NEWSFLASH: McDonald’s existed back when I was a kid
Replies
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"In the 70s, McDonalds had a very successful ad campaign going with a commercial showing a grown man walking in, ordering a burger, fries, and a drink, and getting change back from his dollar.
The meal that he ordered is now a SMALL Happy Meal, marketed towards kids 4 and under."
Holy wow..I had no idea there were different sizes for a Happy Meal. Please tell me there is not a "super size" option...0 -
And Newsflash: In grade school we had one or two kids that would be considered obese and I personally knew of maybe a couple of parents that were quite overweight. In Jr. High (now Middle School) and High School the numbers went up, but nothing compared to the obesity problem we see in America today.
Adults and children are not overweight because of a silly looking clown and super sizing meals. They are overweight because they consume too many calories and are too inactive in their lives. What I really think is going on here is the Blame Game, people not taking personal responsibility for themselves. Last year it was the Wall Street Movement who blamed big corporations for their plight in life and thus decided to go on a rampage to destroy private property. It’s the Democrat Party’s fault our country is in such turmoil, says the Republicans, or is it the other way around? Last night I overdid it on Domino’s Pizza and will have to either eat less today or exercise a little more to make up for it. Whose fault was it that I ate too much last night: Domino’s Pizza or the fact that they have delivery service? Or should I blame my wife since she ordered the pizza on a whim? I’m not stupid, no way am I going to blame her.
Maybe it’s time we started up an AA group, you know, and call it Adult’s Anonymous. And I’ll begin. “Hi, I’m Ernie and I’m an adult responsible for my own behavior and actions.”
A very reasonable argument. You have my support.0 -
As for the "it's cheap and it's the only thing poor people can afford"- that's actually false. When I was in college I had $50 per week for food, and most of the time I came under that. How?
Real oatmeal (not instant)= $3.50
Dried beans= $1.50
Loaf of (wheat) bread= $2
Dozen eggs= $2
5 Cans of tuna= $5
Pasta= $0.80
Pasta sauce= $1
Gallon of milk= $2.60
3 lb bag of apples= $3.50
4 lbs chicken breast = $10
5 lbs frozen veggies= $5
Various condiments= $5
Instant rice= $2
Store brand nutrigrain bars= $2
Multipack of greek yogurt =$4
Not trying to deflate your point.....but where did you shop? Even buying the generic or store brand of the majority of those items listed, at least in the Midwest is much more expensive that what you've estimated. ie: a gallon of store brand 1% milk is $3.98. So your numbers, and then the average amount available to spend on McD meal are skewed....or just hold true in your part of the country (or world).....so I can understand how poor families MIGHT have difficulty making ends meet. I personally don't mind McD....but I try to make wise choices when I use their service out of convenience.0 -
Didn't have time to read all but to place fast food and people's lack of self control, discipline or whatever in a conservative or liberal context is almost funny. First point - with young kids they usually don't have transportation or money so mom or dad is probably providing that happy meal, God knows my kids ate a bunch of them. Second point - If we start down the road of demonizing unhealthy foods and their sources, you should make an attempt to go to the grocery first and count how many items they carry. I venture to guess that over half of the items are unhealthy and should not be consumed by me. Do we really need a whole new branch of the Federal Government to sort this out and enforce it? Then there is still the issue of food that is not unhealthy in moderation, do we ration after a weigh in at the door? Last point - If we destroy all the McDonalds and imprison all their employees, owners and stockholders the decline in obesity will be incredible (NOT). Then we seek out the next villain and repeat the process.0
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The lack of choice *isn't McDonalds fault though*!! or 7-11 or any other food outlet
if this really is what's going on in poor communities in the USA then the USA needs to start providing affordable public transport and encouraging cheaper supermarkets to open branches in poor residential areas.
It seems, going by the posts here, that the USA has a problem with accessibility to fresh food options, i.e. cheap fruit, veg, meat, etc. The UK has this, because there are cheap supermarkets within walking distance of pretty much any residential areal (there are probably exceptions, but they'd be rare exceptions), and most places have at least a semi-decent public transport system, as in you can get to anywhere around the town/city during the day at least.
Seems to me that's the problem, not McDonalds. Asking McDonalds to make their menus more healthy is an utterly crazy way to address this problem...
We really don't have that problem by and large. There might be a few isolated communities where people have more limited access to fresh foods, but that usually translates into them eating more canned and dried goods. Most people here don't take public transportation but then again most people have ample access to automobiles and cheap gasoline (if there aren't options within walking distance, which there usually are). I think you might be getting that impression due to some over-exaggeration in this thread and people wanting to make excuses for overdoing it at McD's.
I don't know where you live, but there aren't always options in walking distance. I live in Iowa. Rural poor. I don't make excuses for overdoing it at McD's - i freaking HATE McD's - not on principle - on taste. I'd rather have some roasted brussels sprouts than french fries any day. gimme some chipotle - i can get down with that (and they are owned by McD's). I guess I just get frustrated that people want to say people blame fast food for being fat. Well, maybe some people. But in a lot of cases, it's about accessibility. Again, I don't know where you live, but it sounds like a pretty middle class area. Good for you. Not everyone has your options.
Chipotle is not owned by McDonalds.
