An Argument Against Fast Food

Bastiencade

I don't know why you're even posting this. No one is on the other side of this issue- fast food isn't good for you. It's not exactly breaking news.

read the thread. MANY people are on the other side of the issue actually.

No one has said fast food is good for you. No one, not anywhere has anyone posted that.

sunsnstatheart

can you quote back to me the last paragraph of my initial post please?

You use the word "better" not "optimal". Which is it, better or optimal?

fine, I'll do it:

But hey, I'm not here to say you HAVE to do it. I'm not even saying you should! If you'd rather eat fast food because you really enjoy it, then I would never advocate giving it up! But if your goals are to perform better and to feel better, not just lose weight, it may be worth considering.

tell me where i'm saying anyone must do anything in order to get results.

You said "if your goals are to perform better and to feel better, not to just lose weight, it might be worth considering". So, taken literally, you're just saying to consider it? Okay considered and rejected. End of thread? Or are you the one now playing semantic games?

CoachReddy

End Thread. I'm out of here. Believe what you want to believe. But if you make weight loss harder than it has to be then you only have yourself to blame for your failure.

this post wasn't primarily about weight loss for the record. it's about your body working at an optimal level. processed foods don't allow you to do that, though you CAN still lose weight while eating them.

The contexts for how desirable "optimal" is for anyone who isn't an elite athlete are more varied than you seem to think they are. I'm not sure why I should care about what elite athletes do, or how they feel for that matter. Lord knows I don't train like one. Nor would I want to put my body through that. Depending on the sport, it certainly isn't healthy. Those are people who look at the brink of what their physical forms are capable of and frequently cross that boundary.

All that even assumes I accept the initial information as valid.

I question that use of this information for 99% of the population, apart from academic interest. If, as you say, that moderation is fine for weight loss, what audience do you think you're talking to here? I think you know exactly who you're talking to and post this stuff anyway. Which is why I question your motives.

But please, continue to call this trolling.

as Ramberta mentioned, it's MyFITNESSpal, not MyWeightLossPal. I'm not here to lose weight. Others aren't here to lose weight, though I know the majority are. Some people want to lose weight the easiest way possible, some people want to lose weight in the healthiest way possible, and some fall in between. Neither is right or wrong, simply personal choice.

Please enlighten me to these questionable motives. What do I possibly stand to gain by suggesting someone CONSIDER the information at hand? What do I have to gain by suggesting people check out this really awesome book to which I have no affiliation other than I just started reading it and it's amazing?

Ramberta

I don't know why you're even posting this. No one is on the other side of this issue- fast food isn't good for you. It's not exactly breaking news.

read the thread. MANY people are on the other side of the issue actually.

No one has said fast food is good for you. No one, not anywhere has anyone posted that.

You're right, but I think what Reddy meant was, people are on the other side of the issue saying that fast food ISN'T bad. That doesn't mean those people find fast food to be exceedingly nutritious, just that it's no more harmful to you than a cold cuts sandwich made at home.

Bastiencade

Yes, dear, that is my point. Once in a while (i.e., camping trips), it's nice to sleep on a different surface. Just like it's nice to eat fast food every once in a while. However, on a day-to-day basis would you still choose the sleeping bag?

Some people don't have adverse effects from eating fast food for one meal a day. No one has said it's healthy or even a good choice, only that it's one that keeps many people in check on their diets. Clean eating is OBVIOUSLY the best choice for anyone, and no one has debated that. Posting this article was pretty pointless.... it doesn't say anything people don't already know. No one should eat fast food. Good. Got it. People still do, and you can be perfectly healthy including it in your diet. Nothing really more to discuss, you seem to want to argue with everyone because you believe they're trolling. Many people have explained why they're criticising the article. No one has said it was a wrong article either.

CoachReddy

I don't know why you're even posting this. No one is on the other side of this issue- fast food isn't good for you. It's not exactly breaking news.

read the thread. MANY people are on the other side of the issue actually.

