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MyFitnessPal Community

U.S. is a fat Nation

rayray61

Food for thought or lack of { U.S. is a nation of fat people, & how we should work on changing it. Agreed, but why is it that fastfood, is more ready available to you at a cheaper price than what is healthy for you ??? I would think, if you want a healther Nation you would change that around, just my thought !!!!

Replies

wmagoo27

You can't stop free enterprise. As long as people want it, corporations will sell it, and to sell more, they'll make it as cheap and readily available as possible. When people stop demanding it, it will go away. Change starts with each of us.

AnjaZ89

a lot less quality food is much cheaper. thats because it literally is rubbish!

AllTehBeers

Its not cheaper for fast food, just more convenient. For 4 people to eat fast food, it can run as much as $25, it takes 3 minutes to run through the drive through or order and sit down. For $25 at the grocery you can buy a few meals worth of food (bag of chicken breast, some green veggies and rice/potatoes) but that takes time, then you have to unload groceries then you have to take time to cook it and clean up. Its all about having to take time out of your day to just do it.

angieleighbyrd

If you look at the big picture fast food is no cheaper than eating healthy. Sure the dollar menu....

Ok so you figure $3. $1 drink, $1 fry, $1 burger.

Do you know how many $1 burgers I can eat? A lot.

I got a bag of chicken for $6. 10 pieces. 5-10 days worth of chicken for one person.

Bag of apples, $2.50. 12 apples in the bag.

I can go on, but my point has already been made with the cost.

Fast food is nothing more than a convience.

karmahunger

Fast food is cheaper, actually. And the convenience makes it easy for poor families who are busy; it's easy to pick up McDonald's on the way home from work or to get an egg mcmuffin on the way TO work.
It's not laziness, it's poverty and the lack of time. Some people work two or three jobs and still don't make enough.

I don't eat fast food, but I don't judge those who do. Watch Fat Head, very inspiring.

bradphil87

If you look at the big picture fast food is no cheaper than eating healthy. Sure the dollar menu....

Ok so you figure $3. $1 drink, $1 fry, $1 burger.

Do you know how many $1 burgers I can eat? A lot.

I got a bag of chicken for $6. 10 pieces. 5-10 days worth of chicken for one person.

Bag of apples, $2.50. 12 apples in the bag.

I can go on, but my point has already been made with the cost.

Fast food is nothing more than a convience.

Your 100% right. It's laziness....plain and simple. Btw, were not the only country facing this....the uk is catching up very rapidly.

angieleighbyrd

Fast food is cheaper, actually. And the convenience makes it easy for poor families who are busy; it's easy to pick up McDonald's on the way home from work or to get an egg mcmuffin on the way TO work.
It's not laziness, it's poverty and the lack of time. Some people work two or three jobs and still don't make enough.

I don't eat fast food, but I don't judge those who do. Watch Fat Head, very inspiring.

I'm not judging anyone for eating it. But I also think being too busy is just an excuse. I was a single mother working 3 jobs. One of my jobs was an hour drive. I was also in college. We did not eat fast food everyday. I know all about being busy. Everything you do in life is a choice. You have a choice to not take the time to prepare a meal, you have the choice to go through the drive through. Being busy is just an excuse. Being busy is part of being an adult. I just don't like it when people try to use an excuse for eating unhealthy. It's your choice how you want to eat, but don't make excuses for it, just say that's what you chose to eat that day.

ukgirly01

Yup the UK is catching up, luckily our health care is set up differently- more likely to get you to lose weight on your own rather than provide gastric band etc ( not that it doesn't happen at all). To be honest the strangest thing I find about fast food is basically it all tastes like crap!!! You couldn't pay me to eat a macdonalds it's just greasy cardboard- but then I was never given it is a kid. The first time I had it I was with a friend's parents at about 9 years old and asked where my knife and fork were. I cant comment on the US but in the uk fast food is certainly not cheaper than buying meat and veggies and cooking from scratch, it's just laziness and parents need to do more- obese children cannot be held responsible for themselves parents need to educate.

