NEWSFLASH: McDonald’s existed back when I was a kid
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(I know some may be offended by this post since it is a very sensitive subject, but no offense or disrespect was intended)
There is an article in the Lexington Herald Leader about a local mom who, in my opinion, is hammering the McDonald’s corporation. She is comparing Ronald McDonald to Joe Camel (Camel Cigarettes) and again, in my opinion, making McDonald’s the scapegoat for overweight kids. Has anyone ever considered that maybe the reason we have so many overweight children is because we have so many overweight parents? McDonald’s existed when I was a kid. McDonald’s advertisement was very active when I was a kid. In the spur of the moment I can still rattle off the Big Mac song: “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame bun.” No, I did not Google the song and haven’t heard the commercial in 30 or 40 some years. A Big Mac has 550 calories (I did Google that.) And Newsflash: In grade school we had one or two kids that would be considered obese and I personally knew of maybe a couple of parents that were quite overweight. In Jr. High (now Middle School) and High School the numbers went up, but nothing compared to the obesity problem we see in America today.
Adults and children are not overweight because of a silly looking clown and super sizing meals. They are overweight because they consume too many calories and are too inactive in their lives. What I really think is going on here is the Blame Game, people not taking personal responsibility for themselves. Last year it was the Wall Street Movement who blamed big corporations for their plight in life and thus decided to go on a rampage to destroy private property. It’s the Democrat Party’s fault our country is in such turmoil, says the Republicans, or is it the other way around? Last night I overdid it on Domino’s Pizza and will have to either eat less today or exercise a little more to make up for it. Whose fault was it that I ate too much last night: Domino’s Pizza or the fact that they have delivery service? Or should I blame my wife since she ordered the pizza on a whim? I’m not stupid, no way am I going to blame her.
Maybe it’s time we started up an AA group, you know, and call it Adult’s Anonymous. And I’ll begin. “Hi, I’m Ernie and I’m an adult responsible for my own behavior and actions.”
THE BLAME GAME:
I can’t help losing my temper, nor control my appetite.
I get so mad at mom and dad and blame them for my plight.
I may not be successful, I’m a failure, yes, it’s true.
But if society has taught me anything, it’s all because of you.
If only my spouse would listen, if only my spouse would change,
If only the world would accommodate me, is that so terribly strange?
If only this, if only that, if only you could see,
I’m not selfish or self-centered, I just want you to please me.
So I went to see my psychiatrist, to see what she would say,
To find the reason why so many folks just don’t see things my way.
The secret, she said, is simple, why you’re always under assault.
It has nothing to do with you, it’s true, it’s always someone else’s fault.
So now my friend, before I end, before I cease to complain,
Before you start pointing the finger and think that I am vain.
The answer is so obvious, and I think it’s time you knew,
I now know why I’m so miserable, it’s all because of you
The naive believes everything, But the sensible person considers his/her steps.
Love this! Well said
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The problem with saying that McDonald's existed when 'you were a kid' sort of thing, is that they have changed the ingredients and formulas for their foods to make them addictive. The perfect combo of salt, fat, and sugar to make your body crave more. I have a fast food addiction. I would eat it two to three times a day if I could. It has nothing to do with my mother, or father, as they cooked meals for the most part. The problem is that once I got hooked, it's like quitting cigarettes. I -crave- their crappy burgers and fries. I long for a coca-cola from McDonald's. I hate cooking, ever. It's so convenient for me to just pull up, order, get it, and eat while I'm driving.
I do think their entire practices should be called to the table. That we should put the fire to their feet to help with the problem, not keep contributing to it. They could make small changes that don't alter their profits all that much, and it would make a big difference in how people eat. One example would be to not sell 32 oz or larger sizes of coke. Remove the large option of fries. Add less salt and sugar to their food.
I think poor people use fast food as their grocery store. They don't make enough to buy the healthy stuff because the healthy stuff costs way more than the bad stuff. So it's cheaper and easier for two working parents to pick up something each night than to cook. Our country has its priorities in money and power, not health and longevity. Until that changes, we are doomed.