Sorry, they divested in 2006.0 -
The lack of choice *isn't McDonalds fault though*!! or 7-11 or any other food outlet
if this really is what's going on in poor communities in the USA then the USA needs to start providing affordable public transport and encouraging cheaper supermarkets to open branches in poor residential areas.
It seems, going by the posts here, that the USA has a problem with accessibility to fresh food options, i.e. cheap fruit, veg, meat, etc. The UK has this, because there are cheap supermarkets within walking distance of pretty much any residential areal (there are probably exceptions, but they'd be rare exceptions), and most places have at least a semi-decent public transport system, as in you can get to anywhere around the town/city during the day at least.
Seems to me that's the problem, not McDonalds. Asking McDonalds to make their menus more healthy is an utterly crazy way to address this problem...
We really don't have that problem by and large. There might be a few isolated communities where people have more limited access to fresh foods, but that usually translates into them eating more canned and dried goods. Most people here don't take public transportation but then again most people have ample access to automobiles and cheap gasoline (if there aren't options within walking distance, which there usually are). I think you might be getting that impression due to some over-exaggeration in this thread and people wanting to make excuses for overdoing it at McD's.
Just to add to this point, while i do think food deserts are a real problem today, it won't be forever. Amazon already offers a ton of healthy grocery products and they are continuing to expand. It's only a matter of time until fresh vegetables and meats are offered. At that point, with free shipping, more food will be made more accessible to more people than ever before.
I think that's great - especially if local schools could host several computers for families to use. On the flip side, many of the poor and immigrant families I work with don't have bank accounts or credit cards. How would they purchase? Again, it's just not something a middle class person thinks about. I know I didn't until I started working with those populations. I was like how do you not have a bank account? money orders, going to the local utility company and paying cash, etc.
You can get a prepaid card with cash.
Of course, there's isn't one solution that's going to fix everything for everybody. There will always be outlying people who struggle. It's sad, no one likes to think about, but it has been a reality for all of time. That's why we have NPOs and other organizations available to help. That's why our local food bank delivers food into communities with this problem.
But, this doesn't negate the good things that are happening, including how much more food will be accessible to people when Amazon figures out how to make the supply chain work. That will be an enormous leap forward.0 -
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What do I do?! Well, since you ask, I'm the internal champion for a program that my company is very active in called Move for Hunger. We take unused pantry items from customers when they are moving and we deliver it to the local food banks and pantries. We love the program AND it ties is exceptionally well with our business model. That's a win-win for me.
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Yes, a win-win for others as well.0 -
I'm so relieved all the personal responsibility folks don't live in abject poverty. The voices of those in extreme poverty aren't here and you know why? Because they don't have computers!!!!
when I was at university, I had about five pounds a week to feed myself. It wasn't that long ago either (late 90s). Just because I have money now it doesn't mean I have no idea what it's like to try to live off very little.
I wasn't fat then. Actually I was pretty lean, seeing as the jobs I had to pay my way through university (ice steward at the local ice rink, delivering the mail) kept me thin. Plus having barely enough to eat... no danger of overeating because I couldn't afford to. On the rare occasions I went to McDonalds (couldn't afford it usually) I ordered 2 fillet o fish (the cheapest burger) because 2 of them was the same price as 1 burger + meal deal, but had twice as much protein and was more filling.
If poor people in the USA can only eat McDonalds, then that's a serious problem with the infrastructure in American society. It's bizarre that McDonalds is the most affordable option, or that people who don't have cars can't get to supermarkets to buy fresh produce. In the UK, there are cheap supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi that have small branches in residential areas, and they sell discounted fruit and veg and most people have at least one cheap supermarket in walking distance of their house. Plus there are buses, and while some places have better bus services than others, pretty much every city/town runs a daytime bus service to the centre of town. Maybe you have to live in London to have a night bus service, but most places you can get to the shopping centre during the daytime.
And most of the time I lived in the UK, I used to walk to the town centre to save money on bus fare (1-3 miles, depending on where I was living at the time). And when I was really poor at university, I bought fruit and veg from the local greengrocer (cheaper and easier than taking the bus to Tesco (a supermarket) and carrying all the shopping bags back from the bus stop). I got some staples from Kwik Save (a very cheap supermarket) and a few other places to take advantage of cheaper options. I walked to most places, only Tesco was a bus trip.
Also, there are ways for poor people to access computers in the UK... public libraries have free wifi and computers that can be used by anyone with a library card (which is free to residents in the area that the library is in).
Also, if McDonalds is only one of 2 meals a day that are being eaten by poor kids, then that's not going to make them obese... 2 meals a day isn't going to make any kid obese, especially if they have to walk everywhere because their parents don't have a car. So I don't really get how McDonalds is responsible for making poor people fat.... if the issue is accessability to a wider range of food choices, then there needs to be affordable public transport and some way to encourage cheaper supermarkets to have smaller outlets that serve residential communities. You can't blame McDonalds for the lack of public transports or affordable fresh food within walking distance of residential areas where poor people live.
I've lived abroad and Europe is much more pedestrian friendly as well as mass transit. If you live anywhere outside of the mega-metro areas in the US, there is no rail service, no buses, etc. And I'm not saying poverty makes people fat. It IS about choice, but it boils down to your CHOICES. And when your choices are hoofing it the 2 miles to the McDonald's or hoofing it the 5-10 miles to the grocery and it's 6 PM and your kids have school tomorrow and they are hungry now, which will you choose?