VelociMama

It takes a lot of work and time to prepare food from scratch for a family every single day. It takes time to find good prices on healthy food. I lived in a neighborhood in college that didn't have anywhere to buy produce within about 10 miles.

That being said, I don't think you can chock it all up to laziness.

We are no longer teaching kids or adults about cooking and nutrition. Many schools have no physical education programs anymore or their PE programs are grossly underfunded. Parents, often, would rather plop the kid down in front of the TV with a video game console than to go outside and do something active with them. Most parents also do not cook from scratch anymore and rely more and more on prepackaged foods and meals. We not longer live in a world where a one-income household is the norm. Both parents now have to work full time to make ends meet, and coming home to cook a big meal is just not as convenient or time-management friendly. The cost of enrolling kids in recreational sports has gone WAY up in the last several years. The U.S. government continues to provide subsidies to produce cheaper food from corn and soy, a large portion of which ends up as fillers for junk food. This is one of the biggest reasons why fast food and prepackaged food is so cheap.

It's a huge big convoluted mess of a problem with no one demon food, program, or type of person.

The real key to fixing it, in my opinion, is education. I know a lot of people who genuinely have no idea how to prepare food from its raw uncooked form into a meal. It's not because they're dumb, but rather, it's just no one ever taught them, and it can seem overwhelming and daunting at first especially if they can just go out and buy whatever they want for $5 and have to travel less than a block to get it. I also think fitness and nutrition education programs are essential to keeping the next generation from continuing the trend. Parent-education programs would also be great. The second part of a solution should also include making healthier food choices more available and cheaper, but that's a big problem in and of itself to solve.

One of the biggest problems I see on MFP and other places is the notion of a shifting baseline. The U.S. is over 60% overweight or obese now, and in many parts of the country, that demographic is over 80%. Many Americans no longer understand what a healthy weight looks like. I found it shocking traveling to Spain in 2010 and realizing that I was by FAR the fattest person I ever saw there. I was the smallest back home. Our idea of what is "healthy" weightwise has become very skewed.

jg627

I was working 80-100 hours a week and travelling a lot while I was gaining weight, so preparing food was sometimes out of the question. I'm not blaming it on that, but it sure didn't help it any.

ukgirly01

One of the biggest problems I see on MFP and other places is the notion of a shifting baseline. The U.S. is over 60% overweight or obese now, and in many parts of the country, that demographic is over 80%. Many Americans no longer understand what a healthy weight looks like. I found it shocking traveling to Spain in 2010 and realizing that I was by FAR the fattest person I ever saw there. I was the smallest back home. Our idea of what is "healthy" weightwise has become very skewed.

Couldn't agree more with this, normal has become fat-
As for the point of education that's also true but I believe that's a parents job- to much is put onto schools- I'm a great cook but was taught by helping my mum, not sitting in front of the tv while she was busy

tommygirl15

a lot less quality food is much cheaper. thats because it literally is rubbish!

^^ Ditto. You get what you pay for.

Spiritwarrior3000

If you look at the big picture fast food is no cheaper than eating healthy. Sure the dollar menu....

Ok so you figure $3. $1 drink, $1 fry, $1 burger.

Do you know how many $1 burgers I can eat? A lot.

I got a bag of chicken for $6. 10 pieces. 5-10 days worth of chicken for one person.

Bag of apples, $2.50. 12 apples in the bag.

I can go on, but my point has already been made with the cost.

Fast food is nothing more than a convience.

Your 100% right. It's laziness....plain and simple. Btw, were not the only country facing this....the uk is catching up very rapidly.

Hey hey now im from the Uk and we all do push ups as soon as we come out of our mothers. Just some are alittle slow doing the push ups

TexasTroy

Its not just about the fast food itself either.......its also about portion size. Back when fast food chains started a large coke was the size of about a small coke today and a large french frie's was about the same size as a small by today standards. A real 4oz size piece of chicken or hamburger should be about the size of the palm of your hand....when was the last time we ate anything that was as small as the palm of our hand? lol.

ahviendha

The US government subsidizes corn farmers and corn to the extent that soda is cheaper than water (due to primary ingredient being HFCS). The fast food infrastructure has been entrenched in government policy for decades.