No no no.... just no... stop. :noway: :noway: :noway: :huh:
This...every no is absolutely correct.
Can I just ask when did people decide to STOP making their own decisions and choices in this country??? Seriously. Yes, fast food restaurants and every other restaurant is giving huge portions, yes, super size this, that and the other. But here's the thing...PEOPLE HAVE FREE WILL. OMG. Mind blowing I know that people could actually make their own decisions. They could decide to NOT supersize their meals/drinks. Just like today I could have decided to get a small caramel macchiato, but I wanted a large so I CHOSE to get a large. It's a choice. I don't want ANY restaurant making decisions that I am perfectly capable of making for myself.0 -
Yea I remember the McDonalds that was around when I was growing up, I remember my father reading us a News Paper article that claimed they used kangaroo meat in the burgers.0
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Great post OP. I agree completely. Also agree with the poster that said kids are getting too lazy. I know it is a struggle to get my kids outside on most days and my 13 year old gets annoyed when I make her walk home from school.0
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The problem with saying that McDonald's existed when 'you were a kid' sort of thing, is that they have changed the ingredients and formulas for their foods to make them addictive. The perfect combo of salt, fat, and sugar to make your body crave more. I have a fast food addiction. I would eat it two to three times a day if I could. It has nothing to do with my mother, or father, as they cooked meals for the most part. The problem is that once I got hooked, it's like quitting cigarettes. I -crave- their crappy burgers and fries. I long for a coca-cola from McDonald's. I hate cooking, ever. It's so convenient for me to just pull up, order, get it, and eat while I'm driving.
I do think their entire practices should be called to the table. That we should put the fire to their feet to help with the problem, not keep contributing to it. They could make small changes that don't alter their profits all that much, and it would make a big difference in how people eat. One example would be to not sell 32 oz or larger sizes of coke. Remove the large option of fries. Add less salt and sugar to their food.
I think poor people use fast food as their grocery store. They don't make enough to buy the healthy stuff because the healthy stuff costs way more than the bad stuff. So it's cheaper and easier for two working parents to pick up something each night than to cook. Our country has its priorities in money and power, not health and longevity. Until that changes, we are doomed.
People are responsible for how they eat ... not eateries. It is not the business's fault that people are simply too lazy to cook and lack the self control to eat sensible portion sizes. The diatribe about healthy food costing too much for the poor is a crock of lies .... really, your entire post is nothing more than blaming others for poor decisions and misinformation. YOU are the problem.0 -
Could you enlighten me as to why you feel that McDonalds/Corporations bear more responsibility to me than I do for myself? Be specific.
... Well, for the first part of my specific answer, I'll have to ask you to review your reading comprehension skills. Specifically, how did you get the impression from what I said that I thought McDonalds should bear more responsibility for you than you yourself do?
What I said is that when restaurants serve food, however cheap it is, they bear some responsibility to their customers not to serve them crap. Yes, people can do nutritional research and learn to stay away from their cooked food and stick to salads. But you know what? Some kids don't know. And adults who are too busy to think their food is terrible for them, they may not know.
Not everybody has studied nutrition. People don't expect their food to be processed, calorie-laden crap, they just want lunch. McDonalds take advantage of people not knowing.
Nope. They don't have any more responsibility than anyone else. They make a product that is intrinsically bad for you, and everyone knows it. If the customer wants to buy crap...their responsibility is to sell them crap. Because they are in the crap business, and lots of people like to buy crap. Savez?
Same goes for ice cream manufactures. Candy manufacturers. Whoever it is that makes oreo cookies. And on and on and on....0 -
I agree with OP. It's not McDonad's fault we have formed less desirable habits. McDonald's was around when I was a kid, and we ate there maybe once or twice a year. McDonald's is still around, and I eat there maybe once or twice a year.