The problem isn't McDonalds, it's the lack of choices, due to the lack of public transport and the lack of cheap supermarkets/grocery stores in poor residential areas.
If it's ten miles to the nearest grocery store and there's no public transport to get there, then that's crazy!! I don't understand how America has got itself into this mess really, because the cheap supermarkets in the UK are thriving businesses, not charities. Public transport in the UK is run by private business, although I think some of the less popular routes are subsidised to ensure that as many people as possible can access public transport. Really, THIS is the problem that needs to be addressed. Blaming McDonalds for it is crazy... expecting McDonalds, a private company, to address a serious social problem in the USA by making their menus more nutritionally balanced, is ridiculous.
Urban decay is the result of choices ... usually generations of poor ones.0 -
I agree with OP- it's how the parents raise the kids. My mom didn't let me have much Mickey D's at all growing up and it was considered a "treat". After 6 years of not eating at McDonalds, I had some of their chicken nuggets for lunch because it was cheap and I was in a hurry. Never again!! Such awful flavor I that I couldn't eat them, and the aftertaste stuck in my mouth for hours.
As for the "it's cheap and it's the only thing poor people can afford"- that's actually false. When I was in college I had $50 per week for food, and most of the time I came under that. How?
Real oatmeal (not instant)= $3.50
Dried beans= $1.50
Loaf of (wheat) bread= $2
Dozen eggs= $2
5 Cans of tuna= $5
Pasta= $0.80
Pasta sauce= $1
Gallon of milk= $2.60
3 lb bag of apples= $3.50
4 lbs chicken breast = $10
5 lbs frozen veggies= $5
Various condiments= $5
Instant rice= $2
Store brand nutrigrain bars= $2
Multipack of greek yogurt =$4
This is more than enough for 1 person for a week and before taxes comes to around $50. It's very filling AND if you were to do the same in Mickey D's, you'd have to spend about $2.38/meal to beat that. Even if you ordered only off the dollar menu, you probably would have more calories and fat and not feel as full.
It's certainly not easy living like that since you have to cook everything, but if you prep all of your meals on a Sunday and have them ready to go in your fridge, it's actually faster and easier to do it because then you don't even have to stop through the drive thru!
People have full responsibility of what they put in their mouths. The odd treat here and there isn't going to do any harm, but it's using that as a crutch that's a problem.
Excellent point!0 -
I'm so relieved all the personal responsibility folks don't live in abject poverty. The voices of those in extreme poverty aren't here and you know why? Because they don't have computers!!!! When I ate fast food, it was a choice. I gained weight and it was totally my choice. However, I also had/have the resources to make better choices. It's not just about education - it's about taking a hungry kid and making them feel full - and McD's and other fast food giants who provide calorie laden foods at a cheap price point take advantage (not necessarily intentionally) of that fact. there are kids who might get two meals a day during the school year and if my kid is hungry, i'm not so concerned with nutrition as quieting a hungry belly so my kid can sleep. i have worked for years with these families...it isn't always about 'choice' and 'responsibility.' what i am talking about has nothing to do with people on MFP who have time and resources to devote to health. i'm talking about people who we work with to grow community gardens and teach them to prepare fresh food because they don't know how because they have never had it and live in food deserts of the 'inner city' without access to produce besides the overripe bananas at the gas station, but can find as much fast food as your heart desires within a quarter mile of home, but the grocery is over 5 miles away and they have no car. the issue is bigger than just 'you choose or you don't choose.' maybe you, but not everyone.
Please stop. Advocating personal responsibility and worrying about food availability are not mutually exclusive. Plenty of people here who support consumers taking responsibility to educate themselves, reading the nutrition information that is available in stores and has been well before Super Size Me, and make choices about what to put in their bodies when it comes to fast food also do things like volunteer in and donate to food pantries, help run community gardens, and are active voices in helping people who live in food deserts or have food insecurity.
I do not deny personal responsibility, but your responsibility is limited by your choices.
The lack of choice *isn't McDonalds fault though*!! or 7-11 or any other food outlet
if this really is what's going on in poor communities in the USA then the USA needs to start providing affordable public transport and encouraging cheaper supermarkets to open branches in poor residential areas.
It seems, going by the posts here, that the USA has a problem with accessibility to fresh food options, i.e. cheap fruit, veg, meat, etc. The UK has this, because there are cheap supermarkets within walking distance of pretty much any residential areal (there are probably exceptions, but they'd be rare exceptions), and most places have at least a semi-decent public transport system, as in you can get to anywhere around the town/city during the day at least.
Seems to me that's the problem, not McDonalds. Asking McDonalds to make their menus more healthy is an utterly crazy way to address this problem...
AGAIN, so right on.
If the problem is a lack of accessible food, or means to get to accessible food, then it seems silly to me that we focus on one company (out of so many!). All this energy would be better spent developing plans for affordable grocery within walking distance of most communities, reliable PT systems, safe parks to play in and making time for recess and gym again in schools.
