The American Agenda???

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24

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  • SkinnyChemicals
    SkinnyChemicals Posts: 86
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    as far as the soda gose you buy one for around $2 and it comes with "free" refills, the amount of soda in your cup only cost around 5 cents to make and ship, so lets see your 1 soda you pay for has an equal value to 40 ish sodas. now my question is
    ''how much can you drink?":drinker:

    In comparison I went to a pretty standard Tapas restaurant and it was £2.50/£4 for just one medium glass of diet coke, no refills. :frown:
  • grmon
    grmon Posts: 17
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    America is bad...but I've traveled to 7 other countries - including England - and it's just as bad :P haha. maybe in different ways...I saw a LOT of fried foods in London. In Barcleona, there were potatos everywhere I went, tons of red bull and alcohol!

    Don't blame the country :P where's your self control? ;) haha

    I don't think the OP was trying to say that food in the UK is particularly healthier than the food in the US. The point was that we make it much easier to eat more. Part of the point was that we are given extra servings of fries when we only ask for one. We get several refills and we don't even have to ask for it. I have also travelled to Europe and spent 10 years living in Turkey, Greece and Italy and free refils do not exist. You want another one, you ask for another and pay for it. It's not just put in front of you/ given to you. Sure you don't have to eat the extra fries or drink the refills but it sure makes it harder not to overeat.
  • SkinnyChemicals
    SkinnyChemicals Posts: 86
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    Hey...now you know!...Next time you visit America...avoid the franchise eateries like the plague (that they are)....Rule of thumb...The better the restaurant the better the quality of food and the smaller the portions.

    But you have to go to Mcdonalds at least once, its like a pilgrimage for us foreigners. :tongue:
  • katmix
    katmix Posts: 296 Member
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    ah capitalism

    don'tcha love it /eyeroll

    Wondering if the eyeroll is because you prefer being told how much you can eat and drink (think NYC mayor trying to limit your soda intake, or San Francisco trying to determine whether your kid can have a toy in their happy meal)... Personally, I'll take my country along with all its "issues" and yes, even its capitalism, I will call these mayors on their stupid ideas for my "betterment", and just be personally responsible... What a novel idea.

    Just thinkin' there are countries out there where you might be more *comfortable* and not have to suffer so... I'll help you pack.:wink:
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Hey...now you know!...Next time you visit America...avoid the franchise eateries like the plague (that they are)....Rule of thumb...The better the restaurant the better the quality of food and the smaller the portions.

    But you have to go to Mcdonalds at least once, its like a pilgrimage for us foreigners. :tongue:
    Surely there can't be many countries left without a McDonald's?
  • SkinnyChemicals
    SkinnyChemicals Posts: 86
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    Surely there can't be many countries left without a McDonald's?

    No I meant since McDonalds was born in America, it feels like your travelling to a genuine McDonalds. I don't know it felt like I was a Christian travelling to Lourdes to get some genuine holy water, but instead I was getting a genuine McShake from Mcdonalds.
  • beccyleigh
    beccyleigh Posts: 847 Member
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    I believe another reason they can do it (charge so little/offer so many extras for free) is many states do not have the same minimum wage laws as the UK & most of Europe. Waiting staff in UK get around 10gbp an hour (our minimum wage is around 6gbp per hour but only very **** places would pay this) The overheads in employing staff in Uk is much higher, this is another reason why the "tipping" culture exists in USA. In UK tipping is optional, USA is pretty much mandatory regardless of level of service.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Surely there can't be many countries left without a McDonald's?

    No I meant since McDonalds was born in America, it feels like your travelling to a genuine McDonalds. I don't know it felt like I was a Christian travelling to Lourdes to get some genuine holy water, but instead I was getting a genuine McShake from Mcdonalds.
    Ohhhh....
  • MeganDominique
    MeganDominique Posts: 229 Member
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    i tried mcdonalds in greece and they had calamari burgers and stuff like that, was different to the canadian ones hahah. I cant say i eat there much and i never will again after seeing the nutritional info in a calorie counter type book.
  • katmix
    katmix Posts: 296 Member
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    I believe another reason they can do it (charge so little/offer so many extras for free) is many states do not have the same minimum wage laws as the UK & most of Europe. Waiting staff in UK get around 10gbp an hour (our minimum wage is around 6gbp per hour but only very **** places would pay this) The overheads in employing staff in Uk is much higher, this is another reason why the "tipping" culture exists in USA. In UK tipping is optional, USA is pretty much mandatory regardless of level of service.

