Quote of the Day
"McDonald's has been providing nutritious menu options to all of our customers for 52 plus years."Danya Proud, McDonald's spokesman
When I went to check my email this evening I couldn't help but notice this article regarding "gyms" being incorporated into McDonald's. I guess those plastic balls covered in disinfectant and greasy food from the fingers of children no longer constitute as enough exercise. The new gyms are supposed to have stationary bicycles hooked to video games-which as goofy as they are, are not a bad idea. Still, this is just another attempt by a corporation to improve its tarnished image. Most likely McDonald's is simply trying to stay one step ahead of the lawsuits that are coming its way involving obesity and health issues.
Which leads to my question "Is the fast food industry to blame for the obesity epidemic or is it the poor choices made by consumers?"
Labels: Corporations, Our Fat Society, Politics
posted by BurdockBoy @ 10:41 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
I think both. If there were more healthy options at decent prices people would try them (if it were convenient). If all there is is fast food and you need something to eat quick, what else are you going to do? Even the most die hard health nut might break down and get something from McD's if really hungry and with no other options in sight. Often happens to me if we are traveling, on the road, etc. ( I try to get a salad or something relatively healthy, but still...)
I think people need to take individual responsibility for their eating and health but social and economic issues are a huge factor in all this. If you have no fresh produce near you or you have no transportation or you can't afford to buy more expensive, healthier food, or if you have to work three jobs to make ends meet and need to get something in your and your family's stomaches in the few minutes you can squeeze in--what are you going to do?
Society plays a big part, but I do think many who do have the resources to be healthier sometimes choose not to out of habit, convenience, or lack of knowledge, or just from being overwhelmed about how to make a change. Luckily, I grew up with healthy habits and they've stuck with me in my adult years.
Some of their "healthy" foods, like salad have the same amount of calories as their burgers do. I is misleading. Without proper food education people will beilive that the salad is a better choice when it comes to fast foods. If you get only the lettuce, it is. I do not blae them for our eating habits. I blame ourselves. People will eat anything.
I don't think it is to blame,but people make poor choices. You HAVE to be educated. My question is how do we cause others to want to be educated? I'm thinking of my brother and his family who eat fast-food constantly. He looks at me like I'm speaking a foreign language when I talk about organic,whole foods,local food,additives,growth hormones,etc.
I'm stumped as to why a great majority of people don't care about what is in their food. And we wonder why children have so many allergies,obesity issues,diabetes.
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Don't get me wrong--I'm no McD's advocate. I don't eat meat and I might have fast food once or twice a year on a road trip, if that, but I disagree with the statement that fast food salad is as bad or fattening as a burger.
A fast food salad is healthy if it's a regular green salad. It's just lettuce, tomato, some shreds of carrot, etc. What makes it unhealthy is fattening dressing and other unhealthy additions, such as fried meat, which is fattening and unhealthy in or out of a salad (at least in my opinion).
But a basic salad with vinegar or a splash of healthy dressing is always a decent choice, and nowhere near the same calories as a burger, not even close. The McDonald's side salad totals 20 calories. That's nothing.
I think people should see salad as the healthier choice, because it is. It is not processed, chemicals may be involved in growing it, but at least it consists of veggies, raw foods, and is very low fat or non fat. A basic salad with low fat or no dressing or a squirt of dressing is a fine substitute for other fast food options here and there (organic salad is preferable of course, so I only eat at McD's on road trips when there is no where else to go and I can't cook at home).
I'd hate for people to think a salad is as bad for you or as many calories as a McDonald's burger because that's just not the case. Just skip the ranch dressing and fried foods, etc. and a salad is perfectly fine. I think most people understand that fried food is fattening and that creamy dressings, etc. are, too.
By the way, McD's has all its nutrition info online, so it's a good resource for figuring out what is somewhat healthy and what isn't for those who don't already know. I agree that there are hidden calories sometimes in foods that are traditionally thought of as low fat but overall I think figuring out what part is healthy and what part is fattening or bad for you is pretty simple. Overall raw and unprocessed veggies are healthy (besides not being organic, which is a problem is most dining establishments, fast food or not). Even from McD's.
Actually I have done the research as it is part of my job. I did say that as long as they order just the lettuce it is healthier. If you add the chicken, the seeds, the dressing, you are looking at the same or more calories as in their burgers. I have yet to see anyone go into a fast food joint and order just lettuce no frill salad.
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I agree to the fact that "blaming" anyone is a mistake. We have evolved into the situation we are in now which involves everything from people looking for quick meals because of their hectic lives, cheap beef and HFCS because of misdirected subsidies, nutrition ignorance, clever marketing, lack of exercise, etc. I blame McDonalds for being a corporation which comes with all of it' typical agenda, but not for being a junk food peddler. Still I don't think that they should mislead that their food is remotely healthy. When I want something like cheesecake I'm not looking for a healthy option-I respect it for what it is. I may be in disagreement with other liberals when I say that I believe some of the lawsuits against McDonald's to be absurd. Drink 100 oz of soda a day and diabetes and obesity is bound to happen. Let us instead focus on the culture killing that it is doing instead.
Class is the binding agent between food and health. Good food and exercise cost money and require time, often two commodieites the poor and working poor don't have.
In years past being obese was a sign of wealth: you had access to food on a regular basis, but the tables have turned. To be thin is to show your wealth.
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