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Fast food and obesity

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Replies

  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited October 2016
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Any place you can go and intake your entire day of caloric intake in one meal is not good. And the sodium and cholesterol is at an extreme! Stay home and make something. It's called fast food for a reason! Stay healthy all!!

    You can make calorie dense choices at a fast food restaurant, a sit down restaurant, or cooking at home - at any one of those it's possible to consume >1000 cals in one sitting. But you can also make choices that enable you to eat a single meal that fits well within your day at any of those establishments as well. That's the beauty of having choices, and personal accountability...

    Many appetizers have over 1000 calories and that's just to start the meal. There was an episode of a Canadian show on CBC that did nutritional lab testing of several casual dinning chains and they found most meals over 2000 calories, even many entrees had more than 2000 calories such as Boston Pizza's Pad Thai weighing in at something like 2600 calories alone!
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Any place you can go and intake your entire day of caloric intake in one meal is not good. And the sodium and cholesterol is at an extreme! Stay home and make something. It's called fast food for a reason! Stay healthy all!!

    I can make food at home where my whole day is shot in one meal. Fast food has nothing to do with that.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    McDonald's is no worse than most of the crap on grocery store shelves honestly.

    You need a new grocery store then.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
    I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    edited October 2016
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    crissy976 wrote: »

    Why am I NOT surprised that Japan is the least obese? Oh, yea, because they have a healthy diet of fish, rice, and vegetables, mostly. There's a reason why the good ol' saying is, "You are what you eat."

    There's also the massive social stigma in Japan with being overweight / obese along with generally homogeneous culture.

    Fat shaming seems to work there to help keep waistlines in check.

    Fat shaming is so acceptable in Japan that a BMI in the upper 20's could get your belly poked and jokes made about you. In fact, it's government mandated that citizens over 40 get their waists measured every year and if they go over the limit (33.5 inches for men, 35.4 for women) they'll be given "dietary guidance" and if that doesn't work after six months, they may be given "further re-education."

    http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2009/11/how-japan-defines-fat/29830/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?_r=0

    Why doesn't the US do this?

    Because trading an obesity epidemic for an eating disorder epidemic isn't exactly a good trade.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/17/many-suffer-but-no-one-talks-about-it-the-rise-of-eating-disorders-in-japan
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Gamliela wrote: »
    For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
    I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.
    Depends on the restaurant, depends on the day, and how much I can fit in as well as how much time I've had to plan/budget cals accordingly.

    I don't think anyone is saying it is easier to eat within a certain calorie allotment at a restaurant , just that it can be done, and that meals cooked at home can be just as calorie dense.

    Last Saturday I had Wendy's for lunch. A grilled chicken sandwich and half an order of fries. About 600 cals. That night we had homemade manicotti, salad, garlic bread and wine for dinner. That was 1000 calories.

  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    AjRogers2 wrote: »
    Eating chemical laden food such as fast food is a recipe for disaster if done on a regular basis. That many calories with negligible nutritional value is not good regardless of calories.

    Are you a dietitian?

    Gonna go out on a limb and guess "No." lol
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Gamliela wrote: »
    For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
    I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.

    Not necessarily easy, but if you want it bad enough you do it.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    Gamliela wrote: »
    For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
    I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.

    I have no issue reigning in calories at fast food restaurants as their serving sizes are frankly easier to work with than a sit down restaurant. I am quite satisfied with a Big Mac (540 Calories), Coke Zero, and a Side Garden Salad with a little vinegar and pepper sprinkled on it (40 Calories) as a meal. When I go to a sit down restaurant the average entree is easily 1500 calories which I find very difficult to not eat the whole thing at one sitting. I usually try to find the lower calorie options since I have too well taught to eat everything on my plate.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Any place you can go and intake your entire day of caloric intake in one meal is not good. And the sodium and cholesterol is at an extreme! Stay home and make something. It's called fast food for a reason! Stay healthy all!!


    I can do that at home (eat a whole day's calories in one meal). I don't add nearly as much salt to my food tho. Dietary cholesterol is of no concern for healthy people, per the most recent studies.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    Gamliela wrote: »
    For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
    I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.

    I have no issue reigning in calories at fast food restaurants as their serving sizes are frankly easier to work with than a sit down restaurant. I am quite satisfied with a Big Mac (540 Calories), Coke Zero, and a Side Garden Salad with a little vinegar and pepper sprinkled on it (40 Calories) as a meal. When I go to a sit down restaurant the average entree is easily 1500 calories which I find very difficult to not eat the whole thing at one sitting. I usually try to find the lower calorie options since I have too well taught to eat everything on my plate.

    At least fast food restaurants list their nutritional information as well. Sit down chains have been fighting hard to keep people in the dark since their meals are as high or higher than fast food. It's amazing how much fat and carbs you can stuff into nachos and spinach dip!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Gamliela wrote: »
    For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
    I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.