No one has said fast food is good for you. No one, not anywhere has anyone posted that.

sorry i'm referring posters who are posting here who also posted in another recent fast food thread advocating that eating fast food once a day isn't less healthy than replacing that meal with a whole foods lean meat/veggies/whole grains meal

Sarauk2sf

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/excluding-the-middle.html

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

http://www.shreddedknowledge.com/home/a-talk-with-the-doc-dr-layne-norton/

I will quote the last one again

"I find the whole idea of ‘clean eating’ pretentious. What exactly defines a food as ‘clean’? Do you spray windex on it? Rub soap on it? I find it a bit preposterous. I’ve been in debates with people promoting ‘clean eating’ but when I ask for a specific scientific definition of what makes a food ‘clean’ they are silent. I think the restrictive diets where you can only eat a half dozen or so foods are not only unhealthy because they don’t give you a diverse intake of nutrients but I believe they promote eating disorders and binging. I see people who ‘eat clean’ during most of the week and then binge on cheesecake, ice cream, and donuts because it’s a ‘cheat’ meal. Oh yea… that is way healthier than eating ‘unclean’ foods in moderation to a hit a specific macronutrient target. *rolleyes* Now that said, I do believe that many IIFYMers (I find it funny that something myself and others been promoting for years gets an acronym attached to it and is now this ‘new’ way of eating LOL) actually go too far in one direction. Most people who origionally promoted targeting macronutrient intakes instead of obsessing about food choices actually eat ‘clean’ foods 95% of the time, we just don’t agonize over having a homemade burrito with a low carb wrap or some reduced calorie ice cream. We see the value of a controlled intake in order to prevent uncontrolled binging. But I do see IIFYM followers who eat as much sugary, high fat foods as they can and wear it like a badge of honor. That is not the point. If you are following a macronutrient intake that is friendly for body composition you will be eating a lot of ‘clean’ foods by default because you will not be able to hit a protein, carb, fat, and fiber intake conducive to body composition improvement if all you eat are high sugar/fat foods. The point is it’s ok to have these foods in small amounts if you are still hitting your goal macronutrient intake."

Ramberta

End Thread. I'm out of here. Believe what you want to believe. But if you make weight loss harder than it has to be then you only have yourself to blame for your failure.

this post wasn't primarily about weight loss for the record. it's about your body working at an optimal level. processed foods don't allow you to do that, though you CAN still lose weight while eating them.

The contexts for how desirable "optimal" is for anyone who isn't an elite athlete are more varied than you seem to think they are. I'm not sure why I should care about what elite athletes do, or how they feel for that matter. Lord knows I don't train like one. Nor would I want to put my body through that. Depending on the sport, it certainly isn't healthy. Those are people who look at the brink of what their physical forms are capable of and frequently cross that boundary.

All that even assumes I accept the initial information as valid.

I question that use of this information for 99% of the population, apart from academic interest. If, as you say, that moderation is fine for weight loss, what audience do you think you're talking to here? I think you know exactly who you're talking to and post this stuff anyway. Which is why I question your motives.

But please, continue to call this trolling.

as Ramberta mentioned, it's MyFITNESSpal, not MyWeightLossPal. I'm not here to lose weight. Others aren't here to lose weight, though I know the majority are. Some people want to lose weight the easiest way possible, some people want to lose weight in the healthiest way possible, and some fall in between. Neither is right or wrong, simply personal choice.

Please enlighten me to these questionable motives. What do I possibly stand to gain by suggesting someone CONSIDER the information at hand? What do I have to gain by suggesting people check out this really awesome book to which I have no affiliation other than I just started reading it and it's amazing?

I wasn't actually the one that said that it was someone countering me, actually. But they were right in that point.

CoachReddy

Yes, dear, that is my point. Once in a while (i.e., camping trips), it's nice to sleep on a different surface. Just like it's nice to eat fast food every once in a while. However, on a day-to-day basis would you still choose the sleeping bag?

Some people don't have adverse effects from eating fast food for one meal a day. No one has said it's healthy or even a good choice, only that it's one that keeps many people in check on their diets. Clean eating is OBVIOUSLY the best choice for anyone, and no one has debated that. Posting this article was pretty pointless.... it doesn't say anything people don't already know. No one should eat fast food. Good. Got it. People still do, and you can be perfectly healthy including it in your diet. Nothing really more to discuss, you seem to want to argue with everyone because you believe they're trolling. Many people have explained why they're criticising the article. No one has said it was a wrong article either.

you just did...

peckish_pomegranate

Everyone is boo-hissing you because you went out of your way to make a post about something everyone already knows (fast food is bad for you. Big portions, processed, high calories, low nutrition content) and you're acting like you're really groundbreaking with this information. It's silly. Even if there is a tiny, misinformed minority that disagrees with this, it doesn't make you posting a thread to tell people any less ridiculous.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

End Thread. I'm out of here. Believe what you want to believe. But if you make weight loss harder than it has to be then you only have yourself to blame for your failure.

this post wasn't primarily about weight loss for the record. it's about your body working at an optimal level. processed foods don't allow you to do that, though you CAN still lose weight while eating them.