Completely agree. I conceded McD's is a scapegoat. But the bottom line is accessibility. What are YOU doing to make it accessible? I am a master gardener and volunteer for 5 inner city community gardens and consult on a school gardening project. But until everyone has access to healthy food, it means at this moment in time, their option is fast food. which means they aren't getting healthy food. And who supplies it? Who profits from it? It's a problem that is bigger than the fast food industry, but as i noted several pages back, they profit from an infrastructure that fails our kids.
What do I do?! Well, since you ask, I'm the internal champion for a program that my company is very active in called Move for Hunger. We take unused pantry items from customers when they are moving and we deliver it to the local food banks and pantries. We love the program AND it ties is exceptionally well with our business model. That's a win-win for me.
That's wonderful. But food banks don't address making people self sufficient and actually creating personal responsibility. Give the man a fish versus teach a man to fish. Again, not to diminish what you do, but for all the talk about responsibility, you aren't creating access, you're organizing a hand out. It doesn't address the root of the problem which is what the problem is with the way our charity system is set up. It doesn't provide a means not to rely on the system.
Youre such a peach.0 -
I'm so relieved all the personal responsibility folks don't live in abject poverty. The voices of those in extreme poverty aren't here and you know why? Because they don't have computers!!!!
when I was at university, I had about five pounds a week to feed myself. It wasn't that long ago either (late 90s). Just because I have money now it doesn't mean I have no idea what it's like to try to live off very little.
I wasn't fat then. Actually I was pretty lean, seeing as the jobs I had to pay my way through university (ice steward at the local ice rink, delivering the mail) kept me thin. Plus having barely enough to eat... no danger of overeating because I couldn't afford to. On the rare occasions I went to McDonalds (couldn't afford it usually) I ordered 2 fillet o fish (the cheapest burger) because 2 of them was the same price as 1 burger + meal deal, but had twice as much protein and was more filling.
If poor people in the USA can only eat McDonalds, then that's a serious problem with the infrastructure in American society. It's bizarre that McDonalds is the most affordable option, or that people who don't have cars can't get to supermarkets to buy fresh produce. In the UK, there are cheap supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi that have small branches in residential areas, and they sell discounted fruit and veg and most people have at least one cheap supermarket in walking distance of their house. Plus there are buses, and while some places have better bus services than others, pretty much every city/town runs a daytime bus service to the centre of town. Maybe you have to live in London to have a night bus service, but most places you can get to the shopping centre during the daytime.
And most of the time I lived in the UK, I used to walk to the town centre to save money on bus fare (1-3 miles, depending on where I was living at the time). And when I was really poor at university, I bought fruit and veg from the local greengrocer (cheaper and easier than taking the bus to Tesco (a supermarket) and carrying all the shopping bags back from the bus stop). I got some staples from Kwik Save (a very cheap supermarket) and a few other places to take advantage of cheaper options. I walked to most places, only Tesco was a bus trip.
Also, there are ways for poor people to access computers in the UK... public libraries have free wifi and computers that can be used by anyone with a library card (which is free to residents in the area that the library is in).
Also, if McDonalds is only one of 2 meals a day that are being eaten by poor kids, then that's not going to make them obese... 2 meals a day isn't going to make any kid obese, especially if they have to walk everywhere because their parents don't have a car. So I don't really get how McDonalds is responsible for making poor people fat.... if the issue is accessability to a wider range of food choices, then there needs to be affordable public transport and some way to encourage cheaper supermarkets to have smaller outlets that serve residential communities. You can't blame McDonalds for the lack of public transports or affordable fresh food within walking distance of residential areas where poor people live.
Exactly. Being poor is not an excuse to be obese. Should actually detract from obesity since you don't have the money to buy food.
You're right about poverty and obesity don't necessarily need to go together; however, your logic may be flawed. Have you ever been to a food pantry? Companies, people, etc give away all the CRAP. There is very few fruits and veggies and lean proteins. Everything is in a can and is accompanied by cheap snacks, white bread, hot dogs, etc. It is crap. However, one time while at homeless shelter, there was expired canned escargot. Is that a lean meat? It is exotic, I suppose.
Yes I have been to a food pantry when I was growing up. We had junk, crap food all the time in the house. Somehow I didn't gain weight until After I was out of the Marine Corp and out on my own. Just because you are poor does not mean you will be fat. The argument was that being poor limits your choices on what to eat and thus leads to obesity which isn't true. I only went off the logic that technically if you don't have money (poor) then you cannot afford as much food, nutritious or otherwise and thus you would not eat as much. Granted it is a flawed argument but in general I don't see how it cannot be at least a little valid.
And for the record the government peanut butter from back in the day really wasn't all that bad tasting but I found it weird as a kid to have to turn it upside down to get the oil to go throughout the mixture. I now like peanut butter that has that oil on the top, I found that most natural peanut or almond butters have that.0 -
I am going to have to straddle the fence. Personally I haven't eaten at a McDonalds in about 4 years. I just don't feel that good after eating there.
I was a Cub Scout when the first McDonalds opened in my area (So Cal). We were invited on a field trip to see how the assembly line of burgers were created. And it was, literally, an assembly line. McDonalds went to great lengths back in the early 60's to invite and host school trips and groups such as the Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.
