NEWSFLASH: McDonald’s existed back when I was a kid
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I don't really think it is fair at all to blame McDonalds Corp or make an example out of them for anything (What about Wendys, Burger King, KFC, etc). We live in a free country and have the right to treat ourselves to McDonalds or not. McDonalds has changed their Menu's and now offer Bottled Water, Salads, and other healthier menu choices. One of the changes i like is that they changed their happy meals to include a much smaller size of fries, added a yoghurt, and gave the option of bottled water. If you want even healthier again just go to Subway or the Pita Pit instead.0
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I'd be surprised if there were that many places that lack even a supermarket or grocery store because I would have thought that opening a new branch in such an area would be a good investment for supermarkets... i.e. one entire community where you're the only supermarket...
To the extent such places exist, it's almost certain that there isn't a McDonald's within walking distance and even if there is, it's highly unlikely that McDonald's is the cheaper option versus finding a ride to a grocery store and stocking up on dried/canned/frozen goods. What's almost certainly the case is that McDonald's is the easier/more convenient option and so many people opt for it instead.
while I can't speak for the USA, I know in the UK in spite of affordable fruit, veg etc being within walking distance of almost everywhere, there are quite a lot of low income families where people are obese... and generally it's the result of poor choices
And also, while poor people certainly do have *fewer* choices than rich people, I find it quite patronising when people talk about poor people as though they're slaves to their own bad choices, like they have no intelligence or will of their own... granted some people somewhere probably have no choice at all (mostly homeless people because no kitchen = have to eat prepackaged food) but in most cases people have a choice, they have enough intelligence and education to understand the choices they make, and they choose less healthy options because like you say they're more convenient, or they taste better... it is harder to eat healthy and lose weight on a tight budget, no doubt about that... but not impossible in most cases. And some people are poor enough that their lack of money prevents obesity in that they can't afford to overeat. Additionally, there are many kinds of exercise that are totally free such as walking or running, and someone can save money and burn a lot of calories by walking to places instead of taking a car or a bus.0 -
Adults and children are not overweight because of a silly looking clown and super sizing meals.
Adults and children and overweight PRECISELY because we are super sizing meals!!!!!!
If we exercised portion control we could be eating anything (again, in moderation) and still stay in fairly good shape.
Do you want a burger? Eat a burger. Eat a REAL burger, not an engineered, Triple Quarter Pounder with cheese Baconator Supreme.
With that said, it is ultimately up to the parents to teach their kids about health and to make good choices.
For a while, my young children were asking for McDonald's and I obliged. They called McDonald's "The Happy Meal" and loved it.
Then we decided to stop eating McDonald's.
They whined (quite a bit) for a while after. It would have been much easier for me to shut them up every time they saw the logo from the car, by going through the drive thru and buying them a happy meal. They get lunch, a toy AND I don't have to cook.
That's the easy way out. I don't want to appease my children with food.
They are overweight because they put too much food into their mouth and don't exercise enough. Supersized meals are a reaction to consumer demand ... not the other way around.0 -
I don't really think it is fair at all to blame McDonalds Corp or make an example out of them for anything (What about Wendys, Burger King, KFC, etc). We live in a free country and have the right to treat ourselves to McDonalds or not. McDonalds has changed their Menu's and now offer Bottled Water, Salads, and other healthier menu choices. One of the changes i like is that they changed their happy meals to include a much smaller size of fries, added a yoghurt, and gave the option of bottled water. If you want even healthier again just go to Subway or the Pita Pit instead.
But then there's no one else to blame but...wait for it...wait for it...themselves!0 -
If it all comes down to personal responsibility, and environmental or social factors play no role, why do you suppose there are so many more obese people now. When and why did so many people start wanting to be fat?
why does it have to be one thing or another? usually the truth is somewhere in the middle, in the shades of grey between black and white
being poor limits choices and makes it harder to eat a healthy balanced diet. But for most people in most places, there are still choices and it's not impossible to eat a healthy diet and get exercise. Additionally, walking instead of driving or catching the bus is a good way to burn calories and save money at the same time. That's a choice that most people have. And most people live within walking distance of a shop that sells enough cheap food to cook nutritionally balanced meals.
