How gross is fast food to you

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  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
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    I'm going to go with "not at all gross", Bob.

    In fact I could go for a Quarter Pounder right now... mmm...
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    Haha! It is amazing how they misread my post. It was a personal experience that I had, not a generalized statement. I was simply answering the OP of why I don't like fast food. I actually did see 9 out of 10. Does it happen all the time...no (never said it did) but it was an experience that helped shape my view on fast food.

    So then it's quite possible that someone else's experience could have been seeing 9 out of 10 people in line at the grocery store as obese as well?
    Possibly, but Im not arguing for them..I stopped that convo a while ago because she was taking it out of context. I just wanted to clarify:)

    I just thought it was funny how you made a backhanded knock at the person when they compared the same line at a grocery store.
    Cool man! Glad I can humor you:) Was not my intent to backhand anyone! :drinker:
    You must eat fast food, so my apologies for touching a nerve with my opinion and thoughts to the OP's question

    I found that to be a pretty passive aggressive "backhanded" shot.
  • MrsFowler1069
    MrsFowler1069 Posts: 657 Member
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    So...I have mixed feelings about this. I think largely the best answer came early on in the thread....in having a healthy relationship with food, we can choose to eat something that wouldn't be the best choice for a steady diet and still be aware that it needs to fit into our overall plan. Moreover, I think it's important that we do exactly this sometimes - at least for me. If I really thought I had to live on nothing but Brussels Sprouts forever and never touch another french fry, it would only guarantee that at some point I would be beating myself up for failing. Luckily, I don't have to make that choice.

    However, there is much to be said for attempting to choose "mostly" higher quality foods, striving to be not just thinner, but also healthier. It's not all just about 'calories in, calories out' in the big picture if this is what a person is working toward. So - yes - an occasional cheeseburger or whatever...? Heck yeah, if that's what today is calling for. But don't let the wily lil things take over!

    My sense from the OP, though, was more that he already knows this, already struggles with his idea that the food is 'gross', and pulls in almost against his will. So then the question becomes.....why? Is it just a habit to replace, an emotional crutch, leaving himself hungry or without other options at the wrong times....? Maybe it's just as simple as keeping a bag of something else in the car. Guess you need to answer that one yourself, OP. :)

    This is my experience. For years, I gave in to the cheap and easy fix and developed quite a liking for fast food. I gained a ton of weight. The dollars still added up. I developed high blood pressure, painful back and foot problems, and more. I was able to do less with my daughter (for whom I also was setting a less than stellar example) and with my husband. Fast food wasn't the only contributor, but it was certainly high on the list.

    And I still like it. I don't, though, actually eat it very often - because at the end of the day, I feel better about that choice and about my progress in the other direction. A couple of years ago, well before it was about weight loss, I began cooking at home a lot more and remembered how much I liked doing it, realized anew how much cheaper it was in the long run, and reveled in learning how to make dishes that my family and friends loved. Still, though, office lunch runs were pretty common, and they still added up.

    Now that I have begun to work toward losing weight and being healthier (just since the beginning of June, but I have lost 30 lbs, so I'm pretty excited about that), it's easier to say no because I don't want to waste my other efforts, but at the same time, I'm not going to beat myself up (much lol) if I choose that for a meal or a treat or for a convenience that fits into that day.

    I will say this....when I have it, it does seem to have lost some of it's shine. lol I can't tolerate as much of it and sometimes I find that I don't feel well physically afterward. The awareness of how much of my calorie 'budget' I've used in one fell swoop isn't encouraging. It's all just a little....meh....

    And, frankly, I like the feeling of taking back my power, because I totally remember being the exact same spot, leaving work saying, "I am not going to stop at ____ today," and then pulling in on auto-pilot anyway. And I knew the same things you do. Maybe, when it's all said and done, the question isn't about how gross it is, but how well and how much of it fits with what you want in your life. But I bet you already know that, too. :)
  • PhoenixEve
    PhoenixEve Posts: 131 Member
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    A vein in your meat isn't going to hurt you. Many parts of the animal other than just the muscle are edible.

    I remember, way back in the day when i used to eat KFC, i would break the bones open and eat the bone marrow. True story. Iron deficiency anemia makes you do crazy things i guess. :P

    It's only crazy in the U.S. and certain other countries. One of my favorite yakitori treats is the cartilage with small bits of meat attached. Not to get on my soap box, but we are a bit too precious here about what parts of animals we are willing to eat.

    Agreed. I'll eat the whole animal. Even the eyes...I like fish eyes and I like pork blood too.

    Yum! I'm a huge fan of Korean style fish eye soup! I truly love it.

    Sidenote, it's hard to avoid weird animal products in food anyway. Many vegans even eat animal products unknowingly.

    For example, refined white sugar is filtered with 'natural carbon' or 'natural charcoal' made from... animal bone char.
    Same with municipal tap water... it's filtered with animal bone char too. I wonder how many vegetarians/vegans abstain from bathing/drinking tap water?

    Fish bladders in beer anyone?