Nobody gave a darn 50 years ago about the nutritional content. It was decades before any fast food establishment was held accountable for revealing nutrional values. It was all about convenience and quick service. I do think McDonalds and all the rest must accept some of the culpability for the "fattening" of America.
Those of you that say we have a choice are 100% correct, but the fact is this culture of eating fast food has been force fed to the last couple of generatiions, and, when it's finally revealed that this may not be all that healthy, fast food convenience is already ingrained in the culture.
Comparing Ronald McDonald to Joe Camel is not as outrageous as one might think. It's all how the product is marketed to the public.
Go ahead. Beat me up. Tell me how ill-informed I am.
It's not Ronald McDonald's fault! The Hamburglar is the main problem.
Nope. The Fry guys. Definitely the Fry guys!:happy:0 -
If it's ten miles to the nearest grocery store and there's no public transport to get there, then that's crazy!! I don't understand how America has got itself into this mess really, because the cheap supermarkets in the UK are thriving businesses, not charities. Public transport in the UK is run by private business, although I think some of the less popular routes are subsidised to ensure that as many people as possible can access public transport. Really, THIS is the problem that needs to be addressed. Blaming McDonalds for it is crazy... expecting McDonalds, a private company, to address a serious social problem in the USA by making their menus more nutritionally balanced, is ridiculous.
Again, you're getting the wrong impression. Most urban locations have ample access to public transportation, if you can't walk to a store, and the vast majority of people here own a vehicle. I'm by no means in a large city but I work in a high rise downtown and I can see a small downtown grocer out my office window right now. Likewise, although I live in a rural location (where everyone owns at least one vehicle), I could walk to a grocery store and shopping center if I wanted to walk all of 2 miles. It's worth noting you also have a choice in where you choose to live. If you're in a more rural location and don't own a car, there are vacancies in other neighborhoods. Other than some people chiming in on this forum, you never hear about this problem in most locations in the US. You're right though that blaming McDonalds for this problem, to the extent it exists, is crazy.I don't know where you live, but there aren't always options in walking distance. I live in Iowa. Rural poor. I don't make excuses for overdoing it at McD's - i freaking HATE McD's - not on principle - on taste. I'd rather have some roasted brussels sprouts than french fries any day. gimme some chipotle - i can get down with that (and they are owned by McD's). I guess I just get frustrated that people want to say people blame fast food for being fat. Well, maybe some people. But in a lot of cases, it's about accessibility. Again, I don't know where you live, but it sounds like a pretty middle class area. Good for you. Not everyone has your options.
What rural locations are you in where people don't own a vehicle or have access to a friend with a vehicle? In your rural community where you don't have access to a vehicle, how is McDonald's cheaper and closer than canned or frozen vegetables, rice, beans, and so on? I'm not buying it. Beans, rice, a bit of homemade chow chow if you're lucky, and perhaps a small bit of meat for flavoring is one of the cheapest meals you can make. That was a staple in my grandparents' household because they lived in an isolated rural community with at best access to a country store, and they had to get by a lot of the time with a garden and dried/canned goods. Likewise, these meals can be made from canned/dried ingredients that keep for months if not years. Where are these people that can't make it to a grocery store at least once every few months, can't prepare low cost meals like this for themselves, but they can walk next door to a McDonald's to over-consume cheeseburgers or buy a bunch of gas station food (which are both more expensive options)?
Again, in a discussion about malnourishment, accessibility can play a large role. But in terms of obesity, I'm not buying that anyone's lack of access caused them to overeat hotdogs and McDonald's.0 -
The lack of choice *isn't McDonalds fault though*!! or 7-11 or any other food outlet
if this really is what's going on in poor communities in the USA then the USA needs to start providing affordable public transport and encouraging cheaper supermarkets to open branches in poor residential areas.
It seems, going by the posts here, that the USA has a problem with accessibility to fresh food options, i.e. cheap fruit, veg, meat, etc. The UK has this, because there are cheap supermarkets within walking distance of pretty much any residential areal (there are probably exceptions, but they'd be rare exceptions), and most places have at least a semi-decent public transport system, as in you can get to anywhere around the town/city during the day at least.
Seems to me that's the problem, not McDonalds. Asking McDonalds to make their menus more healthy is an utterly crazy way to address this problem...
We really don't have that problem by and large. There might be a few isolated communities where people have more limited access to fresh foods, but that usually translates into them eating more canned and dried goods. Most people here don't take public transportation but then again most people have ample access to automobiles and cheap gasoline (if there aren't options within walking distance, which there usually are). I think you might be getting that impression due to some over-exaggeration in this thread and people wanting to make excuses for overdoing it at McD's.
Just to add to this point, while i do think food deserts are a real problem today, it won't be forever. Amazon already offers a ton of healthy grocery products and they are continuing to expand. It's only a matter of time until fresh vegetables and meats are offered. At that point, with free shipping, more food will be made more accessible to more people than ever before.
I think that's great - especially if local schools could host several computers for families to use. On the flip side, many of the poor and immigrant families I work with don't have bank accounts or credit cards. How would they purchase? Again, it's just not something a middle class person thinks about. I know I didn't until I started working with those populations. I was like how do you not have a bank account? money orders, going to the local utility company and paying cash, etc.