I did not get to where I am eating McDonald's or fast food, I did by eating too much rice, bread and candies. Using that logic, do I get to blame the local grocery store and bread bakery for my plight instead of using that thing on my shoulders and reducing the amount of rice, bread and candies I eat?0 -
They do have some duty towards their customers not to feed them crap.
McDonald's has no more duty to "not feed them crap" than a bakery has a duty not to sell cupcakes, or a grocery store has to not sell candy bars. And McDonald's food doesn't make people fat -- overeating makes people fat. Someone can enjoy an occasional Big Mac and fries (if they like that stuff) and still be fit. I take my kids to McDonald's every once in a while for ice cream, and you know what I order? Nothing. And nobody in the restaurant tries to "feed me" anything. Health and fitness are about personal choices and personal responsibility.
Good for you!
I'm not saying people don't have a personal responsibility. I'm saying that if people go there, and take their children there, the food should be less processed and less calorie-laden. Have you actually researched into what is in their food?
WTF are you talking about? There are less calorific options on the menu IF PEOPLE CHOOSE, and the food isn't any more "processed" than any other food. :huh: :noway:
... Do some research. People have made whole documentaries!
Oh noes whole documentaries???
LOL - Yea, once you start throwing in "whole documentaries" in as an argument, you pretty much lose all credibility. I guess if you get your research from youtube, I can see how one can overlook the fact that there is nothing wrong with McDonalds' food in moderation, just like any other food.0 -
OP, you are only seeing half of the problem. The other half is that low SES people live in low SES areas, where healthy food is difficult to access because the only sources of food in the area are fast food restaurants and corner stores, and even if the low SES people have a car (which is not likely) and can drive to a relatively distant grocery store, they don't know how to eat healthy and especially how to eat healthy on a budget.
I was raised in a very poor family, but my mother was raised by someone who knew how to eat healthy on a budget: canned/frozen vegetables, meat on sale, pasta/bread/rice is cheap and she always made sure our meals were balanced. No soda except as a treat, no fast food except once every few weeks as a treat, etc. Most low SES families don't have this knowledge and truly believe that fast food and cheap unhealthy food from corner stores is the best they can do or don't understand how to feed their kids (and themselves) proper nutrient balanced meals. I'm not saying it's all McDonald's fault, but it's certainly not solely an individual problem either.
I don't really get this line of thinking. You're agreeing with a post suggesting McDonalds feeds their customers "crap"... if that's the case, why do so many people eat it? You're saying people don't know how to eat "healthy"... not sure that a generic term like "healthy eating" could be any vaguer, but in the context of this discussion, we're simply talking about obesity and so ultimately we're talking overconsumption. I'm pretty sure even the dumbest, poorest American knows that you'll get fat if you shovel down multiple burgers with large fries every single day, if you aren't doing enough exercise to compensate for those calories. They may not be able to engage in a discussion about TDEE, protein requirements, and the like, but I don't buy that anyone struggles to grasp the basic concept of "if I eat too much, I'll get fat(ter)." Even if they somehow didn't know this, you could figure it out by watching yourself get fatter and fatter as you eat more and more burgers, but I'm pretty sure they don't need to self experiment to figure that out. Frankly I think it's a bit condescending to suggest that the obesity epidemic is just because they're too stupid/poor to know better. They know EXACTLY what they're doing; they just choose the short term pleasure of overconsumption, despite the long term consequences of fat gain.
Do people still do it? Of course they do. Burgers are delicious. Soda is delicious. Pizza is delicious. And they're all inexpensive to boot. But blaming McDonalds for making food so tasty that people overconsume it, rather than the people making conscious decisions and paying money to overconsume the food, is faulty logic (common today as people are so quick to blame everyone but themselves for their problems). What you're saying your family had was the ability to eat in moderation. What families that overconsume McDonalds lack is the ability to eat in moderation. McDonald's isn't to blame for that; the other families are.
