An Argument Against Fast Food

Unfortunately, most foods in the average North American's diet require almost as much energy to assimilate as they contain, because while they are high in calories, they are low in nutrients.

Essentially the point is this: because fast food is not nutritionally dense, your body has to work harder to get fewer nutrients, which is a WASTE of energy. Energy that could otherwise be used on anything from recovery - which would allow you to train harder and more often - to mental energy, to just feeling better in your day to day life.

Both of these ideas are false. But let's imagine to a minute that the average NA diet DID require almost as much energy to assimilate as they contain....
Imagine a nation of undernourished, underfed people. On the average.

Basic idea just doesn't hold water.

/thread

Reddy...just give up the ghost, man. Every time you post some crap about how EEEEEVIL fast food is, or you hop on the anti-FF wagon, you're just going to get pwned by people that have been here longer, have had mad success, and that people listen to.

A for effort, though.

Actually the OP seems to believe that any processed food (french bread) is a no-no. It's just another yawn-worthy clean eating pamphlet .

Well gee whillickers, maybe people keep talking about clean eating because it actually has some merit to it! Golly. I eat wheat bread instead of white, because if I'm going to have a sandwich, I'd rather have one that fills me up and gives me nutrients, rather than empty calories. How is this a difficult call? Obviously, everything in moderation, but why is everyone so eager to dismiss an advocate of eating healthy, unprocessed foods as "yawn-worthy"? This is why we're fat, people!! Lol.

No. We are fat because we ate at a caloric surplus. The food (regardless of type) didn't just jump in our mouths and crawl down our throats.

We overate, etc. A lot of people also have a tendency to do the stress/bored/emotional eating. Some people have issues recognizing portion control, etc. And some people just didn't educate themselves to realize that they can't eat 3000 calories and be 150 lbs with no exercise. The point is - it's "OUR" fault..not the food industry, the food itself, or the people in our lives. There is a time we should start taking accountability for our own actions.

ETA: Not everyone using MFP is trying to lose weight. That's why it is My FITNESS Pal.

well put

No. We are fat because we ate at a caloric surplus. The food (regardless of type) didn't just jump in our mouths and crawl down our throats.

We overate, etc. A lot of people also have a tendency to do the stress/bored/emotional eating. Some people have issues recognizing portion control, etc. And some people just didn't educate themselves to realize that they can't eat 3000 calories and be 150 lbs with no exercise. The point is - it's "OUR" fault..not the food industry, the food itself, or the people in our lives. There is a time we should start taking accountability for our own actions.

ETA: Not everyone using MFP is trying to lose weight. That's why it is My FITNESS Pal.

I don't blame fast food for my being overweight. That's an infantile notion. The movie Supersize Me just made me want to eat french fries. But the knee-jerk reaction to DEFEND fast food in the wake of articles explaining why it has little to no nutritional benefit begs the question, why are we so desperate to keep it? Are we really that obsessed with food that we can't let go of the Crunchwrap Supremes and the Big Macs without throwing a temper tantrum at the people criticizing them?

Today one of our major supermarkets here in the UK was found to be selling own brand beefburgers which appears to contain up to 39% horse meat. I'd rather not eat that hence my need to buy, prepare and cook 'proper' foods, they don't have to be organic just good honest fresh foods....

I don't know that I'm familiar with horse meat. Is it undesirable in some way? I guess if I liked horses, I wouldn't be all that willing to eat it in the same way that I'm not likely to go for a Golden Retriever burger, but I'd try a horse burger.

Actually the OP seems to believe that any processed food (french bread) is a no-no. It's just another yawn-worthy clean eating pamphlet .

Well gee whillickers, maybe people keep talking about clean eating because it actually has some merit to it! Golly. I eat wheat bread instead of white, because if I'm going to have a sandwich, I'd rather have one that fills me up and gives me nutrients, rather than empty calories. How is this a difficult call? Obviously, everything in moderation, but why is everyone so eager to dismiss an advocate of eating healthy, unprocessed foods as "yawn-worthy"? This is why we're fat, people!! Lol.

Please don't use "we" like that. Most of the people here arguing against the drivel are not anywhere near fat. And that's exactly the point. You can include a small amount of cheat meals that involve fast food and it will not affect your progress. In some ways it may actually help your progress because its easier to follow for a lifetime, as opposed to yo-yoing from strict "clean" eating to binging as so many people do.

Please don't use "as so many people do" like that, then. Not everyone is a yo-yo dieter or a binge eater. And when you say a small amount of cheat meals, you mean like, once a week? Twice a month? Somewhere in there, right? Because again, there is nothing in OP's post (THIS post) that says fast food should never be eaten ever even on special occasions. You're all seeing reasons to argue that aren't actually there.

To point out, the phrase "as so many people do" - doesn't mean everyone.

No. We are fat because we ate at a caloric surplus. The food (regardless of type) didn't just jump in our mouths and crawl down our throats.

We overate, etc. A lot of people also have a tendency to do the stress/bored/emotional eating. Some people have issues recognizing portion control, etc. And some people just didn't educate themselves to realize that they can't eat 3000 calories and be 150 lbs with no exercise. The point is - it's "OUR" fault..not the food industry, the food itself, or the people in our lives. There is a time we should start taking accountability for our own actions.

ETA: Not everyone using MFP is trying to lose weight. That's why it is My FITNESS Pal.

I don't blame fast food for my being overweight. That's an infantile notion. The movie Supersize Me just made me want to eat french fries. But the knee-jerk reaction to DEFEND fast food in the wake of articles explaining why it has little to no nutritional benefit begs the question, why are we so desperate to keep it? Are we really that obsessed with food that we can't let go of the Crunchwrap Supremes and the Big Macs without throwing a temper tantrum at the people criticizing them?

It's called a discussion. Really, you are the one most upset by people discussing and putting out opposing points.