Prepaid credit cards0 -
What do I do?! Well, since you ask, I'm the internal champion for a program that my company is very active in called Move for Hunger. We take unused pantry items from customers when they are moving and we deliver it to the local food banks and pantries. We love the program AND it ties is exceptionally well with our business model. That's a win-win for me.
Yes, a win-win for others as well.
Thank you. :flowerforyou:0 -
Why is this topic under motivation and support?
To motivate folks to take responsibility for themselves. Maybe I could have put it under a different subject but just wasn't sure where else to post it. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that.0 -
You're right about poverty and obesity don't necessarily need to go together; however, your logic may be flawed. Have you ever been to a food pantry? Companies, people, etc give away all the CRAP. There is very few fruits and veggies and lean proteins. Everything is in a can and is accompanied by cheap snacks, white bread, hot dogs, etc. It is crap. However, one time while at homeless shelter, there was expired canned escargot. Is that a lean meat? It is exotic, I suppose.
I volunteered in a food pantry for a few years. Maybe it was just the area, but the food there was better quality and nutrition than what I had. Local farmers would bring in extras of whatever produce they couldn't sell at the farmer's market- plenty of broccoli, apples, lettuce, carrots, zucchini- you name it! Plenty of fresh venison in the freezer too. The sad part was that there was plenty of this left over because the people we worked with would rather take the box of mac and cheese rather than the whole grain pasta sitting right on the shelf next to it...0 -
Lets take a moment to realize that even in America when you "eat healthy" everything we have in grocery stores, fast food places, and some restaurants have mutated meat, vegetables, and even milk. Hormones, pesticide, fake cheese, every where we go there is crap to put in our bodies. The only way to be sure we aren't poisoning ourselves is to grow our own animals, fruits, and vegetables.
We live in an f*cked up world.
INORITE? Let's all feel sorry for ourselves for living in "America," where we have access to clean water and fresh food, 24/7. :noway:0 -
Why is this topic under motivation and support?
To motivate folks to take responsibility for themselves. Maybe I could have put it under a different subject but just wasn't sure where else to post it. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that.
Sorry not trying to be an ahole but I come to this board for motivation. I think we all struggle to make the right decisions for myself and my kids. I don't always succeed and I'm far from perfect in the food department but I learn more and more everyday.0 -
People choose to eat fast food, there is plenty of information out there about how unhealthy fast food is. I watched a documentary where I guy ate ONLY FAST FOOD and lost weight because he made HEALTHY decisions. You can get a $5 foot long at Subway that will be a lot more healthy than a $5 meal at McDonalds, its just as fast. People choose to eat unhealthy foods. Its not McDonalds or Wendys or Burgerkings fault.0
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If it's ten miles to the nearest grocery store and there's no public transport to get there, then that's crazy!! I don't understand how America has got itself into this mess really, because the cheap supermarkets in the UK are thriving businesses, not charities. Public transport in the UK is run by private business, although I think some of the less popular routes are subsidised to ensure that as many people as possible can access public transport. Really, THIS is the problem that needs to be addressed. Blaming McDonalds for it is crazy... expecting McDonalds, a private company, to address a serious social problem in the USA by making their menus more nutritionally balanced, is ridiculous.
Again, you're getting the wrong impression. Most urban locations have ample access to public transportation, if you can't walk to a store, and the vast majority of people here own a vehicle. I'm by no means in a large city but I work in a high rise downtown and I can see a small downtown grocer out my office window right now. Likewise, although I live in a rural location (where everyone owns at least one vehicle), I could walk to a grocery store and shopping center if I wanted to walk all of 2 miles. It's worth noting you also have a choice in where you choose to live. If you're in a more rural location and don't own a car, there are vacancies in other neighborhoods. Other than some people chiming in on this forum, you never hear about this problem in most locations in the US. You're right though that blaming McDonalds for this problem, to the extent it exists, is crazy.I don't know where you live, but there aren't always options in walking distance. I live in Iowa. Rural poor. I don't make excuses for overdoing it at McD's - i freaking HATE McD's - not on principle - on taste. I'd rather have some roasted brussels sprouts than french fries any day. gimme some chipotle - i can get down with that (and they are owned by McD's). I guess I just get frustrated that people want to say people blame fast food for being fat. Well, maybe some people. But in a lot of cases, it's about accessibility. Again, I don't know where you live, but it sounds like a pretty middle class area. Good for you. Not everyone has your options.
What rural locations are you in where people don't own a vehicle or have access to a friend with a vehicle? In your rural community where you don't have access to a vehicle, how is McDonald's cheaper and closer than canned or frozen vegetables, rice, beans, and so on? I'm not buying it. Beans, rice, a bit of homemade chow chow if you're lucky, and perhaps a small bit of meat for flavoring is one of the cheapest meals you can make. That was a staple in my grandparents' household because they lived in an isolated rural community with at best access to a country store, and they had to get by a lot of the time with a garden and dried/canned goods. Likewise, these meals can be made from canned/dried ingredients that keep for months if not years. Where are these people that can't make it to a grocery store at least once every few months, can't prepare low cost meals like this for themselves, but they can walk next door to a McDonald's to over-consume cheeseburgers or buy a bunch of gas station food (which are both more expensive options)?