At the end of the day, it IS solely the individual's responsibility to take care of his own body. You can lose, maintain or gain weight by eating at McDonalds. Which one you do is up to you.0 -
I dont understand how anyone could become fat from McDonalds, that stuff tastes like ****.
The thought of eating enough of it to put on weight makes me shudder :sick:
This is kinda true. McDonalds is the worst tasting, lowest quality fast food. Never have understood why people like it so much. Carls Jr would be such a massive lifestyle improvement.
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I love this thread! We need to stop blaming the economy and marketing agencies on our personal choices. C'mon people! Are we really so weak and lemming-like as individuals in society now that we cannot have ownership over our own actions? DO we really want to give that right away?? WE are the ones to blame! To give away the right of having power over your own decisions and ownership of the repercussion of those decisions is just pathetic.
I grew up fat. Plain and simple. Both of my parents are obese and guess what they taught me... how to be obese! I grew up eating mac n cheese with hotdogs, fast food, ramen noodles with grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate milk for breakfast with sugar cereals, ice-cream for desert every night... and NO veggies or fruit! Sure they tried... my mom may have steamed some broccoli and then drowned it in cheese. Needless to say, my idea of nutrition and a healthy and the foundation for which i made all my choices in the last 30 years concerning my body was doomed from the beginning. Guess what, its not McDonald's fault, or Oscar Meyer, Kraft, Kelloggs, Hershey's, Dryers... etc. fault that my parents feed me those foods. Its THEIR fault (and yes, they now know this). I am a single mom, I commute 3 hrs a day, and am gone from 7am-7pm Mon-Friday. I am THE person who should be saying that I NEED the convenience of fast food to feed my child. But, I refuse! I am going to teach him what my parents didn't teach me. It's MY responsibility to make sure he eats healthy foods, learns positive habits and how to make the right nutrition choices, and gets outside to exercise and play. If I fail him and repeat the cycle I grew up with... it is NOBODY'S fault but my own! Start taking some personal responsibility people!!!0 -
I think maybe you don't enjoy critically looking at problems. Which is fine, but McDonalds is part of the cheap fast food that is making people obese - it's unhealthy food that is cheap. They do have some duty towards their customers not to feed them crap. Yes, McDonalds existed when you were a kid. People became more and more obese during your lifetime so far.
Your comments about the Occupy Wall Street movements are similar.
It's possible to lose weight, but there's no known cure for conservatism/libertarianism/whatever it is that stops you seeing things in context. As Stephen Colbert pointed out, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."
Okay - lets go with your logic that McDonalds supplies cheap and fast food. Okay - I ate it as a kid, teenager, in college - never overweight - why?? Because I rode my bike EVERY.WHERE. I played in the pool, at the park, hiking trails, etc. Not sitting on a Kindle, Ipad, Wii, Playstation, etc!!
However, a parent does not have to feed their children chicken mcnuggets multiple times in a week. One can easily make a healthier meal (with possible leftovers) at home for the same price or possibly cheaper!! Do not blame food chains for your (general) weight issues. Put the Big Mac down, move more and make more meals at home!
Well said OP!!!! :drinker:0 -
Could you enlighten me as to why you feel that McDonalds/Corporations bear more responsibility to me than I do for myself? Be specific.
... Well, for the first part of my specific answer, I'll have to ask you to review your reading comprehension skills. Specifically, how did you get the impression from what I said that I thought McDonalds should bear more responsibility for you than you yourself do?
What I said is that when restaurants serve food, however cheap it is, they bear some responsibility to their customers not to serve them crap. Yes, people can do nutritional research and learn to stay away from their cooked food and stick to salads. But you know what? Some kids don't know. And adults who are too busy to think their food is terrible for them, they may not know.
Not everybody has studied nutrition. People don't expect their food to be processed, calorie-laden crap, they just want lunch. McDonalds take advantage of people not knowing.
First of all, your entire post here supports the notion that you believe McDonalds should bear more responsibility than people themselves, because you believe McDonalds should change their business for people who "don't know." That's just silly.
