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Government control of portion sizes and calories
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OliveGirl128 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »To go boxes in restaurants aren't really a thing here.
I always ask for one when I order my food because I know some of its going home with me. I'm on a wet burrito kick right now when we go out and those things are huge!
I could ask but I wouldn't get one. Unless a restaurant delivers food (say an Indian or Chinese) then they won't even have a box for you take home leftovers. Even then it would be odd to ask to take your leftovers. They'd probably also look at you as if you'd just grown two heads in front of their very eyes. Just not a British thing.2 -
Bringing down portion size/number of calories isn't the same thing as providing low-calorie options. And merely bringing down portion size isn't going to make a bit of difference to the obesity rate - people who need more calories, or people who don't much care will simply eat more portions. People who are fat because they overeat need to learn to judge portion size for themselves, not adopt some one-size-fits-all government choice. And I put myself in that category, since figuring out the appropriate amount of food is something I work on - and need to work on.
Personally, I find the fast food places are about the best at providing nutritional information - in Canada, at least, it's readily available online and some chains have little handouts with the information. More formal restaurants don't seem to provide the information, particularly if they aren't chains, so it's up to the customer to plan what to order and to understand how many calories it probably comes to. As for going places with only high-calorie options, it's best to bring your own food along. Admittedly, if it's an organized event of some kind where they want you to buy their food, you might have to hide your fruit in the bottom of your bag!0 -
VintageFeline wrote: »OliveGirl128 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »To go boxes in restaurants aren't really a thing here.
I always ask for one when I order my food because I know some of its going home with me. I'm on a wet burrito kick right now when we go out and those things are huge!
I could ask but I wouldn't get one. Unless a restaurant delivers food (say an Indian or Chinese) then they won't even have a box for you take home leftovers. Even then it would be odd to ask to take your leftovers. They'd probably also look at you as if you'd just grown two heads in front of their very eyes. Just not a British thing.
That's wild! Here, (Michigan/U.S), you can always get a takaway box, (usually a styrofoam container), and most places have various sizes for you to chose from, (small-like a slice of pie, to big-for almost an entire entree). It's very normal to see people walking out with these.1 -
OliveGirl128 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »OliveGirl128 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »To go boxes in restaurants aren't really a thing here.
I always ask for one when I order my food because I know some of its going home with me. I'm on a wet burrito kick right now when we go out and those things are huge!
I could ask but I wouldn't get one. Unless a restaurant delivers food (say an Indian or Chinese) then they won't even have a box for you take home leftovers. Even then it would be odd to ask to take your leftovers. They'd probably also look at you as if you'd just grown two heads in front of their very eyes. Just not a British thing.
That's wild! Here, (Michigan/U.S), you can always get a takaway box, (usually a styrofoam container), and most places have various sizes for you to chose from, (small-like a slice of pie, to big-for almost an entire entree). It's very normal to see people walking out with these.
Yep, I holiday in the States and have witnessed it. Mind you, our portions aren't quite as over the top as they are there so actually less of a "i need to get my monies worth" sort of necessity for the average portion eaters amongst us.1 -
Bringing down portion size/number of calories isn't the same thing as providing low-calorie options. And merely bringing down portion size isn't going to make a bit of difference to the obesity rate - people who need more calories, or people who don't much care will simply eat more portions. People who are fat because they overeat need to learn to judge portion size for themselves, not adopt some one-size-fits-all government choice. And I put myself in that category, since figuring out the appropriate amount of food is something I work on - and need to work on.
Perhaps surprisingly this isn't how (most) people behave. Give people a meal with slightly fewer calories but otherwise the same they will be just as satisfied.
Equally people will happily eat up stale popcorn while watching a film if that is what they are given.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I actually don't see people walking around with soda much, and certainly not bottles larger than 591 ml (the 20 oz), which is popular but I don't think more than the 12 oz can. This could be location specific, though. I do see people walking with coffee/coffee drinks and water. People must buy the ridiculous Big Gulp things, but I never see people walking around drinking them.
Go to a convenience store, gas station, truck stop, etc where people are getting in their cars. The large cups fly out of those places.
Well, then, they aren't walking around, are they?
I don't drive much either, so again may be atypical.