It's not just individual choice, unfortunately.

deevatude

fast food taste really good

emtjmac

Yup the UK is catching up, luckily our health care is set up differently- more likely to get you to lose weight on your own rather than provide gastric band etc ( not that it doesn't happen at all). To be honest the strangest thing I find about fast food is basically it all tastes like crap!!! You couldn't pay me to eat a macdonalds it's just greasy cardboard- but then I was never given it is a kid. The first time I had it I was with a friend's parents at about 9 years old and asked where my knife and fork were. I cant comment on the US but in the uk fast food is certainly not cheaper than buying meat and veggies and cooking from scratch, it's just laziness and parents need to do more- obese children cannot be held responsible for themselves parents need to educate.

Sorry but here in the United States, McDonald's tastes amazing. Fat + Sugar = Delicious no matter where you're from. I wouldn't be so quick to judge parents who give their children fast food. There is widespread poverty in the US and many parents have no choice. They do not have the time or money to prepare fresh food all the time.

carneson3

I was out to eat with some relatives. My 12 year old cousin informed me she forgot her Sensa at home so she had to pick something healthy. Yeah you heard right 12 year old on sensa. Anyway she picked out fried pickles as her meal. I told her if she was trying to pick something healthy that wasn't necessarily the best choice because it's a pile of FRIED pickles and prob wouldn't fill her up anyway. She looked at me like I grew another head. I decided to just let her do her thing because I didn't feel like harping at dinner. When the waitress came I ordered a salmon burger and side salad...she ordered a bacon cheese burger with fries. OK so maybe the fried pickles were a better choice!!! UGH! Long story short...laziness yes...but people are not educated either. To say I wish I knew then what I know now is an understatement. I don't think she had any idea what I was talking about when I said fried pickles weren't healthy and really any idea what was healthy on the menu so she just ordered what she wanted. People want instant results and we as a society are starting our kids EARLY to expect them! Here look you can eat whatever you want don't have to work out and just have to sprinkle this mystery element on your food...easy peasy.

daggs95

TRUTH! It is cheaper, a family can eat at Mc.D's for under 10 bucks, as opposed to a better quality restuarunt which costs more. People want better, and these chains pretend to give it, some give slightly better, but overall the worst offenders won't change because it makes them too profitable and those that don't care, don't care. They don't have to, they have to live with themselves. Education is key, as well as focusing more tax breaks to agriculture as it use to be, as opposed to big corporations that don't care about anything but themselves. That is just one area, we the people (the govt...us) have to demand these changes and vote accordingly, be involved in your local town council, I have and have seen change.

A person can eat healthy for more money than unhealthy, so it comes down to refocusing your resources to accomadate this, buy from good companies that support the enviroment and health. Other countries spend more on their food than we do in the US. Education and information is key!

Ironically, people who say its "laziness" (granted in some cases it truly is/ or ignorance, or well lazy sometimes = being very tired probably because of a medical problem and/or poor food choices) is being a LAZY thinker themself. It is so easy to just blame, its much harder to look at the big picture, read, investigate, talk to others, learn about nutrition and biology and think for yourself. There is also a BIG problem here with a lack of self-esteem. Many people just blame themselves for everything wrong (internally, they don't like themselves though they may not admit it on the outside) which again, doesn't solve problems. But having discussions does.

