Fast Food and Americans' Weights
 

Ladies and Gents,
I was wondering what you think should be done, if anything, about fast food given that the reports are indicating that Americans' are largely heavier than citizens of other countries.

I only ask b/c yesterday I was waiting for my food in car at Lousiana Fried Chicken yesterday (a CA chain that sells fried chicken and fried fish) when I noticed a man struggling to get out of the door of his minivan. Now mind you, there was not a car parked next to him and he seemed to have the door open as far as it would go. He was standing with both feet on the ground but was trying to pull himself out of the doorway of the car. He somehow got onto the sidewalk (I didn't look) and had to upright himself by *pushing off on his car hood* once he got both feet on the sidewalk. He could barely walk. He was every bit of at least 400 lbs or maybe more. I looked and lo and behold, he was going into Lousiana Fried Chicken! I was so mad at the people for serving him (although I know that is wrong b/c it is unhealthy food so they probably shouldn't serve anyone). But I was so mad b/c it looked like this man needed to be admitted to a hospital and they were serving him Lousiana Fried Chicken for a few bucks!!!

I know that it's ridiculous but I almost felt like there should be some sort of fine for serving someone in that condition.

What do you think?

ETA: I was mad with the company b/c I felt like this must be someone who can't help himself if he is this heavy and having to do all this just to get some LA fried chicken - I felt like they shouldn't take advantage of that. Not that they could have truly refused to serve him.

SC

please, go on and let ol boy NOT get served -- there's a discrimination suit waiting to happen.

there was a news story recently (it mightve been local) about this one congressman who suggested putting a heavy tax on fast food and restaurants like Applebees, TGIFridays and the like, sort of like cigarettes and liquor. he had suggested making big macs like $10 or something... this way you discourage the fatties and potential fatties from stuffing their faces with junk that isnt any good for them.

this is what it comes down to: po' folk can't afford to buy food that's better for them. in turn, food chains and supermarkets will continue to charge next to nothing for food that give you next to nothing nutritional value.

i know i know "its not just about diet, its about excersize." fine. but come on if youre scarfing down fried fish and mcdonalds on a regular, a decent excersize plan MAY regulate the weight, but what about high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, etc.?

Unfortunately, in this country, eating healthy is far more expensive than eating food that is bad for you. With the McDonalds dollar menu and great deals on fattening pizzas/fried chicken/hamburgers, poorer people are going to be attracted to that kind of food. Salads always cost more than french fries & chicken fingers. Until something can be done to lower the cost of healthy food (or, conversely, raise the price of fattening food), this is going to continue.

Discrimination based on what? Well it wouldn't be race b/c they serve plenty (probably mostly) AA and this was this man's race. There wasn't a constitutional right to eat fast food last time I checked. Any of my fellow JDs got ideas on the merit of such a discrimination suit. Guess it might be weak equal protection claim based on weight classification. Are there any substantive due process rights that this sort of discrimination might bring up?

im not up on my legal jargon... but i just meant that they couldn't not serve because "thats not the kinda food a man of his size should be eating."

it would be like a salesperson not selling a tube top to a woman who visibly shouldn't be wearing one. you cant say, "Well a woman your size shouldnt wear this..."

Or like denying someone with a super emphysema voice a pack of cigarerettes at a 7-11. (yes! i knew a better analogy would come up, thats the 4th one i typed)

I wouldn't say that only "poor" people eat at fast food restaurants, I'm sure many "wealthy" people or those who are not in the "poor" category go for fast food as well. Obesity isn't an issue for just "poor" people...obesity has no discrimination on one's economic status...and to say that because a person is over a certain weight should be denied a choice in meals, is definitely discrimination. Of course, we know that they should be on a healthier eating plan, but how do we know they aren't...and are rewarding themselves for ONE time...but then again, we are all assuming what their particular problem may be at the time...

not playing devil's advocate...just offering my view point...

