U.S. is a fat Nation
Replies
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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 !!!!
I strongly disagree with it being cheaper comment. I've done the math, I can eat a LOT more at home than at a fast food place. For example, burger at McDonalds $1 per serving. At home, about .40 cents a burger. And it tastes better. Also, do you really want the people in charge of the DMV and school systems to be in charge of what you get to eat? Metaphorically speaking, do you like the idea of uncle sam standing above you and slapping food out of your hand before you can put it in your mouth? How about everyone just takes responsibility for themselves and their health and decide for themselves what to eat like the logical intelligent beings we are.
Edit: Just wanted to add, we are also by far not the fattest nation, no one seems to care about this tidbit but I hate that no one seems to know this.0 -
It amazes me how people are lumping an entire nation together, saying they are "lazy". I am not American. I don't usually care to defend Americans, but it bothers me that pretty much everyone who has replied here says that people who eat fast food are lazy or uneducated when it comes to healthy choices.
Also, it isn't fast food that plays the only part in the obesity epidemic - it's because people don't portion control. Yes, eating at a fast food joint everyday is not healthy, but it's also not going to kill you if you eat it a couple times a week. People also think of "fast food" as grease and fake food, when places like Subway and Quizno's have VERY healthy options but are also fast food restaurants.
To the girl who has a niece who is on Sensa: Who CARES if she ordered a burger and fries? She is TWELVE. Jeez.0 -
The last time I ordered fast food for dinner, it came to about $9 (this was Burger King). That's for a family of 4. Me preparing a healthy dinner doesn't cost much less. I can see how a busy working parent might go for the fast food instead of cooking.0
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It amazes me how people are lumping an entire nation together, saying they are "lazy". I am not American. I don't usually care to defend Americans, but it bothers me that pretty much everyone who has replied here says that people who eat fast food are lazy or uneducated when it comes to healthy choices.
Also, it isn't fast food that plays the only part in the obesity epidemic - it's because people don't portion control. Yes, eating at a fast food joint everyday is not healthy, but it's also not going to kill you if you eat it a couple times a week. People also think of "fast food" as grease and fake food, when places like Subway and Quizno's have VERY healthy options but are also fast food restaurants.
To the girl who has a niece who is on Sensa: Who CARES if she ordered a burger and fries? She is TWELVE. Jeez.
You say you dont like how other people are generalizing about fast food eaters and that bothers you yet you must be generalizing when you say you dont usually care to defend Americans. Why not? Are we all arrogant like all fast food eaters are lazy? lol0 -
The last time I ordered fast food for dinner, it came to about $9 (this was Burger King). That's for a family of 4. Me preparing a healthy dinner doesn't cost much less. I can see how a busy working parent might go for the fast food instead of cooking.
I dont know where you live, but where I am, based on my last shopping trip, 5lbs of chicken thighs is about $5, 2lbs Broccoli $2.40, 2 cans of corn $1.40 comes out to $8.80 cents and its much healthier and unless you and your kids each eat a lb of meat there will be leftovers. Also, none of these things take much effort to cook.0 -
You say you dont like how other people are generalizing about fast food eaters and that bothers you yet you must be generalizing when you say you dont usually care to defend Americans. Why not? Are we all arrogant like all fast food eaters are lazy? lol
Um, not at all. I don't usually defend any country, because it starts arguments, online anyway. My wording came out wrong is all.0 -
You say you dont like how other people are generalizing about fast food eaters and that bothers you yet you must be generalizing when you say you dont usually care to defend Americans. Why not? Are we all arrogant like all fast food eaters are lazy? lol
Um, not at all. I don't usually defend any country, because it starts arguments, online anyway. My wording came out wrong is all.
It just sounded very negative towards americans which Im sure by now you can tell I dont like :laugh: .It seems to often be the internet hobby of non-americans and even some americans to be unnecessarily harsh toward us. As if every country doesnt have its problems.0 -
America is my neighbour, I have no qualms with "her"
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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.
This.
I hate to cook and I love fast food. Not the best of combinations there! Since starting back at MFP I've cut back to allowing only one fast food meal per week and really limiting it. Not only are we all eating better but I'm saving a ton of money. It can easily cost me $25 at McDonalds but I can buy almost a week's worth of ingredients at the store with that same $25.
