WHO: Governments should regulate fast food to slow obesity
Replies
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High five for actually reading the article before posting.Misleading headline, as this isn't a WHO policy statement. It's a proposed possible part of a solution to obesity postulated by a researcher in the discussion section of a scientific research article published in a WHO journal.
I'd be interested in how they defined "fast food" precisely. Cheap, quickly available food that can be eaten "on the go" has been a staple of urban diets since at least Greek antiquity.0 -
Cigarettes have put the risks on the pack for years. People still smoke. Hell, I just quit and I'm fit and eat 100% whole food diet.
People do what they want. Blaming advertising is a joke. Blaming fast food is a scapegoat for fat lazy ****s.
/thread0 -
Who is going to pay for this regulation?0
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People should regulate themselves to slow obesity.0
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Cigarettes have put the risks on the pack for years. People still smoke. Hell, I just quit and I'm fit and eat 100% whole food diet.
People do what they want. Blaming advertising is a joke. Blaming fast food is a scapegoat for fat lazy ****s.
/thread
Not as much as they used to. Years and years of taxes, campaigning, and demonization have paid off to some degree.
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So here is an interesting article.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/2/who-tighter-economicregulationneededtoreverseobesityepidemic.html"Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity," said Roberto De Vogli of the University of California, Davis, who led the study.The researchers compared the number of fast food transactions with body mass index (BMI) in 25 high-income countries between 1999 and 2008.
They found that, as the average number of annual fast food transactions increased from 26.61 to 32.76 per person, average BMI increased from 25.8 to 26.4.
Thoughts??
Oh for goodness sake, I dont know where to start here. What are they supposed to do exactly?
During childhood, it is up to the parents to control what kids eat. After that, it is down to the individual. It is not the fault of fast food chains that people are obese. They have not been misleading. People know what it is in their food, but they continue to eat it. The results of eating excess food are plain to see.
It is down to people - lifestyle choices, portion sizes, exercising, self-motivation - not the responsibility of fast food companies who are making a living just like anybody else.0 -
So, in 10 years, people ate fast food 6 more times per year, and the BMI metric increased by less than half a point. Yeah, I totally see the correlation there. Oh wait, no I don't. :huh:So here is an interesting article.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/2/who-tighter-economicregulationneededtoreverseobesityepidemic.html"Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity," said Roberto De Vogli of the University of California, Davis, who led the study.The researchers compared the number of fast food transactions with body mass index (BMI) in 25 high-income countries between 1999 and 2008.
They found that, as the average number of annual fast food transactions increased from 26.61 to 32.76 per person, average BMI increased from 25.8 to 26.4.
Thoughts??
Terrible idea, terrible conclusion, obvious agenda pushing.0 -
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This. Although research has shown that publishing the calories of each dish in fast food and restaurant menus has not changed what people order. Baffles me, as it totally changed what I order! I guess even armed with information, people will only change their behavior when they are willing to do so.
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What the research doesn't show though is do these same people adjust what they eat throughout the day to compensate what they at at say McDonalds? If I'm going to McDonalds, it's not for healthy food. I will look at the nutritional info & it may or may not affect what I order, but if I choose a very high calorie meal, it will affect what I eat the rest of the day. In the end it's all about the choices we make throughout the day, week, month.0 -
Misleading headline, as this isn't a WHO policy statement. It's a proposed possible part of a solution to obesity postulated by a researcher in the discussion section of a scientific research article published in a WHO journal.
It's like the difference between saying "US Federal Government Wants to Ban Football" and an article about brain injuries having the line "to eliminate football-related brain injuries, football may have to be eliminated entirely" in the discussion portion of an article published in a CDC journal.
Interesting.
Personally, I'm not sure that regulation of fast foods in terms of limiting it is a good idea anyway. They can be eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet and eating them occasionally doesn't cause weight gain; It's eating them in excessive quantities that causes weight gain. I have never really enjoyed fast food very much, and still got fat. In my case, it was chocolate and baked goods. Punishing people who eat fast food in moderation because of people who don't doesn't seem good.
That said I would support mandatory calorie and nutritional labelling, and a ban on "supersize" promotions etc. in fast food and other restaurants. It would have to be flexible enough so as not to disadvantage smaller restaurants - calorie certification can be costly.
I think personal responsibility is the key, although that doesn't seem to be working very well!
Education is also probably helpful, in particular teaching people to think for themselves and verify facts - my uncle thinks that eating avocado will prevent absorption of all other fats, so he can eat as many chips and fried foods as he likes and not get fat as long as he eats avocado. This is thanks to a sensationalist article from a tabloid newspaper.