McDonalds, at least the last time I went to one which was admittedly quite some time ago, has their nutritional information available in the store. All you have to do is ask. It may even be posted on the wall of the restaurant. You don't even need to pull out your smartphone, because it's right there. Saying people "don't know" actually means they "don't care enough to take responsibility for myself and look at the information right in front of my face."
If I recall, McDonalds also offers lower calorie options, salads, and fruit in response to consumers wanting options other than burgers and fries. Nothing is stopping people from ordering those foods, or not eating at that restaurant. It is not McDonalds's responsibility to make sure I order a balanced meal when I enter their establishment any more than it is the responsibility of the all-organic locally-sourced family-owned restaurant.0 -
I dont understand how anyone could become fat from McDonalds, that stuff tastes like ****.
The thought of eating enough of it to put on weight makes me shudder :sick:
This is kinda true. McDonalds is the worst tasting, lowest quality fast food. Never have understood why people like it so much. Carls Jr would be such a massive lifestyle improvement.
OMG a big mac tastes so damn good.0 -
You know what, I changed my mind. Let's just stop making decisions for ourselves. Let's let everyone else make those decisions for us. That sounds awesome...
Oh wait, no it doesn't. Because I like choosing for myself. I like deciding if I want a small, medium, or large whatever I want.
If you don't like McDonald's foods, or Little Debbies, or whatever, than make a decision and don't eat it. Simple. You make choices for yourself, I'll make my own choices. You make decisions for yourself, I'll make my own decisions. We'll all be happy.
I am a big believer that if everyone minded their OWN business, the world would be an amazingly happy place.
And because this is too awesome not to share
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I dont understand how anyone could become fat from McDonalds, that stuff tastes like ****.
The thought of eating enough of it to put on weight makes me shudder :sick:
This is kinda true. McDonalds is the worst tasting, lowest quality fast food. Never have understood why people like it so much. Carls Jr would be such a massive lifestyle improvement.
Because maybe I dunno... people have different tastes? Just a thought... :ohwell:0 -
Right on ...NO ONE makes us FAT only our selves !!! The fast food company's don't give it away to make us fat we buy it and eat it .Actually I love mcdonald's fries))))
:happy: :laugh:0 -
Alright, ya'll do what you want.
The spread of calorie-laden, processed food and the obesity epidemic go hand in hand.
Yes, people are responsible for what they eat. However, as some of you have mentioned, people have been campaigning for companies to display their nutritional information - people who think that, maybe, people shouldn't be eating crap while thinking they're eating lunch.
Some people here mock documentaries showing what's in McDonalds, and then say that people should know what they're eating there so it's their own fault. Which is it? Either they get to know through documentaries and articles, or they think they're eating normal food.
Anyway, I expressed my opinion. You're welcome to yours.0 -
I think maybe you don't enjoy critically looking at problems. Which is fine, but McDonalds is part of the cheap fast food that is making people obese - it's unhealthy food that is cheap. They do have some duty towards their customers not to feed them crap. Yes, McDonalds existed when you were a kid. People became more and more obese during your lifetime so far.
Your comments about the Occupy Wall Street movements are similar.
It's possible to lose weight, but there's no known cure for conservatism/libertarianism/whatever it is that stops you seeing things in context. As Stephen Colbert pointed out, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."
But if McD's customers didn't WANT that food they wouldn't serve it!
The only reason they make burgers and fries like that is because CUSTOMERS WANT IT!
I think another big change in our lifestyle is partially to blame for the obesity epidemic - ELECTRONICS!
I'm 51 and when I grew up we didn't have Video Games, Home PC's, and the internet.
We were TOLD TO GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.
I didn't have a car till I was 18 or older, so I either WALKED or BICYCLED to go places.
I got off my BUTT AND MOVED!
I live in a small community (subdivision) where the entrance is less than a mile from the furthest house and yet the parents all park their cars at the entrance to pick up there spoiled little brats from the Junior High and High school busses!