It's not about getting rid of fast food it's about teaching people HOW to make healthier choices. I know, people should know this right? WRONG! My parents idea of a balanced meal was twinkies with your ho-hos. When I became an adult I knew *nothing* of nutrition and cooking healthy. Now I know a lot and am learning more every day. Too many people don't have a clue how to make the changes that so many people need to make.0 -
You're wrong.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.
Mcdonalds Angus blah blah cheeseburger, $3.89 for one person.
Pound of raw chicken breasts, $6, six pack of whole wheat buns $3, head of romaine lettuce $2, bottle of light dressing $2 = $13 for 6 people = $2.17 for one person.
One example amongst thousands of examples when a MORE nutritious, MORE filling, LESS fattening meal can be made at home if you're actually smart with your resources.0 -
Good point0
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You're wrong.
Mcdonalds Angus blah blah cheeseburger, $3.89 for one person.
Pound of raw chicken breasts, $6, six pack of whole wheat buns $3, head of romaine lettuce $2, bottle of light dressing $2 = $13 for 6 people = $2.17 for one person.
One example amongst thousands of examples when a MORE nutritious, MORE filling, LESS fattening meal can be made at home if you're actually smart with your resources.
What about those who don't have more than ten bucks? And where I live, chicken isn't that cheap, or buns. Watch Fast Food Nation, Supersize me and Fat Head. All the arguments are settled.0 -
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 don't think poor families have got the surplus money to go to McDonalds to feed their family every day. I don't think your point is well thought out at all. A cheap tin of beans on two slices of toast is way cheaper even when you factor in the energy to cook it, feeds more people per volume and has more nutrients than a basic Macdonalds burger.0 -
I dont know about the rest of the U S , but i am off the obesity train and on the get and stay fit train.... Honestly, the choice is each individual's choice - you either want to eat healhty or you dont.0
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People on this site are so *****y.
Anyway, at the end of the day, it's not the US. I mean, I am surprised this has carried on so long. No one commented on how the OP original post was poorly written, now did they? And couldn't I see where he is from, and say that everyone from there is stupid?
It's just really rude to make a message calling out one nation to be "fat"; even places like Australia and have a high obesity rate.0 -
Put simply: people like to blame others. They don't like to take personal responsibility for their actions.
With smart home-prepared meals (stocking up when proteins, beans, even canned/frozen veggies are on sale) the cost is cheaper, if not less than the drive-thru. Cook in large servings and reheat for for the next day(s).0 -
fast food taste really good
I guess each their own, however, for me fast food doesn't taste really good, it actually does not agree with my body so I avoid it0 -
False. It's cheaper to eat at home; almost always. Just saying I bought a HUGE list of groceries for less than $200 and it lasted over a month (for two people) and that included cat food.
**edit: This was 2 months ago, and I'm still going strong on grains, meats, and things like sweet potatoes, onions, beans, etc.0 -
I dont know about the rest of the U S , but i am off the obesity train and on the get and stay fit train.... Honestly, the choice is each individual's choice - you either want to eat healhty or you dont.
for some individuals it may not be. I volunteered at a food pantry and they have a lot of processed things that they give out. Those items are not really healthy but if it is what you have access too, this is what you use0 -
I don't know about you guys but I can get through a walmart check out line during Military Pay weekend then these guys at the drive thru windows at McDonalds... I think working at a going no where job has made the workers lazy themselves.
One thing is going through Hardee's and they cook the food as you wait, it is another thing going through McDonald's.. waiting the same amount of time and getting your burger and fries cold.0 -
Healthy doesn't mean you will lose weight, switching to organic lasanga wont change the fact that the two servings dinner was 800 calories.
In fact, a lot of healthy foods are full of healthy fats, all of which are 9 calories per gram like trans and saturated fat. The label healthy makes you eat more.
Granola is very fat and calorie dense(close to 400 calories a cup). Really, if it's weight loss your after your better with lucky charms(114 cal per cup).
Olive oil has more calories per tablespoon than butter.
Even if your solution didn't disregard the the effects on an increase in demand, it would only make people less conscious about what they put in their mouths.
People should learn moderation and how to love exercise.0 -
I completely disagree that fast food is more expensive than healthy food. I can easily spend $8-$10 on a single meal at fast food place. When I pack my own lunch full of healthy food, I pack *maybe* $3 worth of food.0
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Two words: politics and greed.
It's all tied up in the USDA Farm Bill. Start at this link to get you going.
http://www.foodpolitics.com/2012/09/the-farm-bill-r-i-p/0 -
A taco at taco bell costs about the same as a can of dog food, but the taco doesn't have as much dog food in it and they put some taco seasoning and cheese on it so it doesn't taste like dog food then put it in a tortilla. I guess it depends on how you want to look at it.0
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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.