Ultimately though, this is definitely a case of "you can take a horse to water, but you can't stop it eating on the way."0 -
What the research doesn't show though is do these same people adjust what they eat throughout the day to compensate what they at at say McDonalds? If I'm going to McDonalds, it's not for healthy food. I will look at the nutritional info & it may or may not affect what I order, but if I choose a very high calorie meal, it will affect what I eat the rest of the day. In the end it's all about the choices we make throughout the day, week, month.
Could be a possibility for a certain segment that has invested in a healthier lifestyle, but many studies have shown that transparency hasn't done much, if anything to curtail obesity. That's not to say that in some locals that it hasn't happened. Obesity and general health of the nation is a big concern. The basic philosophy in NA is at odds with each other. One one hand it's health and the other is health care, two totally different concept. Health of a nation is in the subconscious and the results speak for themselves and on the other hand we have Dr's dedicated and trained to apply medical relief via way of mostly prescription and little to do with prevention. Education and a movement towards health to the very young would be a good starting point that might see some gains in the next few decades, well at least that is hope.0 -
Let's stop obesity, cure AIDS, malaria, cancer, heart disease, and stop people from drunk driving and end gun violence. Then the population will explode and everyone will starve to death.0
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Let's stop obesity, cure AIDS, malaria, cancer, heart disease, and stop people from drunk driving and end gun violence. Then the population will explode and everyone will starve to death.
Lol!0 -
I think people need to just be more accountable and stop making excuses.
Very true, but see my post above.
The problem is that all of society bears the cost and burden of people who refuse to take care of their health. I think that's important--I think we should all take care of each other regardless of whether any given individual is good at being responsible for his or her health . I look at my friends and family and there are so many people I love who do not take care of their health, and many of them it is obesity that is one of the things that consistently plagues them. Yes, I feel they should be accountable and stop making excuses. But I also want the healthcare network to be there to support them, regardless of the choices they make.
I can understand feeling helpless when your loved ones make choices that you feel are detrimental to their health but I disagree with the bolded. This type of thinking can be a slippery slope - who gets to decide what choices are "responsible"? you mention being "accountable," who should we be accountable to? will consequences be imposed on those who don't make "responsible" decisions? who gets decide what those consequences are? what about personal freedoms, should they be taken away because a select few deem your choices irresponsible?0 -
Disagree
We don't need more government taking responsibilities away from people
People need to learn how to get up from the table and do some walking.0 -
So, in 10 years, people ate fast food 6 more times per year, and the BMI metric increased by less than half a point. Yeah, I totally see the correlation there. Oh wait, no I don't. :huh:So here is an interesting article.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/2/who-tighter-economicregulationneededtoreverseobesityepidemic.html"Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity," said Roberto De Vogli of the University of California, Davis, who led the study.The researchers compared the number of fast food transactions with body mass index (BMI) in 25 high-income countries between 1999 and 2008.
They found that, as the average number of annual fast food transactions increased from 26.61 to 32.76 per person, average BMI increased from 25.8 to 26.4.
Thoughts??
Terrible idea, terrible conclusion, obvious agenda pushing.
Ever notice how summaries like this never state the actual strength of the correlation, nor any statistical power? Not that means it would be causal anyway, but when you have a lousy correlation value it makes this an even harder sell.
As far as agenda pushing, not Al Jazeera! They would never stoop so low!0 -
I think people need to just be more accountable and stop making excuses.
Very true, but see my post above.
The problem is that all of society bears the cost and burden of people who refuse to take care of their health. I think that's important--I think we should all take care of each other regardless of whether any given individual is good at being responsible for his or her health . I look at my friends and family and there are so many people I love who do not take care of their health, and many of them it is obesity that is one of the things that consistently plagues them. Yes, I feel they should be accountable and stop making excuses. But I also want the healthcare network to be there to support them, regardless of the choices they make.
I can understand feeling helpless when your loved ones make choices that you feel are detrimental to their health but I disagree with the bolded. This type of thinking can be a slippery slope - who gets to decide what choices are "responsible"? you mention being "accountable," who should we be accountable to? will consequences be imposed on those who don't make "responsible" decisions? who gets decide what those consequences are? what about personal freedoms, should they be taken away because a select few deem your choices irresponsible?
Not to mention, I have seen in most cases people don't like to be told how to eat, or they need to exercise, or that they are fat.....
Usually it is met with stiff resistance.0 -
As far as agenda pushing, not Al Jazeera! They would never stoop so low!
Al Jazeera America is one of the best news sources in the United States today, actually. I've been using them more and more for my primary news source. Their news reporting is consistently excellent and unbiased, and the staff opinion pieces are generally well-written and reasoned.0 -
I like food.0
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~considers our little country~
Okay, so we have a KFC and a few generic 'fast' food places, but when it comes down to it, they're not getting enough business to be responsible for the level of obesity we have here.