Their poor kids can't be expected to walk a few hundred yards to their houses - and it's always the same cars doing it!
It is a learned behavior - so now the kids DEMAND to not walk anywhere!
It's this lack of exercise and easily obtainable crappy food that is doing it - and NOBODY IS FORCING THEM TO EAT IT!
I'm 51 and FAT - and it is MY FAULT - because I at loads of Pizza, McDonalds, Wendy's, etc when I got out of the Air Force.
And I do NOT blame McDonalds, Wendy's, and other fast food places I BLAME MYSELF!
Its time that Americans quit passing the buck and take the blame individually!!
Dave
I agree with Dave above. And to a large extent I agree with the OP.
I am 37 -- so I grew up primarily in the 80's and was a teen in the early to mid 90's. I was a chubby, big kid growing up and one of the only obese teens in my high school - I'd say we were a minority of two dozen out of roughly three thousand students!
While I don't blame my parents for my weight issues - my dad's struggled with his weight his entire life, too, and my mom to a smaller extent - I think it's because our lifestyle was SUPER similar to the way "most" families seem to live today.
We went out for fast food all of the time, and restaurant meals at "nicer" restaurants several times per week - steakhouses, cafeterias, pizzerias, etc. My mom made meals at home but they were heavily laden with butter & salt and relied upon convenience foods as ingredients. Portions at home weren't huge but we ate dessert with lunch AND dinner. Always.
I had no interest in sports and hated P.E. class so I wasn't urged to be very active. I rode my bike and swam in the summer and dropped a few pounds every year...but mostly I loved reading and Art. I spent a lot of time writing stories on the typewriter and watching VHS tapes. Similar to kids of today with computers, iphones, and video games.
As the only child of slightly overprotective parents, I was driven everywhere. I did not walk to the bus stop. I didn't roam our town. From the age of probably 10-11 onward I thought I was "too cool" to play outdoors. So I didn't. And my weight continued to go higher and higher.
Back then most of my friends were skinny or average. While they may have had a genetic advantage w/o obesity in their families, I believe lifestyle was the primary cause for my weight problems! My friends were forced to play outside, walk to school, and restaurant meals (fast food or otherwise) were a huge deal and for special occasions only.0 -
I am a big believer that if everyone minded their OWN business, the world would be an amazingly happy place.
And because this is too awesome not to share
QFT X 100000000 -
I want a 20 piece nugget.0
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Could you enlighten me as to why you feel that McDonalds/Corporations bear more responsibility to me than I do for myself? Be specific.
... Well, for the first part of my specific answer, I'll have to ask you to review your reading comprehension skills. Specifically, how did you get the impression from what I said that I thought McDonalds should bear more responsibility for you than you yourself do?
What I said is that when restaurants serve food, however cheap it is, they bear some responsibility to their customers not to serve them crap. Yes, people can do nutritional research and learn to stay away from their cooked food and stick to salads. But you know what? Some kids don't know. And adults who are too busy to think their food is terrible for them, they may not know.
Not everybody has studied nutrition. People don't expect their food to be processed, calorie-laden crap, they just want lunch. McDonalds take advantage of people not knowing.
First of all, your entire post here supports the notion that you believe McDonalds should bear more responsibility than people themselves, because you believe McDonalds should change their business for people who "don't know." That's just silly.
McDonalds, at least the last time I went to one which was admittedly quite some time ago, has their nutritional information available in the store. All you have to do is ask. It may even be posted on the wall of the restaurant. You don't even need to pull out your smartphone, because it's right there. Saying people "don't know" actually means they "don't care enough to take responsibility for myself and look at the information right in front of my face."
If I recall, McDonalds also offers lower calorie options, salads, and fruit in response to consumers wanting options other than burgers and fries. Nothing is stopping people from ordering those foods, or not eating at that restaurant. It is not McDonalds's responsibility to make sure I order a balanced meal when I enter their establishment any more than it is the responsibility of the all-organic locally-sourced family-owned restaurant.