    I find it harder to do in a restaurant where they don't have nutrition information, give excessive portions, and add in high cal ingredients that I might not be aware of (many seem not to realize how much butter is used even -- or maybe especially -- at fine dieting restaurants, or that a salad can be super high cal).

    I go out to eat a lot (to interesting restaurants -- I rarely like chains, but local places), and it's a pain, since they don't have to disclose calories and don't, and I wouldn't expect them to as it would be burdensome given how they work and change the menu and so on, and probably not that reliable. So I am conscious that (1) I should watch portion size (at least some fine dining places have more reasonable portion sizes, but lots of ethnic places are killer here or involve family style as I normally get them, like Ethiopian, which is going to be a calorie bomb for me); and (2) assume it's a lot higher cal than a similar dish I would make at home.

    These types of restaurants really don't form that high a percentage of American eating outside the home, though.

    Fast food places DON'T fit into the things that give me problems when eating out. (I don't eat fast food, but as mentioned above I buy lunch at quick serve places on occasion, and find that really easy to do when watching calories, and fast food would be for the same reason.) The reasons, to recap, are that they DO provide calorie information, you have much more control over the size of your meal (since you choose it in advance, you don't learn after the fact that your pasta dish is 4 servings so you need to control yourself and eat only 25% of what's on your plate), and you can look up the ingredients (no hidden butter!).

    (Obviously it's not really hidden, although moreso than the supposedly hidden sugar everywhere. No matter what the restaurant they will answer questions about ingredients. I usually don't bother asking, but as I eat out with a vegan friend a lot and other pickier friends, I have witnessed it.)
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    Gamliela wrote: »
    For me its def. harder to reign in calories at a restaurant than at home.
    I'm surprized others find it so easy to do that.

    I find fast food the easiest to control my calories. I'm still jetlagged and husband was exhausted from work last night, so we grabbed Taco Bell instead of cooking. My dinner was 550 calories, his was 800. My problem with fast food is satiety - it's fine when I'm only kinda sorta hungry, like last night, but when I'm ravenous and it's going to be a long time until my next meal, I need something bulkier with more fiber and a giant slab of lean protein. If I wasn't calorie-conscious, it would be easy to overeat fast food in an effort to feel full.

    I'm great at making meals in the 400-600 calorie range, but if I make a 600 calorie meal of parsmesan-crusted salmon with roasted broccoli and brown rice, it's really tempting to start rooting around in the wine fridge for a nice rosé, and oh the bottle's open, might as well finish it, and here's a square of chocolate for dessert, and bam we're at almost 1000 calories. Eating at home actually takes more self-control than fast food because there's the constant temptation to enhance the meal.

    Going out to restaurants... Well, *kitten* it. I enjoy food. I'm going to eat what I enjoy, calories be damned. I'm a part-time food critic, so it's kind of my job to order the most appetizing, interesting things on the menu even when they're calorie bombs. I just try to be portion-conscious and box up half of a big meal. I also try to limit how much I go out to restaurants, both for diet and financial reasons - I gravitate toward fine dining, which is not cheap.
  • Connieluvsfitness
    Connieluvsfitness Posts: 55 Member
    healthy491 wrote: »
    Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?

    Yes blame them these are the only fast options that are available at some hours of the day. They put all those burgers and fries and tacos out there for this accessibility to the ppl. Now what you choose to eat is on you. You can always opt for a salad from most fast food places. Wendy's and even McDonalds has salads but I know most ppl get the other stuff when they go thru a drive thru at McDonalds or whatever.... Chick Fil A is good too. But if you are serious about weight loss then you can do meal prep so you dont have to even worry about picking up food.
  • 1958val
    1958val Posts: 7 Member
    healthy491 wrote: »
    Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?

  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    healthy491 wrote: »
    Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?

    Yes blame them these are the only fast options that are available at some hours of the day. They put all those burgers and fries and tacos out there for this accessibility to the ppl. Now what you choose to eat is on you. You can always opt for a salad from most fast food places. Wendy's and even McDonalds has salads but I know most ppl get the other stuff when they go thru a drive thru at McDonalds or whatever.... Chick Fil A is good too. But if you are serious about weight loss then you can do meal prep so you dont have to even worry about picking up food.

    I ate fast food several times a week during my active weight loss phase and continue to do so now several years into maintenance, and I rarely chose the salad option (which can be very calorie dense). I ate/eat burgers, fries, tacos, pizza, subs etc-just smaller portion sizes that fit with my calorie goals.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    healthy491 wrote: »
    Fast food franchises like McDonalds etc sometimes get blamed for obesity ( especially in certain countries) . Is it really fair to blame them tho? I mean if its about CI<CO then you could eat a homemade salad which may contain more calories than a McChicken. Opinions?

    Yes blame them these are the only fast options that are available at some hours of the day. They put all those burgers and fries and tacos out there for this accessibility to the ppl. Now what you choose to eat is on you. You can always opt for a salad from most fast food places. Wendy's and even McDonalds has salads but I know most ppl get the other stuff when they go thru a drive thru at McDonalds or whatever.... Chick Fil A is good too. But if you are serious about weight loss then you can do meal prep so you dont have to even worry about picking up food.

