I thought it was added at cooking time, but I've never worked there :laugh:
Either way, there are no crazy mystery killer chemicals added to the burger patties.
[/quote]
No, just low-quality beef, really, kind fatty, but everyone knows that. Like buying the 70/20 at the store. No mystery additives. Just like the Big Mac Dressing. No secret ingredients there either.0 -
No, just low-quality beef, really, kind fatty, but everyone knows that. Like buying the 70/20 at the store. No mystery additives. Just like the Big Mac Dressing. No secret ingredients there either.
Yeah, it works out to about 80/20. There's a reason it tastes good :laugh:0 -
No, just low-quality beef, really, kind fatty, but everyone knows that. Like buying the 70/20 at the store. No mystery additives. Just like the Big Mac Dressing. No secret ingredients there either.
Yeah, it works out to about 80/20. There's a reason it tastes good :laugh:
I've heard quite specifically that lean beef (90/10 or leaner) doesn't make the ideal burger patty for a number of reasons--dryness, flavor, texture, etc. Most of the cooking websites that I frequent typically recommend 80/20 to 85/15.0 -
even the grocery stores use 85/15 for patties for optimum flavor.No, just low-quality beef, really, kind fatty, but everyone knows that. Like buying the 70/20 at the store. No mystery additives. Just like the Big Mac Dressing. No secret ingredients there either.
Yeah, it works out to about 80/20. There's a reason it tastes good :laugh:
I've heard quite specifically that lean beef (90/10 or leaner) doesn't make the ideal burger patty for a number of reasons--dryness, flavor, texture, etc. Most of the cooking websites that I frequent typically recommend 80/20 to 85/15.0 -
Awesome thread...there is so much I want to comment on and don't think I can "quote" all the particular posts.
Government should not intervene except to ensure the safety of the initial product. A Whopper and Fries as lunch is not going to make you gain 10 pounds. Every day, every meal, maybe. Government should ensure that there is not arsenic, etc, in said Whopper. Our government is batting for both teams in this fight considering the heavy subsidies that corn (i.e. high fructose corn syrup) gets in the Farm Bills of the past decades and then to consider legislating against certain types of foods/drinks.
I think the argument that "my healthcare costs are going up" is futile. Healthcare costs will go up because the insurance companies are getting away with it. They have been for years. Hey, government, if you want to regulate something try that first. People are placing the blame on obesity (or fat people=me) because it's easy. I doubt that too many people would say, "well $%&^ you cancer patient, you made my rate go up". Even if people weren't obese, or there wasn't an "obesity epidemic", they would blame it on something else. It's easy money being made for them.
On education and the food in schools, I could go on for a while. I found, when I was teaching (that adventure could be a whole other post), that the biggest problem was not the "crap, unhealthy food" that everyone endlessly goes on about, but was hunger. The kids that I taught were hungry. Plain and simple. How many of you are in good moods when you are hungry? Can you get a lot done? I know when I am hungry, really hungry, I cannot think of much else except when I am going to eat next. Instead of all this snobbish rhetoric about how many fruits and vegetables should be on your plate or kids are too fat, we need to ensure that these children are more to eat then just the school lunch. This is a real problem.
Trying to ensure health or morality through legislation does not work. Anyone hear of prohibition? That was a success. We've made every "bad" drug illegal. There is a huge drug problem.
Someone posted something along the lines of "meh...wth....I like Taco Bell". YES. You do not want to limit my accessibility to crunchy tacos. REVOLUTION.
It's a little creepy to me that government wants to tell what to eat. I've always found the guidelines a little "Fahrenheit 451" - ish. What next? As far as my tax dollars going to "fight" the obesity epidemic, then give us a checklist of things to approve when I pay taxes. I'd check the obesity box before the current decade plus war box, or the ridiculous education/testing box, or the let's do a study on how paint dries box.
OK, I'm stepping off my soap box now. Thanks.
I agree that obesity, while it is something to be concerned over, is just the most currently thing people can blame things on. The government should be looking at the source, not the outcome. insurance premiums went up, along with a lot of other expenses, my income did not. I have to make cuts somewhere and food is one bill i can play with. Less moeny for food means I am more apt to buy less healthy foods..