I myself don't care for fast food, never have, never ate it more than once a week when I was youngin. As I became a parent it was once a month, now its not at all. My son still likes MCD's fries, and frankly I think anything in moderation is fine. But I choose to not give what little extra money we have to McD's on a regular basis...but if we get those free coupons, well thats fine

tship74

In The US Sugar got government subsidies which made it cheaper while farmers got nothing. That is why foods high in sugar are priced less than fruits and vegetables. WHile like everything else our governemtn claims to be trying to help, their actions continue to hurt the US people as a whole, especially those in lower income families.

neverstray

LOL @ fast food is cheaper. For my family of 3, it would cost us around $20 per meal. That's $60 per day for 3 meals. That does not include snacks. Only what you buy at the fast food place. That's $60x7=$420 per week. Over $1600 per month for meals, not including snacks or drinks or anything else. Yeah, it's way cheaper. LOL.

daggs95

its also regular food, not just fast food. Dannon yogurt or yoplait for example are garbage, they are not what is intended(examples Alot of additives hard for th ebody to break down) this is not the same as stoneyfield organic yogurt, which costs almost twice as much. Milk that is free from the antiobotics and such that is common now, but wasn't in our grandparents generation is cheaper than organic milk. and the list goes on and on. It does no one any favors to not acknowledge that this is a problem, and it is more expensive. The fact is, people have to learn how to make it more possible for themselves while the world catches up

SammyLou28

Food for thought or lack of { U.S. is a nation of fat people, & how we should work on changing it. Agreed, but why is it that fastfood, is more ready available to you at a cheaper price than what is healthy for you ??? I would think, if you want a healther Nation you would change that around, just my thought !!!!

It's not cheaper. With some dirt, water, and sun you can grow vegetables. But companies will continue to sell fast food because people like the easier, tastier options. Why actually cook when you can just go through a drive-through and have everything prepared? I would rather not trade my health for convenience, but I have been guilty. Regardless of what I think though, as long as people want it, companies will provide it. It is not my business or your business to tell people what they should be eating.

fittocycle

We need to educate ourselves about healthy choices, make those choices and MOVE! We sit around way to much in the country and use too many drive-thru's.

And yes, it can be that simple.

gazelleintraining

I think there are a few problems at play that work together in creating the perfect storm for obesity, diabetes, and cancer increases that we're seeing:

1.) Lack of proper education in both adults and children on how to eat healthfully.
It starts at home and needs to be reinforced at school, which means replacing the vending machines with healthier options for kids and actually subsidizing schools based on nutritional performance, not just calorie load.

2.) Lack of access to affordable healthy food (whether through a cost barrier or geographic location)
City planning should start limiting convenient store and fast food density and perhaps offering incentives for healthier food options, and planning for local food markets a few days a week. Rural areas need more than Wal-Mart and fast food; they also need social campaigns on food choices.

3. Lack of transparency in how the food system works and what's actually in the food (arsenic in chicken, for example)
There needs to be more nutrition education in schools, and not just at the health level. There should be classes in how food production works that open up discussions about why things are done that way and the impact it has on finances, health, and the environment.

4. Food engineering to perfect the addictive sugar-fat-salt combo that makes restaurants irresistible
Taste engineering at chain restaurants is contributing to the obesity epidemic. There is big money in coming up with taste sensations that are addictive and trigger a person to eat more while at a particular establishment, and lots of big-box food at the grocery store is designed the same way.

5. Increased use of technology devices = more sedentary hours
How many hours do you sit in front of a screen? Got to get more active, More social campaigns. more community involvement. Can you imagine how much better the world would be if the Internet got people together locally to work out, either through local cleanup projects, hiking trips, or group boot camp classes in the park, etc.? (Hint, hint, MFP admins...would be a great site... lol)

Also, other countries are getting up there, too, even though we're still top of the heap:
France: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9612225/Number-of-obese-people-in-France-doubles-to-seven-million.html
China: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june10/china_06-01.html
Canada: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/02/us-obesity-rate-much-high_n_830272.htm
Spain: http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2010/10/16/obesity-public-enemy-number-one/
Japan: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fe20120311rh.html
India: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-23/obesity-produces-diabetes-epidemic-in-india/4148616

The good news is that by choosing to actively engage on sites like MFP, we're all doing something about it. It starts with you.

ukgirly01

Yup the UK is catching up, luckily our health care is set up differently- more likely to get you to lose weight on your own rather than provide gastric band etc ( not that it doesn't happen at all). To be honest the strangest thing I find about fast food is basically it all tastes like crap!!! You couldn't pay me to eat a macdonalds it's just greasy cardboard- but then I was never given it is a kid. The first time I had it I was with a friend's parents at about 9 years old and asked where my knife and fork were. I cant comment on the US but in the uk fast food is certainly not cheaper than buying meat and veggies and cooking from scratch, it's just laziness and parents need to do more- obese children cannot be held responsible for themselves parents need to educate.