CR: The argument that fast food, even in moderation, damages elite performance, is an interesting one and one that perhaps deserves further discussion (though I think that discussion has already been had ad nauseum), but it is also a largely irrelevant one to many MFP members who are looking to lose weight and simply be healthier. Like it or not they will look up to people who are fit and healthy and ask their opinions as to what to do. In my opinion, when you make things harder for them than necessary (by, for example, advocating the complete elimination of fast food and other "processed" foods, whatever that word may actually mean to you), then you are helping them fail. The method that should be advocated for anyone looking to lose weight and get healthier is the one that they can easily follow and MAINTAIN FOR LIFE. Does that make sense?

The notion that fit and healthy people "help" non-fit people fail by suggesting clean eating is ridiculous. No one is responsible for anyone's failure but YOU, meaning everyone as an individual. If you ask for advice and don't take it, that's on you too! NOWHERE in this post said that fast food should NEVER be eaten. YOU are the one who failed to notice that!

Elimination diets are more likely to fail than moderation diets because inevitably someone will have that "bad food" which is laden with guilt and it results in feelings of guilt and failure which many people don't really use as a source of motivation. When you just label food as food and keep it smart by getting what you need first and what you want second then food loses most emotional connection. Many people who find themselves a great deal over or under weight have emotional baggage associated with certain foods. You take away the power by taking away the labels and focusing on the needs versus the wants while balancing it all out. Holy run on sentence bat man.

Bastiencade

Yes, dear, that is my point. Once in a while (i.e., camping trips), it's nice to sleep on a different surface. Just like it's nice to eat fast food every once in a while. However, on a day-to-day basis would you still choose the sleeping bag?

Some people don't have adverse effects from eating fast food for one meal a day. No one has said it's healthy or even a good choice, only that it's one that keeps many people in check on their diets. Clean eating is OBVIOUSLY the best choice for anyone, and no one has debated that. Posting this article was pretty pointless.... it doesn't say anything people don't already know. No one should eat fast food. Good. Got it. People still do, and you can be perfectly healthy including it in your diet. Nothing really more to discuss, you seem to want to argue with everyone because you believe they're trolling. Many people have explained why they're criticising the article. No one has said it was a wrong article either.

you just did...

Uh, can you read? I wrote that you can be healthy including it in your diet, not that the food itself was healthy. Goodness!

Topher1978

In all reality, tv dinners and fast food are not part of a "balanced" diet. It would be best to not have such food go into the body. Fact is, though, it is convenient, and we live in a society of convenience. But to say it is part of a balanced diet is dishonest at the root. Even the salads at McD's has a ton of chemicals on it. Hell, Belaruse outlawed McD's because of all the chemicals that are in its food. Israel made them resource their food in order to be allowed into their country. That should at least be interesting to people.

It's not that I don't believe you, but can you cite sources for that? I'd like to read them. Thanks.

My friend Visiaslavavich, who grew up in in USSR (in Belaruse) and migrated to Israel where he lived until he moved to the USA. He knows what he is talking about, but most of his sources are in Russian,

Ramberta

Everyone is boo-hissing you because you went out of your way to make a post about something everyone already knows (fast food is bad for you. Big portions, processed, high calories, low nutrition content) and you're acting like you're really groundbreaking with this information. It's silly. Even if there is a tiny, misinformed minority that disagrees with this, it doesn't make you posting a thread to tell people any less ridiculous.

And so you commented... why? At least the boo-hissers had something to say about it, you've got nothing. OP was not "acting groundbreaking", he quoted a book and shared his two cents. Guess what, that's what forums are for. Go find something else to do.

