Our culture is set up for obesity.
Replies
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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.
I think it is very important to understand that in our consumer culture consumption is not based on need but rather on satisfying desires (seeking pleasure).
I would wager that most of the time when people today eat it is not out of true hunger but out of pleasure-seeking.
And people have always wanted to get the most bang for their buck.
When you go out to eat, you aren't paying to sate hunger, you are paying for a pleasurable meal, and many, many people are seeking to maximize the pleasure.
Sure, you don't have to eat all the food given in a portion, but this makes the assumption that 1) you are aware of the calories you are consuming and that 2) you have the willpower to stop the pleasure that is sitting right in front of you only half-consumed. Then on top of this you have the guilt of wasting food or the knowledge that heated-up left-overs are never as good as when it was fresh.
Yes, our culture is very much about maximizing the pleasure of the food for the dollar spent on it.
A big, big, big part of learning to eat healthy and maintain a calorie deficit is learning how to say NO to the siren call of the pleasure of food.
People selling food know this.0 -
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.
So you were weak and you are blaming your boyfriends friends. That's nice. next time just say no thank you I am not hungry and move on. Just because they said it is rude is not necessary to eat with them, you had already eaten, chances are you had to throw up because you were full and were becoming over full.
not rocket science.0 -
the knowledge that heated-up left-overs are never as good as when it was fresh.
Depends. A lot of it is even better the second time.
But you make a lot of good points.
For me, though, once I'm to the point of full (not overly so), the food doesn't taste as good anymore, so the pleasure isn't as accute. My great-grandmother's cousin was a HUGE food-pusher. I remember being about 5 years old at her house and she'd forced so much on me that I didn't even want a cookie she offered. It didn't taste good anymore. I've always been that way. Not everyone is, though.
At my highest weight, I was a size 12 and it was moe to do with small meals packed with calories than just eating large amounts of food. It was pretty easy for me to cut back because of that. People with binge eating disorder or who are emotional eaters (and this seems to be becoming more and more common) don't seem to be able to do that as easily.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.
It used to make sense. There were lean times last century. Now, "eat all the food on your plate" as a general rule is a recipe for disaster, since we have a massive caloric surplus available.0 -
If you vacuum for over an hour. Its time to hire a maid.0
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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.
I do this too. It's a personal responsibility to control what we eat, we don't have to pig out just because it's on our plate. It took me a long time to realize that I DON'T have to finish what's on my plate. And I made darn sure my kids grew up with that mindset. ONLY EAT UNTIL YOU ARE SATISFIED.0 -
Right. But parents still push it. Sometimes it's because they were raised that way and sometimes it's done as abuse. But it happens.
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.
It used to make sense. There were lean times last century. Now, "eat all the food on your plate" as a general rule is a recipe for disaster, since we have a massive caloric surplus available.0 -
You know you can control what you eat at home...right?
This.
I always share my meal with my toddler if she is there and if she isn't I ask for a box with my food and box half of it up immediately.
You have to be your own advocate because at the end of the day you are responsible for yourself.0 -
Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?0 -
You can say no!! We went to Red Lobster for dinner on Saturday night, the plate I got was the Wood-fire grilled shrimp, lobster and scallops, which also came with rice pilaf and 1 other side and a salad, I did not get the side nor the salad and did not dip the seafood in butter. So the meal was 500 calories and I had 2 biscuits 150 calories each, total 800 calories!!!
Just to add for lunch we went to a sandwich cafe, had a multi-grain roasted turkey sandwich (half size), with lettuce, tomato and brown mustard, homemade potato chips and small bowl of fruit. Total 597 calories!!
For breakfast I had a WaWa gas station, old fashion donut, approx. 250 calories!!
Total for the day: 1647 calories0 -
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.
I get that. But at some point you become an adult, you're able to think for yourself, and you're responsible for your own actions.0 -
You know you can control what you eat at home...right?
This.
I always share my meal with my toddler if she is there and if she isn't I ask for a box with my food and box half of it up immediately.
You have to be your own advocate because at the end of the day you are responsible for yourself.
I think she is just commenting on the history of society in terms of the increase in portion sizes of the last 60 years and the increase in our waistline.