I don't eat fast food as much as I did when I was younger. I guess with age I realized that it really doesn't taste that good. I can make a turkey and cheese sandwich from my fridge and be just as satisfied.

Alot of people indulge because it's convenient. My co-workers eat out EVERY DAY! Me personally, I can't afford it so I'm either brown bagging it or eating on someone else's tab.

I think it starts with the kids. Fast food plays a huge part in obese kids because a lot of parents don't cook anymore. I worked at McDonalds for 2 years when I was a teenager. The thought of eating a Happy Meal several times a week disgusts me. I guess the fact that my Mom COOKED at least 6 times per week plays a huge part in how I view FF. I prefer eating at home.

Besides, some of the inspection scores I see....my GAWD!!! I've actually seen an 82 before!!! I'm like WTH!!

It is like smoking. At some point if the industry readily knows that their product causes harm and continues to sell it then it is an issue. However like anything else in this world over indulgence is an individual decision. Also one cannot call it just by looking at someone if they are or are not supposed to eat this. I am sure there are some diabetics, thin as rail, that eat food at fast food spots that are not good for them. Who makes that call? Should we all start walking around with signs around our necks with what we should and should not do? At some point personal responsibility has to take presidence.

That is so true.

People are discouraged and end up going with the cheaper choice, the Value Menu items because they feel as though their money goes a longer way. $4.00 will get you a burger, fries, a drink, and dessert if you want it, but $4.00 will barely cover the cost of a salad. In Americans' eyes, the unhealthy food is more affordable and you get more for your $$$.

Soror SummerChild,

I think tld221 was referring to homie suing the company for refusal to serve him due to the fact he was fat as discriminatory... Although, lower courts have stated that all restaurants have the right to refuse service for whatever reason--I think it goes back to the "lunch counter civil right's era"...

You'd know more than me.

American's weight problems...
 

Our food is highly processed because we feed the masses 24/7. In other countries, they close various food retailers at certain times (developed countries) and there are rules many countries enforce for proper serving of food--namely places like France were most of the food is unprocessed, although I hear that is changing.

In undeveloped countries or poorly developed countries, their problems are with "infection rates". Namely dysentery and other communicable diseases, such as malaria and other diseases the lead to chronic malnutrition. Moreover, there are wars in these countries mainly due to poor land management and resources. I would not say these people are "healthy" by any means.

But in places like Europe and Canada where food is rather abundant--or nutrition is abundant, most of the items available to consume are less processed as required by law in the United States. There are many reasons for that, probably because food-borne infections that occur only in the US opposed to other countries.

In places like Japan and China, they are beginning to see increased rates of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Apparently, their younger generations (after WWII), like the relative ease of fast food too... And their women work outside the home at careers and are unable to cook for their families preparing traditional meals that mainly consisted of fish products, vegetables and rice. Most Pacific Rim diets have gone way up in their salt/sugar consumption rates to preserve foods longer in a refrigerators/freezers, which may be inherently reducing food quality and increase the need for raw food processing...

Moreover, Japan has over fished it seas and goes to numerous other countries or International waters to obtain various fish species. That does not reduce the rate of Chinese need to have an abundant fish diet. But Northern Chinese are showing relatively high rates of chronic disease, like heart disease due to their poor nutrition, but they also have poorer healthcare in those provinces compared to coastal cities, like Beijing and Shanghai.

It is a balance that one has to take... Organic foods are more costly along with co-op farms and hallal meat processors. But overall increased food consumption and lack of proper exercise might not be the only problem to weight reduction and increased childhood obesity rates... There may be some genetic shift going on that is unrecognized.

I don't feel sorry for that man at all. Apparntly, he does not care about his health. I'm sure if he wanted to do better, he would have chose a different place to dine. I also wouldn't be mad at the restaurant for serving him. They are a business trying to make money. Why turn down a customer?

