Our culture is set up for obesity.
NYCNika
Posts: 611 Member
I am all for personal responsibility when it comes to weight loss. But, one has to acknowledge how crazily our culture is set up in making it an upstream swim much of the time.
When looking through menu's of restaurants (those that have them, and thank you NYC at least for that) I can't help but notice how out of whack portion sizes are.
Most dishes contain close to your daily allowance of calories. An appetizer can contain a whole day's calories. If, like a good customer, you are to get an appetizer, entree and a desert (and a drink), you can easily eat 3 days worth of calories in one meal.
I am not saying that is is not my responsibility to look at that info (when they have it!) and plan my meals accordingly.
But this pattern is so prevalent everywhere! It re-trains you how to view "normal".
But it is not something universal and unavoidable in any society. On my trips to Japan, I used to attribute small portion sizes you get in restaurants to the cost of food being much higher. Only now, after I've trained myself to recognize what a normal portion is supposed to be, it dawned on me -- Japanese portion sizes are not small! They are exactly what they are supposed to be. They are normal. I could eat out 3 times a day there and simply maintain my weight.
I don't know how we got sold the myth of "value" here. Where there is "value" in less fresh, less nutritious, more processed food, as long as there is MORE of it.
There is no value in getting 4,000 calories for your dinner when you only need 700. Every calorie after that does not do anything good for you.
On my recent trip to New Orleans, when I asked for people's recommendations for restaurants, I would get same comment from more than one person -- people rave about restaurants, because the portions are "MASSIVE". I felt that it would be a waste of time to explain to them that "massive" is not necessarily what I am looking for in a meal.
When looking through menu's of restaurants (those that have them, and thank you NYC at least for that) I can't help but notice how out of whack portion sizes are.
Most dishes contain close to your daily allowance of calories. An appetizer can contain a whole day's calories. If, like a good customer, you are to get an appetizer, entree and a desert (and a drink), you can easily eat 3 days worth of calories in one meal.
I am not saying that is is not my responsibility to look at that info (when they have it!) and plan my meals accordingly.
But this pattern is so prevalent everywhere! It re-trains you how to view "normal".
But it is not something universal and unavoidable in any society. On my trips to Japan, I used to attribute small portion sizes you get in restaurants to the cost of food being much higher. Only now, after I've trained myself to recognize what a normal portion is supposed to be, it dawned on me -- Japanese portion sizes are not small! They are exactly what they are supposed to be. They are normal. I could eat out 3 times a day there and simply maintain my weight.
I don't know how we got sold the myth of "value" here. Where there is "value" in less fresh, less nutritious, more processed food, as long as there is MORE of it.
There is no value in getting 4,000 calories for your dinner when you only need 700. Every calorie after that does not do anything good for you.
On my recent trip to New Orleans, when I asked for people's recommendations for restaurants, I would get same comment from more than one person -- people rave about restaurants, because the portions are "MASSIVE". I felt that it would be a waste of time to explain to them that "massive" is not necessarily what I am looking for in a meal.
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I agree. Eating meals has become all about convenience and taste. People do not want to take the time to cook, let alone, watch the calories they are shoving in their bodies.0
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Indeed. Its all to do with profit0
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Just this weekend i was told how "rude" I was that I didn't eat with everyone else. I had already eaten and was joining them JUST to see them... I felt bad and started to eat some of the pizza, about 1/2 down with a slice, I ACTUALLY had to go throw up... my stomach hurt so bad from the high fat, high calories, and the fact that people make you feel bad for actually watching your weight... it is amazing. I told my boyfriend, next time I just wont' join him and his friends because they are all HUGE and although I am thinner, I want to stay that way.0
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On my recent trip to New Orleans, when I asked for people's recommendations for restaurants, I would get same comment from more than one person -- people rave about restaurants, because the portions are "MASSIVE". I felt that it would be a waste of time to explain to them that "massive" is not necessarily what I am looking for in a meal.