Actually... it's posted right next to the picture on the menu board now. They have put calorie info front and center.
I must admit. I have changed my mind about what I wanted to order just because of the calorie counts.0 -
Equal Opportunity Eating:
Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders won't upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way. Have it your way....Have it your way at Burger King!
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I think maybe you don't enjoy critically looking at problems. Which is fine, but McDonalds is part of the cheap fast food that is making people obese - it's unhealthy food that is cheap. They do have some duty towards their customers not to feed them crap. Yes, McDonalds existed when you were a kid. People became more and more obese during your lifetime so far.
Your comments about the Occupy Wall Street movements are similar.
It's possible to lose weight, but there's no known cure for conservatism/libertarianism/whatever it is that stops you seeing things in context. As Stephen Colbert pointed out, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."
Nobody forces you to eat fast food. Just saying
EXACTLY! If anyone is to blame for a child being overweight, its the parents. If you do not want your child overweight or yourself for that matter, YOU have to do something about it. No one else is to blame for it. Put down the cheeseburger and fries and go eat something healthy. Gees...I just love the "its not my fault" society! *eyes rolling*0 -
Alright, ya'll do what you want.
The spread of calorie-laden, processed food and the obesity epidemic go hand in hand.
Yes, people are responsible for what they eat. However, as some of you have mentioned, people have been campaigning for companies to display their nutritional information - people who think that, maybe, people shouldn't be eating crap while thinking they're eating lunch.
Some people here mock documentaries showing what's in McDonalds, and then say that people should know what they're eating there so it's their own fault. Which is it? Either they get to know through documentaries and articles, or they think they're eating normal food.
Anyway, I expressed my opinion. You're welcome to yours.
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I want a 20 piece nugget.
x20 -
I think maybe you don't enjoy critically looking at problems. Which is fine, but McDonalds is part of the cheap fast food that is making people obese - it's unhealthy food that is cheap. They do have some duty towards their customers not to feed them crap. Yes, McDonalds existed when you were a kid. People became more and more obese during your lifetime so far.
Your comments about the Occupy Wall Street movements are similar.
It's possible to lose weight, but there's no known cure for conservatism/libertarianism/whatever it is that stops you seeing things in context. As Stephen Colbert pointed out, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."
I eat McDonald's every day for lunch. A double burger and an ice cream cone. It fits my macros, so it's plenty healthy.0 -
The problem with saying that McDonald's existed when 'you were a kid' sort of thing, is that they have changed the ingredients and formulas for their foods to make them addictive. The perfect combo of salt, fat, and sugar to make your body crave more. I have a fast food addiction. I would eat it two to three times a day if I could. It has nothing to do with my mother, or father, as they cooked meals for the most part. The problem is that once I got hooked, it's like quitting cigarettes. I -crave- their crappy burgers and fries. I long for a coca-cola from McDonald's. I hate cooking, ever. It's so convenient for me to just pull up, order, get it, and eat while I'm driving.
I eat McDonalds once a week on average (twice some weeks, never other weeks) and don't have this problem with feeling addicted to their food.... neither do my kids. They occasionally ask to go to McDonalds during the week, my reply is "maybe at the weekend" and they're cool with that. and most of what they look forward to about McDonalds is the play area and the happy meal toy. So they're clearly not addicted to the food.
I'm not sure why you feel so addicted to McDonalds? Do you eat a very restrictive diet the rest of the time? Do you get enough salt and fat in your diet? If you don't then that may explain cravings for salty, fatty foods. (too much fat and salt is bad for you but they are essential nutrients and eliminating them from your diet completely isn't healthy and will lead to cravings).I do think their entire practices should be called to the table. That we should put the fire to their feet to help with the problem, not keep contributing to it. They could make small changes that don't alter their profits all that much, and it would make a big difference in how people eat. One example would be to not sell 32 oz or larger sizes of coke. Remove the large option of fries. Add less salt and sugar to their food.