    I remember being so surprised to find our breakfast bill higher at the little cafe down the street from our hotel in London... When I asked for an explanation, it was because we had chosen to sit at a table to eat our breakfast pastries rather than take them outside to eat.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    So what you're saying is food in the UK is over priced?

    It has got ridiculously expensive in the last year or so.

    I think the main point is we don't get the freebies you guys do.....which leads to and/or encourages overeating.
  • beccyleigh
    beccyleigh Posts: 847 Member
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    I believe another reason they can do it (charge so little/offer so many extras for free) is many states do not have the same minimum wage laws as the UK & most of Europe. Waiting staff in UK get around 10gbp an hour (our minimum wage is around 6gbp per hour but only very **** places would pay this) The overheads in employing staff in Uk is much higher, this is another reason why the "tipping" culture exists in USA. In UK tipping is optional, USA is pretty much mandatory regardless of level of service.

    I remember being so surprised to find our breakfast bill higher at the little cafe down the street from our hotel in London... When I asked for an explanation, it was because we had chosen to sit at a table to eat our breakfast pastries rather than take them outside to eat.

    yep many places have 2 prices, one for eat in one for take away.
  • Yieya
    Yieya Posts: 168 Member
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    LOL... Agreed
  • Yieya
    Yieya Posts: 168 Member
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    ah capitalism

    don'tcha love it /eyeroll

    Wondering if the eyeroll is because you prefer being told how much you can eat and drink (think NYC mayor trying to limit your soda intake, or San Francisco trying to determine whether your kid can have a toy in their happy meal)... Personally, I'll take my country along with all its "issues" and yes, even its capitalism, I will call these mayors on their stupid ideas for my "betterment", and just be personally responsible... What a novel idea.

    Just thinkin' there are countries out there where you might be more *comfortable* and not have to suffer so... I'll help you pack.:wink:


    LOL... snarky but oh so right!
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    The food industrial complex. You need to watch Food Inc, King Corn, and read The Omnivore's Dilemma and then you will begin to understand how messed up the american food environment is.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 791 Member
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    And yes, English are bad food folks too that's why I ate Indian when there. The USA is still one of the most overweight countries anywhere and corporations are more important than our health to the government!
    frankly the government doesn't need to be involved in our health thats your own personal choices that get someone obese in the first place read labels on the sides and get a carry out box take the rest home with you and if you ask for information from restraunts they will give it to you ive got a weird food allergy and if i ask about a particular sauce or whatever they will go check on it for me
  • Anastasia0511
    Anastasia0511 Posts: 372 Member
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    I have yet to see 2 big macs for 99 cents... lol... just sayin :wink:

    In fairness I didn't either but they kept on playing the advert on the radio
    I was up in Folsom, (CA) a day ago and they had the 2 BigMac deal going on there. Saw it on some yellow banner posted on the roof of the building. :D
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 558 Member
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    Do they not have this in the UK?

    Not at all. Free refills and the other things the OP mentioned are alien concepts to us(most of the time).
    And what I've seen in the UK is, the advertised meal is It. there are No substitutions. What the menu says, is what you get.
  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
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    Welcome to our world!

    You should see the buffets at places like Golden Coral. All you can eat - one price. All you can eat??? My husband and I don't visit these places because we would have to pay an outrageous price for the one plate of food we can eat!

    I was SOOOOO proud of myself for turning down going to Golden Corral for dinner last night. Up unti last week I would have been like Hell Yeah, lets go! and gorged myself until I had to waddle out.

    Yes our serving sizes are insane compared to what they should be.
  • pudadough
    pudadough Posts: 1,271 Member
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    Not necessarily directed at the OP, but generally: It is true that the portion sizes are huge. But the "Food Industrial Complex" is not making us fat in America. WE. ARE. Period. No one stuffs that extra anything down our gullets at gunpoint. I like a good Coke, but I also know that 5 refills will make me a whale. Everyone knows that, deep down.

    But I suppose it makes some of us feel better to blame The Man rather than taking on an ounce of personal responsibility. "I have seen the enemy and it is us"...you know how this goes.

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