    If people knew all the hidden things in common foods, they would have to stop being so squeamish or starve. There are all sorts of little live critters and bugs on fresh veggies and fruits too. Look up Water Bears (Tardigrade)... they are so cute! And if you've ever eaten any algae, seaweed, or spanish moss products, you've probably eaten them too. Not to mention the allowable amount of ground up insects and rat hairs in spices.

    Still, we all need to eat to survive. :)
  • jennykillswitch
    jennykillswitch Posts: 3
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    I spoke with a physical trainer a year ago, and he asked me how often I would eat fast food. I told him then, 3-4 times a week. His mouth dropped and he was speechless, angry with me.
    I was so ashamed, and embarrassed. He said he hasnt eaten fast food in over 7 years.
    Since then I cant say I haven't slipped up, but I make a conscious effort to make better choices!
    There is a Mcdonald's right next to a Wawa convenience store on my street, when Im craving something quick
    and easy, I go to Wawa for a small hoagie on wheat bread, and a big water bottle... instead of McDonalds for a meal with
    mystery meat, oil soaked french fries and sugar packed soda. Your body will thank you for it.
    Small changes my friend!
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
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  • IronRangeGirl
    IronRangeGirl Posts: 20 Member
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  • Kilokato
    Kilokato Posts: 33
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    I agree with you. Many people think it's silly. But, they don't understand how much money is spent on research and test groups, to find out what attracts people back to the food. It's very extensive. They also study the brain and try to understand what chemicals can hook humans, legally, in order to make you feel a certain way when you eat the food.

    It's true. I understand it. I wont go into the advertising and how insidious it all is. But, it's crazy. I feel like some of us are voices of a minority that see very clearly what is happening while the rest just prefer to let it all happen. Its more insidious than people know, and if they really did know, they would really be pissed off about it all. But, it's big big big big money. So, no one's really going to touch it.

    You're exactly right, it really is far more insidious than any of us really know. Another member here just sent me a message about an hour ago detailing the link between Phillip Morris (the biggest tobacco giant in history) and Kraft foods. I don't think he'd mind if I quoted him:
    You could easily take this further as Philip Morris took ownership took ownership by buying out Kraft and a host of other food companys.

    In 1970, Philip Morris made the first of several acquisitions with the purchase of Miller Brewing Company. In 1985, Philip Morris Cos. became a holding company and the parent of Philip Morris Inc. and bought General Foods. The acquisition of Kraft Foods came in 1988, after which Kraft and General Foods became Kraft General Foods.[3] In 2001, Kraft Foods launched an IPO for 11.1% of the company that raked in $8.7 billion, making it the 2nd largest IPO in American history at the time.[4]

    http://archive.tobacco.org/Resources/00pmbrands.html

    and they did use for decades the same exact practices to sell products and even further with chemically altered foods, aromas and flavors under thousands of brand names and they are not alone in this.

    It's scary!


    Where did you receive your Ph.D and in what discipline?

    I don't personally have a Ph.D., but my wife is a Psychologist and has actually done graduate research on this very subject. We've discussed it extensively. Plus, last time I checked you don't need to have a Ph.D. in any discipline to be informed. Nothing I'm saying is controversial or in question, it's all scientific fact.
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
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    Haha! It is amazing how they misread my post. It was a personal experience that I had, not a generalized statement. I was simply answering the OP of why I don't like fast food. I actually did see 9 out of 10. Does it happen all the time...no (never said it did) but it was an experience that helped shape my view on fast food.

    So then it's quite possible that someone else's experience could have been seeing 9 out of 10 people in line at the grocery store as obese as well?
    Possibly, but Im not arguing for them..I stopped that convo a while ago because she was taking it out of context. I just wanted to clarify:)

    I just thought it was funny how you made a backhanded knock at the person when they compared the same line at a grocery store.
    Cool man! Glad I can humor you:) Was not my intent to backhand anyone! :drinker:
    You must eat fast food, so my apologies for touching a nerve with my opinion and thoughts to the OP's question

    I found that to be a pretty passive aggressive "backhanded" shot.
    Oh...I see...I guess it is hard to decipher sarcasm on here (not knocking anyone). Well.....at least I apologized:)
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
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    I do not label foods as good or bad, if it fits into my day, I eat it.

    This.
  • Kilokato
    Kilokato Posts: 33
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    It's only crazy in the U.S. and certain other countries. One of my favorite yakitori treats is the cartilage with small bits of meat attached. Not to get on my soap box, but we are a bit too precious here about what parts of animals we are willing to eat.

    Completely agreed. I'm a big fan of Anthony Bourdain, and I love to watch him just tear into whatever local street food is lying around. Heads, guts, balls, whatever. If they eat it, he'll eat it. People used to eat any scrap of tendon, cartilage, bone, whatever they could get their hands on in order to get a bit of food in their stomachs - now it's like BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN OR GTFO.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    I spoke with a physical trainer a year ago, and he asked me how often I would eat fast food. I told him then, 3-4 times a week. His mouth dropped and he was speechless, angry with me.
    I was so ashamed, and embarrassed. He said he hasnt eaten fast food in over 7 years.
    Since then I cant say I haven't slipped up, but I make a conscious effort to make better choices!
    There is a Mcdonald's right next to a Wawa convenience store on my street, when Im craving something quick
    and easy, I go to Wawa for a small hoagie on wheat bread, and a big water bottle... instead of McDonalds for a meal with
    mystery meat, oil soaked french fries and sugar packed soda. Your body will thank you for it.
    Small changes my friend!