And none of that is McDonald's fault. If they provide an affordable restaurant meal for poor families, then that's a good thing, because everyone likes to eat out once in a while, and being poor also limits choices in terms of entertainment and eating out, and being able to go out once in a while is good for mental health. No-one's forcing anyone to eat it every day (and if there are some communities where McDonalds is the only food option for poor people, then that's a problem of a lack of local supermarkets and public transport, not with McDonalds).0 -
while I can't speak for the USA, I know in the UK in spite of affordable fruit, veg etc being within walking distance of almost everywhere, there are quite a lot of low income families where people are obese... and generally it's the result of poor choices
And also, while poor people certainly do have *fewer* choices than rich people, I find it quite patronising when people talk about poor people as though they're slaves to their own bad choices, like they have no intelligence or will of their own... granted some people somewhere probably have no choice at all (mostly homeless people because no kitchen = have to eat prepackaged food) but in most cases people have a choice, they have enough intelligence and education to understand the choices they make, and they choose less healthy options because like you say they're more convenient, or they taste better... it is harder to eat healthy and lose weight on a tight budget, no doubt about that... but not impossible in most cases. And some people are poor enough that their lack of money prevents obesity in that they can't afford to overeat. Additionally, there are many kinds of exercise that are totally free such as walking or running, and someone can save money and burn a lot of calories by walking to places instead of taking a car or a bus.
Agreed, and I've said as much earlier in this thread. The notion that poorer people are so ignorant and helpless that they can't help but overeat at McDonald's is as condescending as it is inaccurate. They may not have the resources to hire a personal trainer, shop at the finer grocers and so on, but they have just as much free will, just as much of an understanding as to how overconsumption leads to fat gain, and they're just as accountable when it comes to overconsumption and obesity. Attempting to shift the blame to businesses like McDonald's makes it seem like people are too helpless to help themselves and frankly is just insulting.0 -
Adults and children are not overweight because of a silly looking clown and super sizing meals.
Adults and children and overweight PRECISELY because we are super sizing meals!!!!!!
If we exercised portion control we could be eating anything (again, in moderation) and still stay in fairly good shape.
Do you want a burger? Eat a burger. Eat a REAL burger, not an engineered, Triple Quarter Pounder with cheese Baconator Supreme.
With that said, it is ultimately up to the parents to teach their kids about health and to make good choices.
For a while, my young children were asking for McDonald's and I obliged. They called McDonald's "The Happy Meal" and loved it.
Then we decided to stop eating McDonald's.
They whined (quite a bit) for a while after. It would have been much easier for me to shut them up every time they saw the logo from the car, by going through the drive thru and buying them a happy meal. They get lunch, a toy AND I don't have to cook.
That's the easy way out. I don't want to appease my children with food.
They are overweight because they put too much food into their mouth and don't exercise enough. Supersized meals are a reaction to consumer demand ... not the other way around.
additionally, people who are used to eating normal sized meals have a lot of difficulty eating supersized meals... if I eat somewhere like Friday's that has huge portions sizes, I end up taking half of it home to eat the next day... I get 2 meals for the price of one. If people can eat the entire supersized meal without difficulty, it's because they habitually eat too much.0 -
while I can't speak for the USA, I know in the UK in spite of affordable fruit, veg etc being within walking distance of almost everywhere, there are quite a lot of low income families where people are obese... and generally it's the result of poor choices
And also, while poor people certainly do have *fewer* choices than rich people, I find it quite patronising when people talk about poor people as though they're slaves to their own bad choices, like they have no intelligence or will of their own... granted some people somewhere probably have no choice at all (mostly homeless people because no kitchen = have to eat prepackaged food) but in most cases people have a choice, they have enough intelligence and education to understand the choices they make, and they choose less healthy options because like you say they're more convenient, or they taste better... it is harder to eat healthy and lose weight on a tight budget, no doubt about that... but not impossible in most cases. And some people are poor enough that their lack of money prevents obesity in that they can't afford to overeat. Additionally, there are many kinds of exercise that are totally free such as walking or running, and someone can save money and burn a lot of calories by walking to places instead of taking a car or a bus.
Agreed, and I've said as much earlier in this thread. The notion that poorer people are so ignorant and helpless that they can't help but overeat at McDonald's is as condescending as it is inaccurate. They may not have the resources to hire a personal trainer, shop at the finer grocers and so on, but they have just as much free will, just as much of an understanding as to how overconsumption leads to fat gain, and they're just as accountable when it comes to overconsumption and obesity. Attempting to shift the blame to businesses like McDonald's makes it seem like people are too helpless to help themselves and frankly is just insulting.
exactly.0 -
Adults and children are not overweight because of a silly looking clown and super sizing meals.