In the last decade they've made many such changes - the introduction of McDonalds salads, the introduction of an option to have apple slices instead of fries with happy meals, the introduction of the option to have fruit juice instead of pop with happy meals... really they're doing all these things because customers want them.
My husband has large fries and large pepsi when he goes to McDonalds and he's not obese. Again, common sense should tell you that a big, active man will probably burn the calories in large fries and a large pepsi while a small, sedentary woman or a child probably won't, so small, sedentary women and children should opt for smaller options. Happy meal fries and drinks are tiny. Miniscule, even.
Salt and sugar are not bad for you in moderation.I think poor people use fast food as their grocery store. They don't make enough to buy the healthy stuff because the healthy stuff costs way more than the bad stuff. So it's cheaper and easier for two working parents to pick up something each night than to cook. Our country has its priorities in money and power, not health and longevity. Until that changes, we are doomed.
it's kind of patronising to say you know all about what poor people do... the above sounds like it's all based on stereotypes. Or like you've seen a few poor families do that and assume it's the same the world over. If that's what people are doing where you live because it's very hard for them to acquire other foods, then the responsibility is NOT on McDonalds to make their food healthier, it's the responsibility of the local government/municipality to make fresh food easier to access, e.g. by providing affordable public transport or supporting local farmers in distributing their produce more widely.0 -
Could you enlighten me as to why you feel that McDonalds/Corporations bear more responsibility to me than I do for myself? Be specific.
... Well, for the first part of my specific answer, I'll have to ask you to review your reading comprehension skills. Specifically, how did you get the impression from what I said that I thought McDonalds should bear more responsibility for you than you yourself do?
What I said is that when restaurants serve food, however cheap it is, they bear some responsibility to their customers not to serve them crap. Yes, people can do nutritional research and learn to stay away from their cooked food and stick to salads. But you know what? Some kids don't know. And adults who are too busy to think their food is terrible for them, they may not know.
Not everybody has studied nutrition. People don't expect their food to be processed, calorie-laden crap, they just want lunch. McDonalds take advantage of people not knowing.
First of all, your entire post here supports the notion that you believe McDonalds should bear more responsibility than people themselves, because you believe McDonalds should change their business for people who "don't know." That's just silly.
McDonalds, at least the last time I went to one which was admittedly quite some time ago, has their nutritional information available in the store. All you have to do is ask. It may even be posted on the wall of the restaurant. You don't even need to pull out your smartphone, because it's right there. Saying people "don't know" actually means they "don't care enough to take responsibility for myself and look at the information right in front of my face."
If I recall, McDonalds also offers lower calorie options, salads, and fruit in response to consumers wanting options other than burgers and fries. Nothing is stopping people from ordering those foods, or not eating at that restaurant. It is not McDonalds's responsibility to make sure I order a balanced meal when I enter their establishment any more than it is the responsibility of the all-organic locally-sourced family-owned restaurant.
They made their nutritional information available because people campaigned for them to do so! in those documentaries all the cool bros here don't watch. People can campaign further, and have been - that's WHY mcdonalds serve things like broccoli and salads alongside crap.
Take personal responsibility! I never said people shouldn't.
The nutritional information, the salads, that's all due to consumer action. Not smug statements that completely ignore the context people live in.
These restaurants started mass producing cheap, terrible food and realized they could make lots of money of it. They are taking advantage of people. Yes, we can all study nutrition and stay way. But we can also demand that the company makes things that are good for people, and buy food conditional to that.0 -
I dont understand how anyone could become fat from McDonalds, that stuff tastes like ****.
The thought of eating enough of it to put on weight makes me shudder :sick:
This is kinda true. McDonalds is the worst tasting, lowest quality fast food. Never have understood why people like it so much. Carls Jr would be such a massive lifestyle improvement.
Lowest quality? How do you figure? They use low quality cows and chickens to make their 100% beef burgers, wraps and sandwiches?0
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