On the giant coffees, I mostly see people with coffee on the commute too, and probably walking around the vast majority of people I see aren't drinking anything (although we may be more likely to have a water bottle with us, as that seems common enough). I personally HAVE been known to walk around with a giant cold brew sometimes (mostly on a very hot day). My point was more that giant drink does not necessarily = lots of calories.
For the record, I have no particular broader point on the walking around with drinks thing except the UK posters seem to be getting the idea that everyone in the US is carrying giant beverages at all times and really that does not reflect what I see at all (in a city full of people walking around quite a bit).
True for me here in the US, too . . . but just wait until they design and market a strap-on tummy-mounted cup holder with built-in straw extender.
Hey . . . <furrows brow, thinks . . . heads for Kickstarter>.
Just kidding. Really.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I actually don't see people walking around with soda much, and certainly not bottles larger than 591 ml (the 20 oz), which is popular but I don't think more than the 12 oz can. This could be location specific, though. I do see people walking with coffee/coffee drinks and water. People must buy the ridiculous Big Gulp things, but I never see people walking around drinking them.
Go to a convenience store, gas station, truck stop, etc where people are getting in their cars. The large cups fly out of those places.
Well, then, they aren't walking around, are they?
I don't drive much either, so again may be atypical.
On the giant coffees, I mostly see people with coffee on the commute too, and probably walking around the vast majority of people I see aren't drinking anything (although we may be more likely to have a water bottle with us, as that seems common enough). I personally HAVE been known to walk around with a giant cold brew sometimes (mostly on a very hot day). My point was more that giant drink does not necessarily = lots of calories.
For the record, I have no particular broader point on the walking around with drinks thing except the UK posters seem to be getting the idea that everyone in the US is carrying giant beverages at all times and really that does not reflect what I see at all (in a city full of people walking around quite a bit).
True for me here in the US, too . . . but just wait until they design and market a strap-on tummy-mounted cup holder with built-in straw extender.
Hey . . . <furrows brow, thinks . . . heads for Kickstarter>.
Just kidding. Really.
They pretty much beat you to it:
This is available on Amazon.
4 -
I work in a supermarket here in the UK, most often on the kiosk where I'm ringing through the contents of people's shopping baskets.
The trend in the UK is definitely upwards and outwards if my experience of what people are buying and how they look is anything to go by.
Whereas a few years ago folks would be buying one chocolate bar (150-200g slab) and a large bag of crisps (100g or so), now I'm often seeing 3 or 4 bars of chocolate and 3 or 4 bags of crisps.
These are not people who are picking up snacks once a week either, many of them are doing this almost daily.
Likewise, they buy Lucozade by the litre bottle now, often two at a time, rather than just a 500ml bottle.
I don't even want to start on the quantities of beer and wine that go through my till.
And sadly, I'm watching these people literally expanding in front of my eyes. Lots of my customers used to be somwhere around normal weight, but now are overweight or obese.
The UK is sitting on a timebomb. I'm acutally quite worried about how things are going to look in another 10 years from now.2 -
Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I actually don't see people walking around with soda much, and certainly not bottles larger than 591 ml (the 20 oz), which is popular but I don't think more than the 12 oz can. This could be location specific, though. I do see people walking with coffee/coffee drinks and water. People must buy the ridiculous Big Gulp things, but I never see people walking around drinking them.
Go to a convenience store, gas station, truck stop, etc where people are getting in their cars. The large cups fly out of those places.
Well, then, they aren't walking around, are they?
I don't drive much either, so again may be atypical.
On the giant coffees, I mostly see people with coffee on the commute too, and probably walking around the vast majority of people I see aren't drinking anything (although we may be more likely to have a water bottle with us, as that seems common enough). I personally HAVE been known to walk around with a giant cold brew sometimes (mostly on a very hot day). My point was more that giant drink does not necessarily = lots of calories.
For the record, I have no particular broader point on the walking around with drinks thing except the UK posters seem to be getting the idea that everyone in the US is carrying giant beverages at all times and really that does not reflect what I see at all (in a city full of people walking around quite a bit).
True for me here in the US, too . . . but just wait until they design and market a strap-on tummy-mounted cup holder with built-in straw extender.
Hey . . . <furrows brow, thinks . . . heads for Kickstarter>.
Just kidding. Really.
They pretty much beat you to it:
This is available on Amazon.
I'm torn between inspiring and awesome....