I don't think she is using it as an excuse to eat what ever she wants. or blaming anyone else.
She makes valid points.0 -
Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?
Hmm - no she has a valid point lol0 -
Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?
Well, perhaps you could order two reasonably sized meals if you want to eat twice as much? Take some personal responsibility for your diet.0 -
The over-sized portions are not as big a problem in our society as the ever increasing sedentary lifestyle. So much money spent on 'luxuries' that allow us to move less.0
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Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?
Agreed.0 -
I think we should make it the fashion to bring our own tupperware, cut our meal in 1/2 or into thirds and store a bunch away before starting to eat. It will eliminate toxic foam to go boxes from the landfills and make a statement. We should make this a "thing"0
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This is true. But some things are more easily said than done.
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.
I get that. But at some point you become an adult, you're able to think for yourself, and you're responsible for your own actions.
My mother used to eat entire loaves of bread when no one was around to see her do it. She ate in secret all the time. There is something very not normal about that and very out of control. Put it in terms of getting out of a long-term relationship. You may know it's over. You may even accept it. That person may have been TERIBLE for you, but you know that at any point if he or she wanted you back, you'd go.
Or people who jump from one terrible relationship to another, even though they know better, but they miss all the signs because they have blinders on for whatever reason. I don't think any of this is something someone can truly understand who hasn't personally gone through it. And even someone who has and has overcome it must understand how difficult that it.
When food and emotions and psychology are so intertwined, there's more than, "You're an adult and can control yourself," going on.0 -
I really like this chart, very interesting. Also, even though the portion sizes are bigger, it shows you what kind of exercise you can do to make up for it. Most of them aren't even intensive activities, either. I have heard a lot of elderly people surprised at portion sizes nowadays, but then again, you can easily control your own portions. I mostly think that restaurants serve such huge portions to 1. justify a higher food cost, as it feels like a better value if you're paying $12 for a "MASSIVE" meal as you said and 2. because, again, it feels like a better value if you can take half home with you for lunch the next day.
The problem isn't that restaurants/food places put the food on the plate - it's the fact that people eat it all, without a whole lot of care. Case in point - I believe it's been shown that people are not deterred by calorie counts on menus. They still order 2000 calorie meals without batting an eye. People eat that much because they WANT to, not because society makes them think it's ok.0 -
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.
If you really think about this for a minute. After you change your eating habits and consume more veggies/fruits/lean proteins and eat less/sugar/refined carbs/salty/processed foods; you notice that the food never really tasted that good in the first place.
It's the additives that are in the foods that make you crave it more than it actually tastes good...0 -
Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?
Well, perhaps you could order two reasonably sized meals if you want to eat twice as much? Take some personal responsibility for your diet.
If a typical dinner portion only contained half of what I needed, that's exactly what I would do. In fact, I regularly order two chicken breasts or a steak and a chicken breast. This is how adults solve problems. They don't whine about how the rules of society should be changed.0 -
Must we always blame someone or something for our own lack of control? I LIKE the large portions and the ability to take some home for lunch the next day.0
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If a typical dinner portion only contained half of what I needed, that's exactly what I would do. In fact, if I regularly order two chicken breasts or a steak and a chicken breast. This is how adults solve problems. They don't whine about how the rules of society should be changed.
Totally. Adults don't think about society. Adults are all like, hey man f'k everyone else.0 -
This is true. But some things are more easily said than done.
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.
I get that. But at some point you become an adult, you're able to think for yourself, and you're responsible for your own actions.
My mother used to eat entire loaves of bread when no one was around to see her do it. She ate in secret all the time. There is something very not normal about that and very out of control. Put it in terms of getting out of a long-term relationship. You may know it's over. You may even accept it. That person may have been TERIBLE for you, but you know that at any point if he or she wanted you back, you'd go.
Or people who jump from one terrible relationship to another, even though they know better, but they miss all the signs because they have blinders on for whatever reason. I don't think any of this is something someone can truly understand who hasn't personally gone through it. And even someone who has and has overcome it must understand how difficult that it.
When food and emotions and psychology are so intertwined, there's more than, "You're an adult and can control yourself," going on.