Again, in a discussion about malnourishment, accessibility can play a large role. But in terms of obesity, I'm not buying that anyone's lack of access caused them to overeat hotdogs and McDonald's.
I'm actually in Des Moines and we do NOT have a downtown grocer. They are all in the burbs/outlying residential areas of the city. So you're lucky in that respect. In the rural areas that I've worked, I'm not talking out on the farm. I'm talking small town that might have a local grocer (an IGA) who's prices are inflated because they don't have the benefit of purchasing on scale and maybe a Hardees and McDonalds. These are small rural 'towns' - not on the farm - where unemployment is rampant because the factory farming industry has run out the majority of farmers who did business in town. Meanwhile, insurance agents, doctors, lawyers, etc. all left those small towns leaving behind those who couldn't afford to do so. It's a sad state of affairs. Again, I've never implied it's the fast food industry's fault - but they certainly profit from misfortune.0 -
Oh and Des Moines does NOT have good public transport. Nor does Omaha, Lincoln, etc.0
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100% agree with OP. Making choices is something we all have to do because there will never be a time when there isn't "bad" stuff to be had - and just a note, but almost everything can be considered bad if you have too much of it. Blaming is just an easy way not to have to take responsibility for your own actions.0
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Well said! It's the choices that one makes that determine the outcome. McDonald's will only make you fat if you choose to eat there.0
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I'm so relieved all the personal responsibility folks don't live in abject poverty. The voices of those in extreme poverty aren't here and you know why? Because they don't have computers!!!! When I ate fast food, it was a choice. I gained weight and it was totally my choice. However, I also had/have the resources to make better choices. It's not just about education - it's about taking a hungry kid and making them feel full - and McD's and other fast food giants who provide calorie laden foods at a cheap price point take advantage (not necessarily intentionally) of that fact. there are kids who might get two meals a day during the school year and if my kid is hungry, i'm not so concerned with nutrition as quieting a hungry belly so my kid can sleep. i have worked for years with these families...it isn't always about 'choice' and 'responsibility.' what i am talking about has nothing to do with people on MFP who have time and resources to devote to health. i'm talking about people who we work with to grow community gardens and teach them to prepare fresh food because they don't know how because they have never had it and live in food deserts of the 'inner city' without access to produce besides the overripe bananas at the gas station, but can find as much fast food as your heart desires within a quarter mile of home, but the grocery is over 5 miles away and they have no car. the issue is bigger than just 'you choose or you don't choose.' maybe you, but not everyone.
Please stop. Advocating personal responsibility and worrying about food availability are not mutually exclusive. Plenty of people here who support consumers taking responsibility to educate themselves, reading the nutrition information that is available in stores and has been well before Super Size Me, and make choices about what to put in their bodies when it comes to fast food also do things like volunteer in and donate to food pantries, help run community gardens, and are active voices in helping people who live in food deserts or have food insecurity.
I do not deny personal responsibility, but your responsibility is limited by your choices.
The lack of choice *isn't McDonalds fault though*!! or 7-11 or any other food outlet
if this really is what's going on in poor communities in the USA then the USA needs to start providing affordable public transport and encouraging cheaper supermarkets to open branches in poor residential areas.
It seems, going by the posts here, that the USA has a problem with accessibility to fresh food options, i.e. cheap fruit, veg, meat, etc. The UK has this, because there are cheap supermarkets within walking distance of pretty much any residential areal (there are probably exceptions, but they'd be rare exceptions), and most places have at least a semi-decent public transport system, as in you can get to anywhere around the town/city during the day at least.
Seems to me that's the problem, not McDonalds. Asking McDonalds to make their menus more healthy is an utterly crazy way to address this problem...
AGAIN, so right on.
If the problem is a lack of accessible food, or means to get to accessible food, then it seems silly to me that we focus on one company (out of so many!). All this energy would be better spent developing plans for affordable grocery within walking distance of most communities, reliable PT systems, safe parks to play in and making time for recess and gym again in schools.
Completely agree. I conceded McD's is a scapegoat. But the bottom line is accessibility. What are YOU doing to make it accessible? I am a master gardener and volunteer for 5 inner city community gardens and consult on a school gardening project. But until everyone has access to healthy food, it means at this moment in time, their option is fast food. which means they aren't getting healthy food. And who supplies it? Who profits from it? It's a problem that is bigger than the fast food industry, but as i noted several pages back, they profit from an infrastructure that fails our kids.
What do I do?! Well, since you ask, I'm the internal champion for a program that my company is very active in called Move for Hunger. We take unused pantry items from customers when they are moving and we deliver it to the local food banks and pantries. We love the program AND it ties is exceptionally well with our business model. That's a win-win for me.
That's wonderful. But food banks don't address making people self sufficient and actually creating personal responsibility. Give the man a fish versus teach a man to fish. Again, not to diminish what you do, but for all the talk about responsibility, you aren't creating access, you're organizing a hand out. It doesn't address the root of the problem which is what the problem is with the way our charity system is set up. It doesn't provide a means not to rely on the system.
Does anyone else notice the pattern? Every time someone throws up a point that can't be argued, the argument switches... first it was evil corporations, then it was food deserts, now it's self sufficiency... egads!