Needs tubing, otherwise my arms may get sore from all those 12 oz curls.3 -
peckchris3267 wrote: »What about those whose job involves hard physical labor and they require high calorie food? Are they going to have to buy two lunches now to get through the rest of the day just because others have no self control?
They could pack their own lunches and not hold outside establishments accountable for their failure to plan.4 -
peckchris3267 wrote: »What about those whose job involves hard physical labor and they require high calorie food? Are they going to have to buy two lunches now to get through the rest of the day just because others have no self control?
They could pack their own lunches and not hold outside establishments accountable for their failure to plan.
Notwithstanding the sanctimonious nonsense we've seen from the individual that you're responding to, in the UK much of the industry that involves significant manual labour is very mobile. Much of the construction industry involves a peripatetic workforce who end up staying in budget hotels.
From the perspective of someone who ends up staying in mid-market hotels 3-4 nights per week, it becomes quite challenging to plan..., while I'm not in a manual job I still need to allow around 800 calories for lunches.1 -
Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I actually don't see people walking around with soda much, and certainly not bottles larger than 591 ml (the 20 oz), which is popular but I don't think more than the 12 oz can. This could be location specific, though. I do see people walking with coffee/coffee drinks and water. People must buy the ridiculous Big Gulp things, but I never see people walking around drinking them.
Go to a convenience store, gas station, truck stop, etc where people are getting in their cars. The large cups fly out of those places.
Well, then, they aren't walking around, are they?
I don't drive much either, so again may be atypical.
On the giant coffees, I mostly see people with coffee on the commute too, and probably walking around the vast majority of people I see aren't drinking anything (although we may be more likely to have a water bottle with us, as that seems common enough). I personally HAVE been known to walk around with a giant cold brew sometimes (mostly on a very hot day). My point was more that giant drink does not necessarily = lots of calories.
For the record, I have no particular broader point on the walking around with drinks thing except the UK posters seem to be getting the idea that everyone in the US is carrying giant beverages at all times and really that does not reflect what I see at all (in a city full of people walking around quite a bit).
True for me here in the US, too . . . but just wait until they design and market a strap-on tummy-mounted cup holder with built-in straw extender.
Hey . . . <furrows brow, thinks . . . heads for Kickstarter>.
Just kidding. Really.
They pretty much beat you to it:
This is available on Amazon.
I'm torn between inspiring and awesome....
Needs tubing, otherwise my arms may get sore from all those 12 oz curls.
That was in my original design, back just a few posts ago. Just sayin'.
Or maybe it just should just be soda pop or sweet tea or fancy coffee sold in a single-use recyclable Camelbak?1 -
Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I actually don't see people walking around with soda much, and certainly not bottles larger than 591 ml (the 20 oz), which is popular but I don't think more than the 12 oz can. This could be location specific, though. I do see people walking with coffee/coffee drinks and water. People must buy the ridiculous Big Gulp things, but I never see people walking around drinking them.
Go to a convenience store, gas station, truck stop, etc where people are getting in their cars. The large cups fly out of those places.
Well, then, they aren't walking around, are they?
I don't drive much either, so again may be atypical.
On the giant coffees, I mostly see people with coffee on the commute too, and probably walking around the vast majority of people I see aren't drinking anything (although we may be more likely to have a water bottle with us, as that seems common enough). I personally HAVE been known to walk around with a giant cold brew sometimes (mostly on a very hot day). My point was more that giant drink does not necessarily = lots of calories.
For the record, I have no particular broader point on the walking around with drinks thing except the UK posters seem to be getting the idea that everyone in the US is carrying giant beverages at all times and really that does not reflect what I see at all (in a city full of people walking around quite a bit).
True for me here in the US, too . . . but just wait until they design and market a strap-on tummy-mounted cup holder with built-in straw extender.
Hey . . . <furrows brow, thinks . . . heads for Kickstarter>.
Just kidding. Really.
They pretty much beat you to it:
This is available on Amazon.
I'm torn between inspiring and awesome....
Needs tubing, otherwise my arms may get sore from all those 12 oz curls.
That was in my original design, back just a few posts ago. Just sayin'.
Or maybe it just should just be soda pop or sweet tea or fancy coffee sold in a single-use recyclable Camelbak?
If we join forces with this:
We'd be unstoppable!3 -
VintageFeline wrote: »OliveGirl128 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »To go boxes in restaurants aren't really a thing here.