I do agree that eating healthy is much more expensive. I spend at least $6 on a bag of grapes alone. That's a full meal at McDonald's. I do care about my health, so I eat right and exercise. The choices people make are no one's fault except that individual. I feel that you shouldn't care about another's situation if they don't genuinely care themselves. Actions speak louder than words.

you dont have to feel sorry for him, hell i dont.

but eating healthy isnt just about "wanting to do better." there's a mindset and lifestyle change that goes along with weight loss and healthy eating that most people cant get with, mostly because of the food that's available (and not available) to them. when i'm at home, my supermarket options are Fine Fare and Key Food (which are pretty low-end supermarkets). however when i'm on campus/in school, i can get to a Food Emporium, a Whole Foods and even a Trader Joe's, not to mention an abundance of fruit and veggie stands. so even the industry is saying, "f*ck the po' folks, they can't afford to eat better so we wont even give them the option."

we dont know what that man's money (or resources) is like. maybe he can't see buying a $6 bag of grapes, or saying "hey with this money im about to spend on fried fish and chicken, i can buy a head of lettuce and some veggies and make it work."

and trust me, most people who eat awfully know it, just like most smokers know its bad for them.

i think the saddest thing is that we (as citizens of a highlydeveloped country) have the OPTION of nutritional food, and most won't/can't take advantage.

There's a Trader Joe's in NYC? where???

Well maybe I'm just an old softy deep down inside or probably my of-late mother instinct is kicking in again but I just feel like someone who is as grossly overweight as he was (mind you, he had trouble getting from between the door of the car and the car itself, even with both feet on the ground and could barely walk) who is still going to LA Fried Chicken may not be able to help himself. He may have a food addiction, anything. He definitely realizes that he can barely walk, yet he is still doing all of that to get there. He may not have been able to help himself. Guess I'm just a bleeding heart when it comes to some things. I felt that they were taking advantage of him just like tobacco companies take advantage of people who can't stop smoking pack after pack daily yet needs to carry one of those breathing devices just to make it to the store to buy the pack - and the cashier rings them right up. SMH

I know that we all have to be responsible for ourselves and this is the age of do you and to heck with everyone else but if I couldn't help myself, I would want someone to step in and help me, even if at first, I was mad.

Ok, I'm through being a bleeding heart LOL
SC

[QUOTE=tld221]you dont have to feel sorry for him, hell i dont.
QUOTE]

So when I started my Ph.D. program I asked that question about low income supermarkets having poor food choices and never got an skrait answer... This was back in 1994...

Anyhow, I see I am not the only person noticing the difference...

Here's what is interesting to me... Refined sugar and salt are drugs, period... They are highly addictive. Try going off all sugar and salt products for a week and see if you do not get the "shakes" like a crack addict...

So, the quick and easy food to buy, by the fact it is processed, is often high in sugar and salt byproducts... And forget the fat calories in these meals, they are off the chart...

So if these low-end supermarkets fail to supply healthy and nutritious food to poorer communities--albeit they would deny that allegation 100% and prove that folks like US don't WANT to purchase healthy food--then how is anyone from these communities supposed to improve our health condition. Let's say we know what healthy eating looks like: vegetables, lean cuts of meat, some low/non-fat dairy, plenty of water, grains--the food pyramid stuff...

My thought is that OUR people fail to eat that way simply because it is outside OUR culture because "they" said "good food" was NEVER for us--like back in the slavery days when folks did thangs with the greens and "pot liquor"...

So our ancestors were resolved to eating salted pork, that made their hypertension worse, but back then it didn't matter because we didn't live that long.

But the granes, Collards, Mustards and Turnips--granes--oh right now, that's the most healthiest food on the planet, until we cook it... Like, the Executive Chefs have given their "stamp of approval" and make culinary delights that WE can no longer afford because "granes" are now "healthy" for you--ONLY IF YOU DON'T cook it like WE do...

Now, how many of our grandparents are gonna buy that logic?