Adults and children and overweight PRECISELY because we are super sizing meals!!!!!!
If we exercised portion control we could be eating anything (again, in moderation) and still stay in fairly good shape.
Do you want a burger? Eat a burger. Eat a REAL burger, not an engineered, Triple Quarter Pounder with cheese Baconator Supreme.
With that said, it is ultimately up to the parents to teach their kids about health and to make good choices.
For a while, my young children were asking for McDonald's and I obliged. They called McDonald's "The Happy Meal" and loved it.
Then we decided to stop eating McDonald's.
They whined (quite a bit) for a while after. It would have been much easier for me to shut them up every time they saw the logo from the car, by going through the drive thru and buying them a happy meal. They get lunch, a toy AND I don't have to cook.
That's the easy way out. I don't want to appease my children with food.
They are overweight because they put too much food into their mouth and don't exercise enough. Supersized meals are a reaction to consumer demand ... not the other way around.
additionally, people who are used to eating normal sized meals have a lot of difficulty eating supersized meals... if I eat somewhere like Friday's that has huge portions sizes, I end up taking half of it home to eat the next day... I get 2 meals for the price of one. If people can eat the entire supersized meal without difficulty, it's because they habitually eat too much.
BOOOOM!!!! Mind blown0 -
If it all comes down to personal responsibility, and environmental or social factors play no role, why do you suppose there are so many more obese people now. When and why did so many people start wanting to be fat?
Same mind set that makes us a sue happy nation. Someone else must be held accountable for our misfortunes.0 -
I'm actually in Des Moines and we do NOT have a downtown grocer. They are all in the burbs/outlying residential areas of the city. So you're lucky in that respect. In the rural areas that I've worked, I'm not talking out on the farm. I'm talking small town that might have a local grocer (an IGA) who's prices are inflated because they don't have the benefit of purchasing on scale and maybe a Hardees and McDonalds. These are small rural 'towns' - not on the farm - where unemployment is rampant because the factory farming industry has run out the majority of farmers who did business in town. Meanwhile, insurance agents, doctors, lawyers, etc. all left those small towns leaving behind those who couldn't afford to do so. It's a sad state of affairs. Again, I've never implied it's the fast food industry's fault - but they certainly profit from misfortune.
I have been being entertained up until this point and agree with the OP by the way. Now I have to comment about the bolded statement you wrote. STOP, NO NO NO !!!!
Factory Farming did not run out the majority of farmers. This again is an excuse people like to give and it is part of the blame game all over again, just a different area of blame but still ties in to the original message of this thread. Many of those "factory farms" are still family owned. Those supposed farmers that you say got run out went out of business because of poor management or unwillingness to change with the times or no one in the family wanted to take over so the farm. Those farm families that chose to become bigger and become "factory farms" did so because of the consumer. Everyone wants cheap food. The only way this could happen is for the farmers to become more efficient. The only way that could happen is if they become bigger. I am not going to go into anymore detail because I do not want to spend the afternoon writing this post. It ultimately comes down efficiency and cost of doing business.
Also, I spend a lot of time in Des Moines, in fact gonna be there for 4 days next week. I think it is a great place. I might look while I am there for grocer downtown. I am willing to bet there is because there are apartments downtown and if there are consumers there, there will be a grocer. It just may not be a Cub Foods.0 -
It's a complete matter of choices. I've personally been on both sides of this argument. I have been lazy and not wanted to pack a lunch and drove across the street to McDonald's, spent $4 on a couple burgers, fries and a drink and consumed nearly 1000 calories for lunch alone. Over the course of a year or two of this lazy behavior, I put on 30 plus pounds. Since January of this year, I have made a resolution to pack my own lunch everyday from home and walk for at least half of my lunch hour. I have almost lost those extra 30 pounds in the process. It was in no way, shape or form anyone's fault but my own. I'm positive that if I decided to have a quick lunch at McDonald's from time to time, it wouldn't undo all of my hard work......but, it's the choice not to eat there is totally my own.