Sorry but here in the United States, McDonald's tastes amazing. Fat + Sugar = Delicious no matter where you're from. I wouldn't be so quick to judge parents who give their children fast food. There is widespread poverty in the US and many parents have no choice. They do not have the time or money to prepare fresh food all the time.

Have to agree to disagree on that one-I still think it tastes like crap.
And I still maintain that cooking from scratch is cheaper- my food budget is £200 for 2 people per month, I grow as much as I can in a small garden. Eat seasonally so the veggies I do buy are cheaper. Dont buy stacks of meat as it ramps the cost up and as for time I work 12-13 hour days and usually workout after work, so cooking from scratch takes me away from the tv time- big deal.
As I said I can't comment on the us but to eat fast food in the uk would be a lot more expensive both in money and in health.

m23gm25

I think what makes people turn to fast food are the smells! The smell of deep fried food is absolutely intoxicating! Which is why I rarely eat it because I am a fried foodaholic. and I can't risk going on a binge.

Prahasaurus

I think there are a few problems at play that work together in creating the perfect storm for obesity, diabetes, and cancer increases that we're seeing:

1.) Lack of proper education in both adults and children on how to eat healthfully.
It starts at home and needs to be reinforced at school, which means replacing the vending machines with healthier options for kids and actually subsidizing schools based on nutritional performance, not just calorie load.

2.) Lack of access to affordable healthy food (whether through a cost barrier or geographic location)
City planning should start limiting convenient store and fast food density and perhaps offering incentives for healthier food options, and planning for local food markets a few days a week. Rural areas need more than Wal-Mart and fast food; they also need social campaigns on food choices.

3. Lack of transparency in how the food system works and what's actually in the food (arsenic in chicken, for example)
There needs to be more nutrition education in schools, and not just at the health level. There should be classes in how food production works that open up discussions about why things are done that way and the impact it has on finances, health, and the environment.

4. Food engineering to perfect the addictive sugar-fat-salt combo that makes restaurants irresistible
Taste engineering at chain restaurants is contributing to the obesity epidemic. There is big money in coming up with taste sensations that are addictive and trigger a person to eat more while at a particular establishment, and lots of big-box food at the grocery store is designed the same way.

5. Increased use of technology devices = more sedentary hours
How many hours do you sit in front of a screen? Got to get more active, More social campaigns. more community involvement. Can you imagine how much better the world would be if the Internet got people together locally to work out, either through local cleanup projects, hiking trips, or group boot camp classes in the park, etc.? (Hint, hint, MFP admins...would be a great site... lol)

Also, other countries are getting up there, too, even though we're still top of the heap:
France: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9612225/Number-of-obese-people-in-France-doubles-to-seven-million.html
China: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june10/china_06-01.html
Canada: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/02/us-obesity-rate-much-high_n_830272.htm
Spain: http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2010/10/16/obesity-public-enemy-number-one/
Japan: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fe20120311rh.html
India: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-23/obesity-produces-diabetes-epidemic-in-india/4148616

The good news is that by choosing to actively engage on sites like MFP, we're all doing something about it. It starts with you.

Excellent post!

--P

angiechimpanzee

Three words - greed, money, and business.

Its cheaper & more profitable to mass-produce burgers and fries than it is to mass produce fresh produce and lean meats. Especially since the former are more addictive than the latter, which means more money in the pockets of greedy fast food companies.

gazelleintraining

Excellent post!

--P

Thanks

I owe it in part to the wide range of excellent documentaries found online and active Facebook friends who never cease their dedication to food quality and animal rights issues.

Good stuff!