    Or you can enjoy in moderation.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    Oh...I see...I guess it is hard to decipher sarcasm on here (not knocking anyone). Well.....at least I apologized:)

    Ya, you should probably use sarcasm font next time.
  • cad39too
    cad39too Posts: 874 Member
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    Not very...I eat it when I'm in the mood for it.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
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    you mean chemically lab made flavored flash frozen potato that is then fried in a mimic faux french process? hence its name "french fry"

    Exactly, and they are delicous :)
    The only thing I miss since going vegetarian is McDonald's fries. They fry them in beef fat. :-(

    Not in England...
  • AprilMae1975
    AprilMae1975 Posts: 726
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    I think most fast food is gross. I have my favorite fast food stuff I love though....like bean burritos from Taco Bell, salads from Chipotle, Subway egg breakfast sandwich on flat bread and of course veggie pizza. I guess I just eat what I like from fast food places. I am thankful I can cook and don't have to depend on fast food, it's more like a once in a while thing.
  • Kilokato
    Kilokato Posts: 33
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    Strong reading comprehension, so is everything that is found in animal studies applicable to humans?

    "The latest study, published March 28 in "Nature Neuroscience," likened the affects of high-fat, high-calorie fast food to those of cocaine or heroin, in animals at least. "

    I just pulled the first article I could find off of google to try and illustrate my point. I don't have the resources to sit down next to you and pull out the scientific journals and point to exactly where every study was done and how it applies to humans, I'm just trying to explain (in general terms) how the fast food industry is manipulating regular consumers.

    It's not my job to convince you, I'm just having a discussion. If you're interested, I implore you to research it for yourself. I wouldn't expect anybody to take my word for it. There have been (and are currently) thousands of very reputable in-depth studies on this very subject, and an astounding majority of those studies have reached the same conclusion.

    Another note: When it comes to most niches of biochemistry and neuroscience the effects of certain courses of action upon animals are strikingly similar to the effects on humans. There's a reason that researchers use animals. A nervous system is a nervous system - ours is more complex than that of a rat's, certainly, but we're still just mammals with moving parts. We both require oxygen, energy, water and sunlight. While an experiment cannot definitively prove that because something happened to a rat it would happen to a human, it certainly aims us in the right direction when seeking conclusions.

    edit: p.s. humans are animals.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    you mean chemically lab made flavored flash frozen potato that is then fried in a mimic faux french process? hence its name "french fry"

    Exactly, and they are delicous :)
    The only thing I miss since going vegetarian is McDonald's fries. They fry them in beef fat. :-(

    Not in England...

    Or the US. The seasoning has a beef component I think. They're fried in a vegetable oil.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Strong reading comprehension, so is everything that is found in animal studies applicable to humans?

    "The latest study, published March 28 in "Nature Neuroscience," likened the affects of high-fat, high-calorie fast food to those of cocaine or heroin, in animals at least. "

    I just pulled the first article I could find off of google to try and illustrate my point. I don't have the resources to sit down next to you and pull out the scientific journals and point to exactly where every study was done and how it applies to humans, I'm just trying to explain (in general terms) how the fast food industry is manipulating regular consumers.

    It's not my job to convince you, I'm just having a discussion. If you're interested, I implore you to research it for yourself. I wouldn't expect anybody to take my word for it. There have been (and are currently) thousands of very reputable in-depth studies on this very subject, and an astounding majority of those studies have reached the same conclusion.

    Another note: When it comes to most niches of biochemistry and neuroscience the effects of certain courses of action upon animals are strikingly similar to the effects on humans. There's a reason that researchers use animals. A nervous system is a nervous system - ours is more complex than that of a rat's, certainly, but we're still just mammals with moving parts. We both require oxygen, energy, water and sunlight. While an experiment cannot definitively prove that because something happened to a rat it would happen to a human, it certainly aims us in the right direction when seeking conclusions.

    edit: p.s. humans are animals.

    The burden of proof is on the claim maker. Also as for study design, did that study use rodents and the 12 off/ 12 on eating regiment?
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    you mean chemically lab made flavored flash frozen potato that is then fried in a mimic faux french process? hence its name "french fry"

    Exactly, and they are delicous :)
    The only thing I miss since going vegetarian is McDonald's fries. They fry them in beef fat. :-(

    Not in England...

    Or the US. The seasoning has a beef component I think. They're fried in a vegetable oil.

    McDonald's fries are very lightly misted with a solution that contains beef stock or renderings before being flash frozen. It's not much of it, just enough to make them the best fast food fries ever.

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