You don't have to eat all of it.0 -
I agree. Whenever I go out to a restaurant I usually bring leftovers home, and can get one and sometimes two meals out of them.0
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You know you can control what you eat at home...right?0
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On my recent trip to New Orleans, when I asked for people's recommendations for restaurants, I would get same comment from more than one person -- people rave about restaurants, because the portions are "MASSIVE". I felt that it would be a waste of time to explain to them that "massive" is not necessarily what I am looking for in a meal.
Massive is AWESOME... it means not only do I get dinner that night, but I get lunch the next day too!
Just because it comes to you as a single meal doesn't mean you have to eat it all, or all in 1 meal.0 -
You know, even before I ever started tracking calories, I knew restaurant meals were ridiculously high in calories. If I knew ahead of time I was going out to eat, I would eat VERY light all day. And if it got sprung on me, I'd make up for it the next day. It seemed to work out.
I think that's part of the problem, but also a lot of people seem to not have an internal switch that tells them they're full and they just eat and eat. And not just in restaurants.0 -
Eating meals has become all about convenience and taste.
Is that not how it's always been?0 -
OP is correct. The meal sizes at most US restaurants are good for athletes, but ridiculously oversized for most of the population.0
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Prepared food is also quite affordable. I remember when I was a kid, dining out was a luxury. Fast food was available, but the portion sizes were much, much smaller. In high school I worked at McDonald's. A happy meal drink was 8oz. and the kids could choose milk, orange or apple juice instead of soda. They offered small beverages, those were 12 ounces (it was .50-60 cents). If you were to hand an American consumer a 12 ounce soft drink (with ice) he or she would freak out at the tiny size today.
On the other hand, most families had a stay-at-home mom. We could live off of one income with blue collar service work as the wages hadn't become depressed yet. I knew men who had retail jobs at clothing stores or as grocery checkers making $15-17 an hour with bennies back in the 1980's.
Today, blue collar workers have to have two incomes to see any kind of reasonable lifestyle. Even construction workers, who once made some of the best union wages, are only earning $10-12 and hour in the private sector, and that is a skilled job that requires heavy labor.
We are exhausted and broke. So we'll call for Chinese or pizza delivery. Then we get fat.
Portion size is only one piece of the puzzle. I agree with the OP that our whole society is set up for obesity.0 -
It's not just about diet/portions either. We've built this nation around cars, and now we don't have to walk ANYWHERE. Exercise is not an inherent part of our life, but an optional addition to it. This is a huge issue in urban planning and public health.0
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Just this weekend i was told how "rude" I was that I didn't eat with everyone else. I had already eaten and was joining them JUST to see them... I felt bad and started to eat some of the pizza, about 1/2 down with a slice, I ACTUALLY had to go throw up... my stomach hurt so bad from the high fat, high calories, and the fact that people make you feel bad for actually watching your weight... it is amazing. I told my boyfriend, next time I just wont' join him and his friends because they are all HUGE and although I am thinner, I want to stay that way.
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I hope you never let peer pressure take control of you again. Lead your own self, don't follow.0 -
I completely agree! I don't think it helps either when your parents tell you 'eat all that's on your plate- don't be rude!'0
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I have to say I agree with the OP, however, I am good with meals being large because I can take the leftovers home.
However, I will say that in the past I had been known to eat the whole thing in front of me because it was so good. I know plenty of people that did the same thing. We all paid for it after because we were stuffed. I do think and wonder if with the meals getting larger and larger if people are starting to think that's the normal size...
As far as food in Japan, it probably was the right amount of food, and it may have been more expensive just because it's all fresh. This was somewhat of the case in Ireland, though you would get a slightly larger meal, not to the extent you do in the states, but all the food was fresh. That usually does cost more than processed, canned food.
My complaint with why America may be getting larger is the growth hormones pumped into animals. Where do people think these growth hormones go? They don't stop just because the animal is dead and now being eaten. I tell my friends who eat meat that if they want meat they should try to get it at their local farmers market. I also think that milk is not great either because milk is for making babies get bigger. That's what it's supposed to do. We are the only species that drinks another species milk, and by the time that milk gets to us, there's so many antibiotics and other things in it, that any benefit that might have come from it is gone. I'm not anti-meat, anti-milk, I just think people should really get educated and find out what's in it and if it's helping them.