Ramberta

In all reality, tv dinners and fast food are not part of a "balanced" diet. It would be best to not have such food go into the body. Fact is, though, it is convenient, and we live in a society of convenience. But to say it is part of a balanced diet is dishonest at the root. Even the salads at McD's has a ton of chemicals on it. Hell, Belaruse outlawed McD's because of all the chemicals that are in its food. Israel made them resource their food in order to be allowed into their country. That should at least be interesting to people.

It's not that I don't believe you, but can you cite sources for that? I'd like to read them. Thanks.

My friend Visiaslavavich, who grew up in in USSR (in Belaruse) and migrated to Israel where he lived until he moved to the USA. He knows what he is talking about, but most of his sources are in Russian,

Haha, well I guess I'll have to do my own digging about it. :P

EvanKeel

End Thread. I'm out of here. Believe what you want to believe. But if you make weight loss harder than it has to be then you only have yourself to blame for your failure.

this post wasn't primarily about weight loss for the record. it's about your body working at an optimal level. processed foods don't allow you to do that, though you CAN still lose weight while eating them.

The contexts for how desirable "optimal" is for anyone who isn't an elite athlete are more varied than you seem to think they are. I'm not sure why I should care about what elite athletes do, or how they feel for that matter. Lord knows I don't train like one. Nor would I want to put my body through that. Depending on the sport, it certainly isn't healthy. Those are people who look at the brink of what their physical forms are capable of and frequently cross that boundary.

All that even assumes I accept the initial information as valid.

I question that use of this information for 99% of the population, apart from academic interest. If, as you say, that moderation is fine for weight loss, what audience do you think you're talking to here? I think you know exactly who you're talking to and post this stuff anyway. Which is why I question your motives.

But please, continue to call this trolling.

as Ramberta mentioned, it's MyFITNESSpal, not MyWeightLossPal. I'm not here to lose weight. Others aren't here to lose weight, though I know the majority are. Some people want to lose weight the easiest way possible, some people want to lose weight in the healthiest way possible, and some fall in between. Neither is right or wrong, simply personal choice.

Please enlighten me to these questionable motives. What do I possibly stand to gain by suggesting someone CONSIDER the information at hand? What do I have to gain by suggesting people check out this really awesome book to which I have no affiliation other than I just started reading it and it's amazing?

How is what you've posted useful at all? Seriously. There's no specific information in it. It's a block of generalized statements. It's just another clean eating PSA. And that's fine, but there's nothing really to discuss, which is why you get pages of so-called trolling. The author's experiences are irrelevant, as are yours or anyone else's, when it comes to my performance. And yet that's the only thing backing up anything he's said. It's the logical equivalent of saying "I took some rat poison and lived. Here's the way I think it works with no evidence to support it. So it should work for you." Come on, man.

As to your motives, you certainly wouldn't be the first person here to post the way you are for no other reason than to gain attention....and possibly business. I may very well be wrong, but this really comes off as attention seeking behavior.

SGT_Reg

Out of control.... And I want to be a part of it

peckish_pomegranate

Everyone is boo-hissing you because you went out of your way to make a post about something everyone already knows (fast food is bad for you. Big portions, processed, high calories, low nutrition content) and you're acting like you're really groundbreaking with this information. It's silly. Even if there is a tiny, misinformed minority that disagrees with this, it doesn't make you posting a thread to tell people any less ridiculous.

And so you commented... why? At least the boo-hissers had something to say about it, you've got nothing. OP was not "acting groundbreaking", he quoted a book and shared his two cents. Guess what, that's what forums are for. Go find something else to do.

You're right, maybe I'll go make a thread about how lifting weights builds muscle. People need to know about this!

loneworg

Everyone is boo-hissing you because you went out of your way to make a post about something everyone already knows (fast food is bad for you. Big portions, processed, high calories, low nutrition content) and you're acting like you're really groundbreaking with this information. It's silly. Even if there is a tiny, misinformed minority that disagrees with this, it doesn't make you posting a thread to tell people any less ridiculous.

And so you commented... why? At least the boo-hissers had something to say about it, you've got nothing. OP was not "acting groundbreaking", he quoted a book and shared his two cents. Guess what, that's what forums are for. Go find something else to do.

I think some one needs a big Mac cause you seem hangry

Scarlett_S

Truthfully, fast food is always a disappointment. It took a couple of years for me to realize that and ditch the cravings, but almost ANYTHING, including an on the go protein bar, is better than drive through.