School lunches.. yes kids being hungry is a problem.. There's a variety of reasons this could be.. that being said.. my son was/is not allowed snacks in the classroom and he has late lunches. My son never buys lunch, always a lot of healthy foods from home. So he is eating well, but not frequently enough to qwell the "i'm hungry" beast.0 -
Personally I believe that overall health of a nation should be a grass root ideology that begins at birth, not in old age. For example the USA's cost of health care take up half of the world costs for healthcare, half. And half of that cost is taken up in the last few years of life. If we spend money in the beginning for healthier youth, we have a healthier society and health care cost and administering exponentially is reduced.We make our own choices. Each bite we put in our mouth is a choice. Some people eat fast food everyday and are thin. We don't need government to tell us things are "bad" or "wrong", we need to be accountable for our own choices. Government has way more important things they SHOULD be working on instead of focusing on something we, as people, can do for ourselves and should. We make our own choices. The government has other things to do. Think before you eat!
I think the government would be silly not to focus on the general health and well being of it's population. People have already shared a litany of reasons why.
That said - regulating fast food is a tricky subject.
I don't think it would cost much to take some basic steps like advertising regulations though. Whether that is limiting the mediums they can use, or the message they convey - seems like a no brainer really.
I think it is absolutely ridiculous to not want the government to at least invest in educating people about weight loss. And this goes farther than putting calories on fast food menus. What does that mean if people don't even understand the concept of calories??
You can see from browsing MFP posts, that a lot of people (me included) are here because we have (had) no clue about nutrition.
I think the major problem, at least for the US, is that bureaucracy makes having an up to date, research based nutrition policy hard to pull off.
The problem in Canada is bureaucracy + we have a leader who doesn't believe in things like...science :frown:0 -
For example the USA's cost of health care take up half of the world costs for healthcare, half.
That seems unlikely. Citation?0 -
I think governments should use education, not regulation, to battle obesity.
THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Okay. I have to chime in here. I can't take it anymore!!!!
It drives me crazy that people want to vilify fast food restaurants and soda pop makers as "THESE ARE THE REASONS PEOPLE ARE OBESE!!!"
Um - NO. That's not the reason people are obese. There are a VARIETY of reasons that cause people to be obese. Yes, there are medical conditions that can make it more difficult to lose weight - there are medications that make it difficult to lose weight - there's just a whole slew of things that can adversely affect someone's weight. It is NOT the people who make the food who are to blame!!!
Don't just say to someone, "Base your food intake on the food triangle" and say "go forth and conquer." You have to actively explain to people that:
**Protein takes longer to digest than carbs.
**Drinking water will help.
**Just because it's fat free or sugar free doesn't mean it's okay to have all you want.
**If you make a salad with a mountain of cheese, croutons, walnuts, almonds, diced turkey and a bottle of dressing, you might as well as have just had a triple whopper - the thing you were trying to avoid getting in the first place.
**having a salad at lunch by itself will not help you. You have to have protein too.
**If you end the day and your as hungry as you were when you woke up, you're not eating right.
**Make sure you're eating enough fiber.
**move more, sit less. Doesn't matter how much more, just MORE.
PLUS a SLEW of other things.
People who are obese (myself included) have to WANT to lose weight. You can't force them to lose it or to not go to certain restaurants that may not be the best place to eat. Trust me - if we want crappy food, it's like an addiction - it is an addiction - we will find it! If we can't find it, we'll make it. If we can't find it or make it, we know who our enablers are well enough to con them into getting us whatever we want.
It's insane for government to think that they can do anything about obesity by addressing the food industry. It isn't up to the government to tell people in a FREE COUNTRY what to have, when to have it, and how much they can have.
If you really want to help, offer opportunities for obese people to learn how to do it in a supportive environment. Different organizations (American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association) put on five-mile walks/runs, festivals, and other events to raise awareness for their cause(s) all the time. Create or sponsor an event that would showcase:
•different fitness clubs in the area
•nutritionists/dieticians who can explain how to read labels and why a bowl of pasta fagioli soup is better than a salad at Olive Garden, and the importance of incorporating healthy/lean protein and quality sources of fiber into the diet
•physiologists who can explain ways to get in exercise for people with limited mobility due to their obesity
•weight loss centers (Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, etc.)
•bariatric services (Doctors who perform lap-band or other bariatric services)
•psychologist's who deal with eating disorders/emotional eating who can help get to the root of the problem
•blood screening to test for hormone imbalances, cholesterol, glucouse, blood pressure
•doctors who can give direction on how to proceed after you get the results of the blood screening
•make the primary goal be to help obese people understand the psychology behind why they eat, and have licensed/trained people who have legitimate experience in the weight loss realm help direct them to a healthier path.
EDUCATION is the key!0 -
I was wrong. The WHO have it at 40%, my mistake. I heard 50% from a US Dr on health care.For example the USA's cost of health care take up half of the world costs for healthcare, half.
That seems unlikely. Citation?
http://www.emergogroup.com/resources/worldwide-health-expenditures0
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