Sorry for the detour there...
Yes, meals are larger, but people can take home leftovers. But it's all in personal choice, personal decisions.0 -
You know you can control what you eat at home...right?
I think everyone does... Oh yea sarcasm.
She makes a valid point... Oh dear.0 -
our society is definitely expecting large portions nowadays and in turn is allowing our bodies to adapt to cleaning up the plate and now many teach their children this concept. that is why childhood overweight issues are at an all time high. but one by one we all can be a great example - with your next meal.0
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Eating meals has become all about convenience and taste.
Is that not how it's always been?
Not really. Long long ago when I was growing up it was about family eating and having vegetables that had to be eaten. The convenience and taste part came with the very small portions at fast food places, where you'd have to buy 3 to equal the size of one today.0 -
I was eating out with my 10 year old daughter. Her and shared a meal at Chili's because we know the portions are huge. I looked around at all the busy tables and was stunned to see every person at every table had two plates each in front of them. Portion size is way out of control.0
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I completely agree! I don't think it helps either when your parents tell you 'eat all that's on your plate- don't be rude!'
Sounds like an excuse to me... I'd rather be rude and healthy than polite and not be able to fit through doorways.0 -
Massive is AWESOME... it means not only do I get dinner that night, but I get lunch the next day too!
Just because it comes to you as a single meal doesn't mean you have to eat it all, or all in 1 meal.
I can't do massive, either. I don't stop eating until the plate is clean. I can go for days, if there is a never ending supply of food, and I know a lot of people like this. I've purposely paid extra to not get served a full portion. I called it my health taxes.0 -
I love these facts!
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I completely agree! I don't think it helps either when your parents tell you 'eat all that's on your plate- don't be rude!'
Yes!!! My dad used to make us eat everything, even if we didn't like it or were full. "There's starving kids somewhere!" My brother started the "clean plate club" with my niece, but has since backed off of that realizing that he often gives portions that are too large and she's only 4. I'm an adult and he gave me portions too large. So they have backed off of that and for that I'm proud of him!0 -
On my recent trip to New Orleans, when I asked for people's recommendations for restaurants, I would get same comment from more than one person -- people rave about restaurants, because the portions are "MASSIVE". I felt that it would be a waste of time to explain to them that "massive" is not necessarily what I am looking for in a meal.
You don't have to eat all of it.
True Point, you dont have to eat it all....
But ... "Massive" often negates FLAVOR (flavor I believe is different than taste - which can by manufactured and faked - you cannot favke flavor and the right play on ingeredients) , QUALITY, attention to cooking etc.
I would much rather eat one smaller, quality flavorful meal where there has been effort put into making it with the best ingredients possible.
Than eat portions of a crappy giant meal two or three times over.....
Just sayin'0 -
Massive is AWESOME... it means not only do I get dinner that night, but I get lunch the next day too!
Just because it comes to you as a single meal doesn't mean you have to eat it all, or all in 1 meal.
I can't do massive, either. I don't stop eating until the plate is clean. I can go for days, if there is a never ending supply of food, and I know a lot of people like this. I've purposely paid extra to not get served a full portion. I called it my health taxes.
I'm totally that way. I've literally eaten until I was sick before. But that's on me, not on the restaurant.0 -
On my recent trip to New Orleans, when I asked for people's recommendations for restaurants, I would get same comment from more than one person -- people rave about restaurants, because the portions are "MASSIVE". I felt that it would be a waste of time to explain to them that "massive" is not necessarily what I am looking for in a meal.
Massive is AWESOME... it means not only do I get dinner that night, but I get lunch the next day too!
Just because it comes to you as a single meal doesn't mean you have to eat it all, or all in 1 meal.
Yep this!! ^^^0 -
When it's been pounded into you from the time you were born, it isn't so easy to take that attitude.I completely agree! I don't think it helps either when your parents tell you 'eat all that's on your plate- don't be rude!'
Sounds like an excuse to me... I'd rather be rude and healthy than polite and not be able to fit through doorways.
Thankfully, my parents didn't do that to me. But my grandmother did it to my mother and she has been overweight her entire life and is a binge and emotional eater.0
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