And by the way... it's SELF sufficiency... YOU can't PROVIDE that for anyone else. JTDC...0 -
I live in a rural area (750 people) yes sometimes it makes it difficult to have the healthy food - we are not rolling in cash, and sometimes its a struggle. BUT WE DO IT, yes it means that sometimes I have to buy in bulk, and sometimes I have to rely on people who I know are going into the city to pick up fresh fruits and veggies. But it works and I do it.
as for McDonalds and all those places, they didn't make me fat - I made me fat. I took the easy road out and used prepackaged mixes and whatever else I could find. now I take the time to plan meals and it works.
also I went to McDonalds last week with a friend - she had a big mac and a pop I had a garden salad and water that I got at McDonalds. so if they were to blame how was I able to purchase those food items there? its all about choices.
great job OP I enjoyed that post0 -
I'm so relieved all the personal responsibility folks don't live in abject poverty. The voices of those in extreme poverty aren't here and you know why? Because they don't have computers!!!! When I ate fast food, it was a choice. I gained weight and it was totally my choice. However, I also had/have the resources to make better choices. It's not just about education - it's about taking a hungry kid and making them feel full - and McD's and other fast food giants who provide calorie laden foods at a cheap price point take advantage (not necessarily intentionally) of that fact. there are kids who might get two meals a day during the school year and if my kid is hungry, i'm not so concerned with nutrition as quieting a hungry belly so my kid can sleep. i have worked for years with these families...it isn't always about 'choice' and 'responsibility.' what i am talking about has nothing to do with people on MFP who have time and resources to devote to health. i'm talking about people who we work with to grow community gardens and teach them to prepare fresh food because they don't know how because they have never had it and live in food deserts of the 'inner city' without access to produce besides the overripe bananas at the gas station, but can find as much fast food as your heart desires within a quarter mile of home, but the grocery is over 5 miles away and they have no car. the issue is bigger than just 'you choose or you don't choose.' maybe you, but not everyone.
Please stop. Advocating personal responsibility and worrying about food availability are not mutually exclusive. Plenty of people here who support consumers taking responsibility to educate themselves, reading the nutrition information that is available in stores and has been well before Super Size Me, and make choices about what to put in their bodies when it comes to fast food also do things like volunteer in and donate to food pantries, help run community gardens, and are active voices in helping people who live in food deserts or have food insecurity.
I do not deny personal responsibility, but your responsibility is limited by your choices.
I was taught as a kid that if I had a question about something I should ask.0 -
Does anyone else notice the pattern? Every time someone throws up a point that can't be argued, the argument switches... first it was evil corporations, then it was food deserts, now it's self sufficiency... egads!
And by the way... it's SELF sufficiency... YOU can't PROVIDE that for anyone else. JTDC...
It's amazing the hoops people will jump through in an attempt to diminish their personal accountability for their own health.I live in a rural area (750 people) yes sometimes it makes it difficult to have the healthy food - we are not rolling in cash, and sometimes its a struggle. BUT WE DO IT, yes it means that sometimes I have to buy in bulk, and sometimes I have to rely on people who I know are going into the city to pick up fresh fruits and veggies. But it works and I do it.
That echoes my experiences as well. Folks from rural areas I've known always have a large stock of frozen goods (oftentimes with a separate freezer unit), dried goods, canned goods, and frequently a garden if circumstances permit. If you're in a truly rural area and so poor you can't drive to the grocery store, you aren't hitting up McDonald's to overeat on Big Macs on a daily basis.0 -
I totally agree with OP - and I read about 10 pages of comments, before I just decided to respond. I can remember the Big Mac song - I also remember a commercial with a girl jumping rope calling off menu items "big Mac, filet o fish, quarter pounder, french fries, Icey coke, thick shakes, sundaes and apple pie"
I remember when McDonalds was built in my town (mid 70's) - It was a HUGE treat to get to go. But since we played outside all day - it didn't matter when we did.
I worked there in high school - yep - I put on a few pounds, but I didn't blame McDonald's - I blamed the fact that I thought I needed to eat before my shift, during my shift and after my shift on a Big Mac and Fries, or a 9 pc. Chicken nuggets, then I would still go home and eat whatever mom cooked - or a huge bag of M&M's that I kept hidden in my room. After about a year (and 20#) I decided to do something about it - I still at McDonalds almost every day - but it was a small cheeseburger and fries - once a shift!
Today - I need to lose about another 15 - after kids, and a desk job things have caught up to me again - It isn't McD's fault - It's mine. I still take the kids there once every couple weeks. I almost never order a Big Mac anymore (on a rare occasion) Usually it's a cheeseburger and I snitch a few fries from the kids. My kids aren't overweight - they know what healthy choices are - and they go out and play from the minute they get out of school until I have to drag them in to eat or take a bath. (Some say my kids are underweight) I am the only one who needs to watch what I eat - and I pay attention and cut back when I deem necessary.
I've learned that I can maintain my weight by MOVING - not just by what I eat - or drink! It McD's the most healthy option out there - probably not -but they sell what makes money - if you don't like it - don't go -but don't take that away from the rest of us.
I'll join the AA group - I am an adult and responsible for myself - JEN0 -
I am an adult and responsible for myself - JEN
Pffft. Logic. :laugh:0
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