    I ate fast food several times a week during my active weight loss phase and continue to do so now several years into maintenance, and I rarely chose the salad option (which can be very calorie dense). I ate/eat burgers, fries, tacos, pizza, subs etc-just smaller portion sizes that fit with my calorie goals.

    My experience as well, but it depends so much on the individual. Most don't find fast food filling, and there's plenty to suggest that it's designed to induce greater consumption so for many it wouldn't be a great idea to be eating it regularly but as a treat once in a while I don't see the issue as long as you maintain your deficit you'll be fine.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.

    Be careful of the trans fats.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I think the majority of the ownership should be on the individual and not on the fast food place. We are all able to choose what, where and when we eat. However, the fast food companies make it very easy for general public to fall prey to their methods. "Fast"... everyone, at least in my country, is looking for everything fast! No one seems to have the time or the energy to shop mindfully and prepare their own food choices at home. It's also "cheap" or at least cheaper than a lot of other options. Plus... you crave what you eat. If you're eating junk food you're going to crave junk food.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.

    I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.

  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.

    I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.

    Yep, current kid's meal.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited October 2016
    Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.

    I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.

    I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.

    At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.

    My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.

    I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited October 2016
    Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.

    I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.

    I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.

    At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.

    My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.

    I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.

    One word for pink slime: Delicious! :tongue: All kidding aside, in Canada it was banned AFAIK.
  • rachelsjw
    rachelsjw Posts: 1 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    selina884 wrote: »
    it's a lack of education if anything.

    I'm sorry, but does anyone really think eating a couple Big Macs, giant order of fries and a giant Coke at lunch is good for them?



    My personal opinion is that this is probably not healthy(main point), and that probably won't be able to fit in a lot of people's calorific and macronutrient goals. However, carbs protein and fat are what they are in calorific terms. So it would hurt if it was macdonalds or rice and chicken as long as it fits in your goals. The problem is people see this as a reason to eat junk all day as long as it "fits" so to speak, therefore feeling sluggish and unmotivated to do anything. I eat some junk everyday, but within my own moderated limits, that make me feel good. So experiment with what makes you feel good :-) just do you and all will be well.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    edited October 2016
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Fast food and obesity are not directly connected but depends on what a person orders. I eat fast food almost daily since moving to Low Carb High Fat Way Of Eating over two years ago. Weight dropped off and has maintained and annual lab tests have moved into healthy ranges. Where one eat at home, slow food or fast food it is still what and how much we poke in our faces that counts in the end.

    I'm guessing you order you burgers without the bun and fries so that's not a bad idea for many. I usually just grab the McDonald's Hamburger, small fries and a coffee and that's only about 500 cals or so. The biggest problem is that the portions are huge these days. The original McDonald's meal was a hamburger, fries and a drink, which today would be a small fry, and small drink. The calories for that meal would have been around 700 to 800, which as a dinner is acceptable for most people's calorie intake, especially back in the time where people were far more active on average than they are today.

    I try eat food that contains very little to no added sugar and that contains no form of any grain.

    At McDonalds I eat the round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage patties (1 gram of sugar each) with a few senior cups of regular coffee with 9 creams in each cup as I had this morning for $4.84 and came in at 1040 calories today. I also enjoy their side salad with Newman's vinaigrette dressing (3 grams of sugar each) for $1.59. Locally McDonald's has the best coffee in town day in and day out in my personal experience.

    My image of pink slime impacts my desire for their beef patties but I do eat one a few times a year.

    I find something that works for me at most any restaurant. Being LCHF I can go up to 12 hours without eating OK and function just fine so just a salad works well eating in strange places. I keep a supply of nuts and tuna with me so I can eat about any time I wish. Krogers were out of raw cashews last night so I bought pecan half's for my nut supply for the next 7+ days.

    One word for pink slime: Delicious! :tongue: All kidding aside, in Canada it was banned AFAIK.

    It has never been allowed without clear labeling in Canada, and it has not been used in the US for a long time either. It was just another way to demonize McDonald's, the company which most people go after.

    That's what I have read as well. The pink slime is long gone.

    @GaleHawkins why are you afraid of the slime but not if the trans fats you intake in the sausage?

    Nearest I can tell there's perhaps 0.2 g of trans fat per 48g serving of a sausage patty at mcd's (gleaned from a website not associated with mcd's, so I don't know how accurate that is). On mcds website it lists 0g trans fats per serving (which of course can mean up to 0.5g). But the ingredients listed contains only pork, spices, dextrose... No hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats). If there are trans fats, are they those naturally occurring in the meat? Fwiu, those are not concerning; the ones that have been shown to be dangerous are the ones made from hydrogenating or partially hydrogenating vegetable or seed oils, not those that are naturally occurring in meat (there are different types of trans fats).

    Can you link to the source showing how much trans fat is present, and where it is coming from?