What people are cooking at home, now, that's another matter.
Personally, if they want to regulate fast food, they should also regulate the size of portions served in ALL restaurants, because it's absolutely insane. We don't eat out often, except when we travel, and I'm always floored by the amount of food served.0 -
Cigarettes have put the risks on the pack for years. People still smoke. Hell, I just quit and I'm fit and eat 100% whole food diet.
People do what they want. Blaming advertising is a joke. Blaming fast food is a scapegoat for fat lazy ****s.
/thread
Not as much as they used to. Years and years of taxes, campaigning, and demonization have paid off to some degree.
The percentage of people smoking is down, the number of smokers is not. Cutting the rate in half is negated by a doubling of the population.0 -
Personally, if they want to regulate fast food, they should also regulate the size of portions served in ALL restaurants, because it's absolutely insane. We don't eat out often, except when we travel, and I'm always floored by the amount of food served.
You couldn't regulate how much of the food you ate?
We need government to do that??0 -
In for aliens, pretty sure it's just a matter of time in here.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
Yes that's exactly what we need, more government intervention. Hey how'd the centrally planned green energy pushg go in europe?
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^^ My thoughts exactly. People need to make their own decisions especially when it comes to their bodies and health.
And as bad as this sounds....if someone refuses to take care of themselves despite being told exactly what they need to do and given endless support, guidance, and direction...mother nature has this thing called natural selection.
I don't want anyone else being responsible for the choices I make nor do I want to be responsible for the decisions of someone else. It is THEIR life to do with as they please and to deal with the consequences accordingly.0 -
Cigarettes have put the risks on the pack for years. People still smoke. Hell, I just quit and I'm fit and eat 100% whole food diet.
People do what they want. Blaming advertising is a joke. Blaming fast food is a scapegoat for fat lazy ****s.
/thread
Not as much as they used to. Years and years of taxes, campaigning, and demonization have paid off to some degree.
The percentage of people smoking is down, the number of smokers is not. Cutting the rate in half is negated by a doubling of the population.
No idea what point you're trying to make.0 -
And as bad as this sounds....if someone refuses to take care of themselves despite being told exactly what they need to do and given endless support, guidance, and direction...mother nature has this thing called natural selection.
I don't want anyone else being responsible for the choices I make nor do I want to be responsible for the decisions of someone else. It is THEIR life to do with as they please and to deal with the consequences accordingly.
I don't think fat people really reproduce at lower rates than healthy-weight people.0 -
This is a better way to win a war instead of with guns or chemical weapons. Kill off your opponent by letting them eat themselves to death. It's a win if you ask me.So here is an interesting article.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/2/who-tighter-economicregulationneededtoreverseobesityepidemic.html"Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity," said Roberto De Vogli of the University of California, Davis, who led the study.The researchers compared the number of fast food transactions with body mass index (BMI) in 25 high-income countries between 1999 and 2008.
They found that, as the average number of annual fast food transactions increased from 26.61 to 32.76 per person, average BMI increased from 25.8 to 26.4.
Thoughts??
People should be responsible for their choices. Government shouldn't be involved.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
~considers our little country~
Okay, so we have a KFC and a few generic 'fast' food places, but when it comes down to it, they're not getting enough business to be responsible for the level of obesity we have here.
What people are cooking at home, now, that's another matter.
Personally, if they want to regulate fast food, they should also regulate the size of portions served in ALL restaurants, because it's absolutely insane. We don't eat out often, except when we travel, and I'm always floored by the amount of food served.
Yes, serving sizes at restaurants are big but no one is forcing you to eat all of it nor does it mean we need government intervention to prevent you from doing so.0 -
And to address the actual topic ...
Regulations for this type of thing are just stupid. They won't have the desired effect since they're not addressing the underlying issue - overeating.
The best approach would probably be to push for more nutritional education - through public service announcements and through schools - except that the gov't isn't up on nutrition anyway. More crappy education is not likely an improvement over no education.0 -
And as bad as this sounds....if someone refuses to take care of themselves despite being told exactly what they need to do and given endless support, guidance, and direction...mother nature has this thing called natural selection.
I don't want anyone else being responsible for the choices I make nor do I want to be responsible for the decisions of someone else. It is THEIR life to do with as they please and to deal with the consequences accordingly.
I don't think fat people really reproduce at lower rates than healthy-weight people.
Interesting question - some women become infertile at higher weights. Does it affect enough women to make an appreciable difference?0 -
Well we have seen how well out-lawing drugs has worked.....
We don't have any on the streets here in the USA.
RIP Phillip Seymour Hoffman0
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