Oh please, the fast food companies just sell what people want to buy. If any fast food company tried selling healthier food, everyone would stop going there and they'd be out of business in a week. Are you old enough to remember how long the McLean Deluxe lasted? And how did BK revitalize their profits several years back? Oh yeah, by giving consumers what they wanted . . . incredibley unhealthy and tasty food.0 -
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.
Oh please, the fast food companies just sell what people want to buy. If any fast food company tried selling healthier food, everyone would stop going there and they'd be out of business in a week. Are you old enough to remember how long the McLean Deluxe lasted? And how did BK revitalize their profits several years back? Oh yeah, by giving consumers what they wanted . . . incredibley unhealthy and tasty food.
It's not the fault of the company that the consumer is overweight and unhealthy. I ate fast food for years for a variety of reasons (convenince, no one would see me if I ate in the car, etc) and I gained weight partially because of that. I'm also an adult who can spend my money how I want. Same goes for the rest of the country, overweight or not. These corporations aren't using voodoo magic to force people to buy their product. There's no one that says "I have absolutely no other option I'm compelled to do this". Yeah they may make excuses about convenience and cost or whatever but that is their right. In a consumer driven market it is NEVER the fault of the company that they provide a product that is being bought at a fast rate. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If enough people don't buy it, the product changes.0 -
People don't choose fast food because it's cheap. They choose it because it's convenient. People only use the excuse of eating fast food to save money as an excuse. It's pretty easy to lie to oneself and others, but deep down you always know it's a lie.0
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People on this site are so *****y.
Anyway, at the end of the day, it's not the US. I mean, I am surprised this has carried on so long. No one commented on how the OP original post was poorly written, now did they? And couldn't I see where he is from, and say that everyone from there is stupid?
It's just really rude to make a message calling out one nation to be "fat"; even places like Australia and have a high obesity rate.
Actually, I think its against site rules to belittle someone over their command (or lack thereof) the English language...not that I don't agree with you that he was rude and its not just the U.S. Just saying people don't want to get in trouble.0 -
1) Nauru: 95 percent
The tiny South Pacific island of Nauru tops the world's fattest list. A whopping 95 percent of its people have a BMI above 25. Nauruans historically engaged in fattening ceremonies, where well-born young women were kept inside and fed to excess. That legacy, plus the transition for agriculturally poor Nauru from a diet of fruit and fish to Western-style meals, has been devastating.
2) Micronesia: 92 percent
3) The Cook Islands: 92 percent
4) Tonga: 92 percent
5) Niue: 84 percent
6) Samoa: 83 percent
7) Palau: 81 percent
8) United States: 79 percent
9) Kiribati: 77 percent.
10) Dominica: 76 percent
Other countries that are close:
Kuwait: 75 percent
Argentina: 75 percent
Mexico: 73 percent
Australia: 71 percent
Egypt: 70 percent
Greece: 70 percent
Belarus: 67 percent
United Kingdom: 66 percent
Just to say, we aren't the fattest...not that the number of unhealthy people is is exactly encouraging. The number is anyone with a BMI over 25, which we all now isnt the perfect measure but you can check the site, its from: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/health/101119/fat-top-10-obese0 -
It amazes me how people are lumping an entire nation together, saying they are "lazy". I am not American. I don't usually care to defend Americans, but it bothers me that pretty much everyone who has replied here says that people who eat fast food are lazy or uneducated when it comes to healthy choices.
Also, it isn't fast food that plays the only part in the obesity epidemic - it's because people don't portion control. Yes, eating at a fast food joint everyday is not healthy, but it's also not going to kill you if you eat it a couple times a week. People also think of "fast food" as grease and fake food, when places like Subway and Quizno's have VERY healthy options but are also fast food restaurants.
I am American and I don't take the "U.S. is a fat Nation" as a personal insult. Obviously, when one is talking about an entire nation they are not talking about each and every individual. There are a lot of overweight people in the U.S. Offensive or not, that's a true statement.
Blaming fast food for that fact is silly, though. Americans are not force fed fast food. They choose it. No matter what their excuse for choosing fast food, they have other choices.
Also there a lot of nutrition experts who would disagree that Subway or Quizno's have "VERY healthy options". More healthy than some other fast food, or "it probably won't kill you" doesn't necessarily = very healthy.0
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