Homie gettin' out the car... He ain't EVA gonna lose that weight 'less he gets bariatric. Period. And his heart is prolly overloaded and has cardiomyopathy unless he's already an insulin resistant type 2 diabetic with a non-existant dysfunctional pancreas and steatohepatosis...

Suffice to say, most folks like dat dere are only eating to supply brain neurotransmission... That is why bad food, like larded fried chicken with MSG pork and butter is not the best kinna diet one can consume, especially if they dayum near 300 lbs.

Hi Tld221, has it been your experience that the supermarkets that you describe as "low-end" do not carry healthy food like vegetables, fruit, etc.? I ask b/c although I too have noticed a difference in what neighborhoods have Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, I still feel like even the "low-end" supermarkets carry basic essentials for healthy eating (it may not be as extensive or creative as Whole Foods or Trader Joe's) - but perhaps some actually do not carry those basic essentials.


SC

I think that every market carries the "basics," but, as someone previously stated, the problem begins with preparation. I can testify to it because I have been guilty of it in the past. Sure, you can buy all the ingredients for a salad and make it nice and pretty, however, when you DROWN it in high fat/high calorie dressings, you defeat the purpose. The same goes for veggies. It makes no difference if you smother spinach, squash, greens, etc. in a ton of butter. It all starts with preparation. We have to find alternative means to prepare our food.

It is a cop out to blame the fast food industry for the way America looks. They make money by providing you with convenience. The same is true for any company that has its items sold in stores. How many people take the time to read the nutritional facts on a package? Not many. Since I have become conscience of watching my weight, I read packages like a hawk. I can spend nearly two hours in the market because I have to read every single thing that I pick up. Everyone doesn't do that. You would be surprised at how some common items that we pick up are LOADED with junk. For instance, I had to throw away an entire bag of frozen chicken breasts a few days ago because I read the packaging.

Aside from the markets and your average fast food restaurant, we have to also take into account some of our more "higher" end restaurants. I only attempt to patronize restaurants that provide its nutritional info on the internet or in restaurant. That way, I can determine what I WON'T eat before I get there and won't be tempted by pictures on the menu, fancy descriptions or aromas. And I know that people go to restaurants and order salads, thinking that it's the most friendly items on the menu. NOT! Some salads are insanely high in fat BEFORE the dressing even hits it.

We have to start teaching our kids how to make better food choices and we have to set the example. It can be done.

Recent report...
 

From the Seattle Times

Studies have documented that overeating and a lack of exercise are fueling America's high obesity rates. Researchers have developed a list of 10 other often-overlooked factors. They include:
Sleep deprivation, which boosts hunger;

Pollution and chemicals, which can disrupt hormones;

Heating and air conditioning, which prevent us from burning maximum calories;

Decreased smoking rates;

Use of antidepressants, steroids, contraceptives and other medications;

An aging population, as well as larger populations of ethnic groups that are more prone to obesity;

Older women bearing children, which increases the risk the offspring will be overweight;

Ancestry — in animal studies, rats that overate produced heavier pups, an effect that continued for three generations;

Higher fertility among slightly overweight women, who may reproduce more and pass obesity to their children;

Opposites don't attract, meaning individuals tend to mate with people of a similar body type.

Source: Dr. David Allison; International Journal of Obesity

Aside from the smoking :confused:, the rest sort of make sense... Interesting to say the least...

There are numerous reasons for increased waist lines
 

There was a recent report that even if folks do read labels we don't heed their statements...

The other issue is age. Biologically, we redistribute our fat content as we age, especially after giving childbirth for women. For men, they get the gut. For women, we will get the gut pretty much after menopause along with the thighs.

I think for women it is the sugar/salt intake that is damaging. Whereas, for the men it is the fat intake. Then overnutrition or increase caloric intake without much exercise and other risk factors become the same as one ages...