McDonald's only makes their fast food available, affordable and desirable. It is the consumer's choice how often they purchase it and eat it. Blaming a restaurant for gaining weight is like blaming an inanimate object like a gun for killing someone. Without someone picking it up and mis-handling it.....a gun is harmless. Fast food is also harmless unless it's picked up and mis-handled by someone. Just my opinion.
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I'm so relieved all the personal responsibility folks don't live in abject poverty. The voices of those in extreme poverty aren't here and you know why? Because they don't have computers!!!! When I ate fast food, it was a choice. I gained weight and it was totally my choice. However, I also had/have the resources to make better choices. It's not just about education - it's about taking a hungry kid and making them feel full - and McD's and other fast food giants who provide calorie laden foods at a cheap price point take advantage (not necessarily intentionally) of that fact. there are kids who might get two meals a day during the school year and if my kid is hungry, i'm not so concerned with nutrition as quieting a hungry belly so my kid can sleep. i have worked for years with these families...it isn't always about 'choice' and 'responsibility.' what i am talking about has nothing to do with people on MFP who have time and resources to devote to health. i'm talking about people who we work with to grow community gardens and teach them to prepare fresh food because they don't know how because they have never had it and live in food deserts of the 'inner city' without access to produce besides the overripe bananas at the gas station, but can find as much fast food as your heart desires within a quarter mile of home, but the grocery is over 5 miles away and they have no car. the issue is bigger than just 'you choose or you don't choose.' maybe you, but not everyone.
Please stop. Advocating personal responsibility and worrying about food availability are not mutually exclusive. Plenty of people here who support consumers taking responsibility to educate themselves, reading the nutrition information that is available in stores and has been well before Super Size Me, and make choices about what to put in their bodies when it comes to fast food also do things like volunteer in and donate to food pantries, help run community gardens, and are active voices in helping people who live in food deserts or have food insecurity.
I do not deny personal responsibility, but your responsibility is limited by your choices.
I think you missed the point. I was taking issue with you pigeon-holing people into groups based on your beliefs of what they do or think because they support personal responsibility. Expecting everyone who goes to McDonalds, regardless of income or education, to take ownership of the choices they make and not blame someone else because they ordered one item over another doesn't mean that I also do not work to help those in need or that I do not understand the issues they face. You seem to be ascribing a lot of characteristics and beliefs to people based on one viewpoint they hold, which is where my disagreement lies. It's not a conflict of interest to expect people to make the best possible choices with what they've got while still working to help give them more options.0 -
Is this gonna roll
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I suppose the irony of writing the post and poem is that I really don't like eating at McDonald's. However, whether it's food, politics, family issues, it just seems the "blame game" is being played much more often than in years past. I certainly wasn't a perfect parent and made many mistakes, but when I was wrong, whether with my kids or wife I made certain I took responsibility and apologized to them. It took me a while but I eventually learned that blaming others for my failures certainly didn't make me a success.
I came across a quote regarding taking personal responsibility recently and believe it speaks for itself:
“When you keep finding yourself in the same situation, the common denominator is you. Changing of thinking creates change of action. Do different to get different.” (Chaplain Thelma Osei)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."
Nobody forces you to eat fast food. Just saying
I think what people are missing here is that food manufacturer puts unnecessary things in food that create an addition: YES we are responsible to our own selves; however companies SHOULD tell you what is in your food. Food is manufactured to keep you interested and addicted. Its also cheaper and easy to produce. Why does a bottle of PEPSI cost more than a bottle of WATER? GATORADE , for extreme athletes, but do they really drink that ? who is drinking it ? CHILDREN
SUGAR.. THE BITTER TRUTH I highly recommend watching it !!!
There are only a few items at MCD's that DO NOT HAVE SUGAR!! Tell me why do you need to put sugar into a meat patty ?
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU BRAIN IS STIMULATED THE SAME ON SUGAR AND COCAINE?? And 80% of the food at the supermarket has sugar, sometimes as diligent as you think you are being there could be something sabotaging you efforts.
TWO SIDES to every discussion ... this is just my thought on it ♥
SUGAR.. THE BITTER TRUTH I highly recommend watching it !!!0 -
OMG! where are you that they supersized happy meals? They don't have that here
Texas. Everything is bigger in Texas, haven't you heard??
Agreed. In DSM. We have a Mighty Kids Meal with a McDouble and a small fries. The Happy Meal has a hamburger, a mini fry, and apple dippers. No supersizing here.0
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