No there isn't. Food and emotion are incredibly intertwined for me. I have and incredibly unhealthy relationship with food. I eat for the wrong reasons almost every day. You know those nice little break-apart cookies that Pillsbury is so nice to sell? I eat those on the way home from the grocery store. Yes, the whole package. I've done the same with Little Debby Nutty bars, bags of jelly beans, etc. And that's before I go through a pint of ben and jerry's in a sitting while waiting for the loaf of lemon poppy bread in the oven to finish baking.
I don't blame my parents. I don't blame Pillsbury. I blame me. Is it harder for me to eat properly because of how I tie food to mood? Absolutely. But it's still on me. Everyone has challenges to overcome, this is mine (or at least one of mine).0 -
If a typical dinner portion only contained half of what I needed, that's exactly what I would do. In fact, if I regularly order two chicken breasts or a steak and a chicken breast. This is how adults solve problems. They don't whine about how the rules of society should be changed.
Totally. Adults don't think about society. Adults are all like, hey man f'k everyone else.
Really? You're equating the belief that people should take responsibility for their own dietary choices with a complete disregard for society as a whole? That's not a gargantuan leap at all, in case you were wondering.0 -
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.
So you're a bad customer if you just get an entree? I'm the customer. I decide what I eat and how much I want to order. That said, pick restaurants you know have healthy options. At chains why not order an entree off the lower calorie portion of the menu? Why not make a choice that's obviously healthier in the first place or modify your order to fit your needs? If something comes smothered in cheese ask for no cheese. Sub mixed veggies instead of fries or a 900lb baked potato with a gallon of butter on it. Don't order items that are deep fried. Look for grilled items. Yes, most things that can be fried can be grilled. Shocking! Avoid things drowning in sauce. Hmm, wonder what makes that cream sauce so creamy and that sweet sauce so sweet? Split your entree in half if it's too big. Take the rest home. Order smaller versions of items that come in different sizes (steaks come to mind in particular). Skip dessert or split it with someone. Skip the pre-meal bread/appetizer or split it with someone. All these things are insanely easy. The fact is people want an excuse. "It was there. I had to eat it." Total BS.0 -
Who are you to decide how many calories I need for dinner? I regularly eat 1600 calories at dinner.
If I go to a restaurant and pay $20+ for an entree, there had better be plenty of food on that plate. If you don't want all of it, you CAN take some of it home with you. If you can't control your impulses at restaurants, don't eat out. But lay off on suggesting that our "culture" should be set up with the lowest common denominator in mind. How about just try harder?
Well, perhaps you could order two reasonably sized meals if you want to eat twice as much? Take some personal responsibility for your diet.
If a typical dinner portion only contained half of what I needed, that's exactly what I would do. In fact, I regularly order two chicken breasts or a steak and a chicken breast. This is how adults solve problems. They don't whine about how the rules of society should be changed.
I don't care how much it costs, or how many calories are in it. I generally plan ahead. Portion is too big? I get a to-go box. Portion too small? I order additional food. (Though, to be honest, too small is never a dilemma.)0 -
Normally I would argue with this, but since restaurants have started hiring people to stand over us and hit us with sticks if we don't eat every bite of what we're served, thereby physically preventing us from exercising self control, I can only agree. It's society's fault.
[Bloody hell I love building a good straw man!]0 -
You can say no!! We went to Red Lobster for dinner on Saturday night, the plate I got was the Wood-fire grilled shrimp, lobster and scallops, which also came with rice pilaf and 1 other side and a salad, I did not get the side nor the salad and did not dip the seafood in butter. So the meal was 500 calories and I had 2 biscuits 150 calories each, total 800 calories!!!
Just to add for lunch we went to a sandwich cafe, had a multi-grain roasted turkey sandwich (half size), with lettuce, tomato and brown mustard, homemade potato chips and small bowl of fruit. Total 597 calories!!
For breakfast I had a WaWa gas station, old fashion donut, approx. 250 calories!!
Total for the day: 1647 calories
Not many veggie servings in that day, though.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.
Exactly, one meal out could feed that night and possibly the next two. I'm all about bringing home the leftovers.0
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