I always ask for one when I order my food because I know some of its going home with me. I'm on a wet burrito kick right now when we go out and those things are huge!
I could ask but I wouldn't get one. Unless a restaurant delivers food (say an Indian or Chinese) then they won't even have a box for you take home leftovers. Even then it would be odd to ask to take your leftovers. They'd probably also look at you as if you'd just grown two heads in front of their very eyes. Just not a British thing.
They are the norm here.. but that's probably because of our massively huge restaurant portions.1 -
This article was on the BBC this morning about the UK government setting targets to reduce the calories in fast food and ready meals.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40967300
Responses on Facebook were very negative with people feeling that this was too 'nanny-state' but I can see the benefits. It is difficult to make healthy decisions on convenience food when you only have an array of high calorie options. Bringing down he calories and portion sizes as a whole will help people make better decisions.
However, I believe that at a less controversial move would simply be to provide the nutritional information so that customers can make an informed choice. Some restaurant chains in the UK do this but the vast majority do not. Then you can make people more aware of how many calories they are consuming but they are allowed to make their own choice in whether to overindulge.
What do you think?
on enforcing some sort of maximum calories on items - no
on enforcing calorie listings on fast food or large chains - yes
No one is forcing people to eat the entire thing by themselves in 1 sitting - that is their own stupid choice (as it should be). Huge portions at a fast food place could be a good value for a family - no reason a large burger and fries or large order of chicken nuggets or a donut/dessert item can't be split amongst multiple family members or a couple; or last multiple meals for a single person. Having a visible calorie listing on the menu is imo a good idea though (and maybe a reminder sign somewhere of a typical calorie %DV). More people need to be educated that certain items/combos are multiple days/persons worth of food. Others don't care and would just order like 5 of whatever smaller item (which already happens).2 -
Education doesn't lead to implementation. The calorie info on food doesn't do anything to stop people from overconsumption. Why the *kitten* do adults need the government to tell them how or what to eat?!4
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Education doesn't lead to implementation. The calorie info on food doesn't do anything to stop people from overconsumption. Why the *kitten* do adults need the government to tell them how or what to eat?!
Quite.
And as I said upthread, there's a plethora of options from low calorie right through to indulgent in the ready meals section of our supermarket fridges. The calories and macro breakdown AND percentages of average RDA recommendations are right there on the front (this applies to all packaged foods, not just ready meals). That was helpful legislation brought in some years ago. And guess what? We're still fat and getting fatter.
Adults aren't totally oblivious that they are eating too much, including too many calorie dense foods. They are however in denial. Ain't no legislating for that.2 -
Education helps, if people are not given the basics in the first place, many are not likely to look out information for themselves.4
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Education helps, if people are not given the basics in the first place, many are not likely to look out information for themselves.
I see this as the key. Rather than putting the money into regulating portion sizes, hire a high-powered "big food" ad agency to put out PSAs to push healthy eating guidelines. Make the spots as compelling as McDonald's ads. Pile up splashy booklets in places people go often containing easily understood and implemented meal plans, using the principles that make woo diet plans attractive. Sometimes people just don't know where to start. Spotlight meal combinations at various fast-food places that incorporate appropriate calories rather than trying to persuade people to avoid fast food altogether. Teach people how to incorporate treats into their diet rather than making big macs the devil.1 -
Education helps, if people are not given the basics in the first place, many are not likely to look out information for themselves.
I see this as the key. Rather than putting the money into regulating portion sizes, hire a high-powered "big food" ad agency to put out PSAs to push healthy eating guidelines. Make the spots as compelling as McDonald's ads. Pile up splashy booklets in places people go often containing easily understood and implemented meal plans, using the principles that make woo diet plans attractive. Sometimes people just don't know where to start. Spotlight meal combinations at various fast-food places that incorporate appropriate calories rather than trying to persuade people to avoid fast food altogether. Teach people how to incorporate treats into their diet rather than making big macs the devil.
I actually think the NHS does a good job at this sort of thing. This campaign which is aimed at families https://www.nhs.uk/change4life-beta/cards#Oijl3LHBzlVfpfRx.97 is fantastic for example.
They even have an app where they provide a free, albeit quite boring, easy to cook meal plan.
But as someone said upthread. People can have all the information in the world. It doesn't mean they will use it unfortunately.3
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