Perhaps the reference is to when people quit smoking they eat more, and also that smoking is an appetite supressant, so those who don't smoke eat more and are going to be over weight?

That would be so awesome if it could happen.

Or if you did sell it to them, it would have the equivalent of those things they put in cars that stop you from driving if you're drunk - like if you tried to walk out your door into public it would give you an electric shock or something. :p

Though this is true, I would rather be overweight than to develop lung cancer and/or emphysema. Stuff like that being on the list is what encourages people to start and/or continue smoking. "I might have an iron lung, but I've never been thinner in all my life!"

as mentioned, even "low end" supermarkets carry the basic essentials, but take note in the quality of the fruit and veggies. no one wants shriveled oranges, spoiled grapes, dirty broccoli, dented tomatos, etc. and then there isnt even the option of organic or not. its funny cause when i would watch TV and see people eat fruit straight off the produce aisle, i'd be soo grossed out, but i guess if you are in nicer supermarkets, the produce prolly is that clean to eat like that.

same with choices in dairy and meat - if leaner portions are available theyre scarce, close to expiration, and tend to be marked up to the point that the average shopper is naturally gonna be drawn to the cheaper (and not healthier) option.

more bang for the buck is the name of the game as well, which is probably what this overweight man in the fish fry spot is thinking. aint no salad gonna quench his appetite like deep fried fish and chicken.

There's a new ad campaign out that is targeting women and the issues of smoking and weight loss. I can't remember the exact wording, but there'd be a statement such as "bikinis, or breat cancer?" "low riders or emphysema" etc and so on. Being overweight has problems, but with diet and exercise some of those problems can be reversed or delayed, not so with smoking and getting rid of the lines around the face or lung damage.

i dont know if youre location is accurate, but if youre on the west coast, this ad campaign seems fitting, because 2 (of the many) things i noticed when i visited was the difference in body sizes and smoking, as in people are thinner and/or fitter (overall more health conscious) and lots less smoking (didnt walk through any smoke clouds)

[/hijack]

I believe smoking also dulls the tastes buds in your tongue. Once you quit smoking, those taste buds are rejuvenated, if you will - making food "taste better". There's probably some underlying oral fixation going on as well.

Where I live (in Idaho on the WA border) I see a lot more people chewing than smoking. Some of that is because one can't smoke many places other than bars (WA just passed a new smoking ban that includes bars), and chewing is another way to get the nic fix. I have family in California and Oregon, and there is a lot of healthy behavior and a lot of outdoors activities because it is rather lovely here. The University sponsors a lot of different programs to increase health ranging from exercise programs, healthy eating lectures, smoking cessation, and even Weight Watchers at work. I am sure a lot of the motivation has to do with insurance rates and absenteeism due to illness, but there are so many offerings there are no excuses.

People in WA still smoke like chimneys [sp?]... Ban or no ban, they still smoke cigarettes. It may be outside and all but not 25 ft away from buildings... I run into the smoke clouds everyday... I'm dying of second hand smoke inhalation every day...

The other thing the article stated is weather. Hotter weather usually burns more calories, etc... It has to be consistently hot weather... Not hot, then cold, then hot. The body needs insulation when there is cooler weather, aside from the fact that folks get cabin fever and pig out.

I dunno know how accurate California comparisons can be made about weight... Folks in Cali are more prone to get "augmented" with surgery to lose pounds or develop crazy eating disorders. All kinds of diets are consumed in Cali and there is also a drug problem that helps with weight reduction... Leave some folks "pimply" with a lot of acne issues, but those can be "cleared up"... If folks do cocaine, crystal meth, or heroin, they could lose weight... The opposite is true for smoking weed... And most Californians are prone to dabble in the weed part...

However, there are quite a few folks up here in the Pac Northwest that do drugs...

The dangerous part is asking the question to physicians: Which would your rather die from:

Heart Disease/Stroke or Cancer...

9 times outta 10 folks will probably get both if they life long enough...