Fat-wary pol: Ban toys in Happy meals

[Grand Concourse]

Truth!

[Roadcruiser1]

This is exactly why I swim, and lift weights, and occassionaly do track and field followed by cycling.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

why? take away people's freedom of choice in a public restaurant because someone somewhere says it's bad for them?

 

if a kid doesn't like mcdonald's, he's not going to want to go, and he's going to throw a shit fit every time his parents take him there. and therefore his parents will not take him to mcdonald's anymore. kids can exercise freedoms too. for most kids mcdonald's is a treat, but few parents are stupid enough to take their kids there constantly.

 

people need to stop blaming fatness on anything other than their own laziness. it's time for them to get out of the f***ing sofa and go do something if they think they're too fat. no more blaming the juice companies, the sugar companies, the schools, the deli meats, or the fast food joints. there's one cure for fatness...get off your ass and go do something...go burn some calories. and go eat whatever you want when you're done just don't eat too much. you could eat low fat chicken with lettuce and tomatoes for the rest of your life but if you eat 10 pounds a day you're still gonna be fat.

 

However, it is partially the companies fault as well. Eating healthy is not cheap and those who can't afford to buy organic or natural foods like folks like myself do will buy whatever is cheaper, which is usually McDonald's or whatever. Me personally I haven't eaten that shit in years. I even gave up Subway as my "treat" a few years back because I try to avoid eating processed food as much as possible (even if it is a salad or whatever).

 

I noticed that now even the major brands are coming out with "natural" healthy snacks. Just now I went and got a bag of veggie crisps to have as a light snack since I wanted some chips and no fruit was available. The thing is though it was more expensive than the processed garbage and so even if they make healthier natural or organic snacks if they still cost more than the processed food then only those who can afford it will eat it and those who really need to eat it will continue to eat the processed garbage.

 

I notice that the Whole Foods folks like myself we really care about what we eat and are willing to spend more to do so and also don't just buy things because they are natural or organic. It is still important to know what you are eating because just because it is organic or natural doesn't mean that it is necessarily healthy. I have to say though, the Veggie Chips that I go are a much healthier snack than the processed crap. The sodium is much lower for starters, as is the saturated fat and carbs. Decent amount of fiber and monounsaturated fat too. :tup: :cool:

[metsfan]

They could make healthy fast food, it's only in the US that fast food is really disgusting. Everywhere else has strict limits on various things in food, i mean they really have a totally different formula for the entire menu.

 

Why do you need a toy in the food box? You should not be rewarded with a toy for eating food that will end up killing you if you make it part of your diet.

 

Don't get me wrong, as much as i eat organic foods with non GMO and all that, i do still eat fast food when there is no other option for a meal within reasonable time (example i've had nothing to eat all day and will not be home for at least another 2 hours), all be it probably around 3 times a year or so. I also try to eat it at least once a year so my body doesn't react poorly to it when it's the only viable option for that particular day/situation.

 

Freedom = responsibility. Last time i checked, this country isn't so good with making responsible choices as a society.

 

Also, the toys are made in china, do we really need to continue this venue to funnel cash (jobs) into asia? If you're going to have them, have them be made in the country where they will be sold.

 

It's pathetic really, this country is filled with places where you pay for custom order food, and if there's a big snow storm all these folks wonder how to make a meal when you should have the skills to make simple stuff and food to make it at home. This whole outsourcing of our kitchen/food prep sickens me. I buy pasta, spices, sauce, i buy lots of soup in containers/cans, i can make a meal if i need to. How many of you can prepare & cook all 3 meals at home?

 

Lazy, that's what you are if you depend on mcdonalds, dunkin donuts, wendy's and have money to buy the ingredients for a proper home cooked meal. Don't even start with the whole "i have no time" bs either. It's called living within your means. Irresponsible, poorly educated on nutrition and the global food trade...

 

I'm just gonna stop here i could write a damn book on this nonsense. Pisses me off. "wah wah wah i want my food reward". Cripes.

 

- A

[Joel Up Front]

Oh, so I'm lazy because I go into Mickey D's/Wendy's (hate Burger King) for an occasional meal? I'm miles away from home at college and I'm lazy because I have no car and all the buses just so happen to pass by these places?

 

What about people that have no money for the stuff for a proper home cooked meal or can't make it home, but have enough for a quick meal at a fast food restaurant? Seriously.

[Grand Concourse]

'Liberals' thinks that government intervention is the only answer.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Oh, so I'm lazy because I go into Mickey D's/Wendy's (hate Burger King) for an occasional meal? I'm miles away from home at college and I'm lazy because I have no car and all the buses just so happen to pass by these places?

 

What about people that have no money for the stuff for a proper home cooked meal or can't make it home, but have enough for a quick meal at a fast food restaurant? Seriously.

 

That's kind of the whole point. He was referring to people that use fast food places daily instead of trying to cook at home. Yes, it boils down to laziness because folks look to make excuses instead of trying to plan their day so that they can eat properly. It all comes down to choices. Now I will admit that it is more expensive to eat healthier, but not impossible. What is important is proper planning to do so and knowing how to shop for bargains. You don't have to eat at or shop at Whole Foods to get quality, healthy food.

 

Places like Trader Joe's also offer healthy organic and natural options at reasonable prices. In sum, if you really wanted to eat healthier you would find a way to do so, even if that way wasn't the easiest. The thing is most folks are not going to go through that much trouble to get a healthy meal and fast food joints are all over the place and they're quick and cheap.

 

I don't have any Trader Joe's or Whole Foods where I live either, and while there is a Natural Food store near me it is usually closed by the time I get to Staten Island, so I have to commute to the city to do my shopping and yes it can be a hassle at times, but my health to me is worth spending the extra time to get quality food.

 

What I am noticing however, is that even the regular supermarkets are starting to offer some natural food and organic options, even though they can be a bit pricier than the normal places that I go, but companies are starting to realize that some people do want to eat healthy and are willing to spend a bit more to do so.

[Aqueduct]

Everything is organic, it had to come from something. The organic vegetables are twice as much and last half as long. Usually trader joes and whole foods groups = smug yuppie douches

[DOB2RTO]

 

And all they need to do is enforce standards of food in schools, then let people to exercise freedom in choosing them. Make cafeteria food conform to health standards. That's it.

 

But if the kids (or the parents) prefer home lunches, then they can have them.

 

It's not all what people eat. It's the fact that after school, kids in other countries go to the soccer field, ice rink, or baseball field.

 

Kids in the US, they go home, play video games, and watch TV.

 

Plus it's not the type of food in many cases, it's the AMOUNT of it that causes obesity. Compare American portions to anywhere else in the world and they are huge.

 

Of course American portions are huge. Just like us (not us, since we are a bag of bones). USA, USA, USA, USA!!!!!!!!!!

 

Everything is organic, it had to come from something. The organic vegetables are twice as much and last half as long. Usually trader joes and whole foods groups = smug yuppie douches

 

Ha-ha, and I bet they are usually found in those areas............

[Joel Up Front]

Thanks to Aqueduct for finally piping up about this whole "organic" bullcrap. It's the same shit, isn't it? I don't need these tirades on how "oh they pump this with that" and "I'm better than you because I buy pricier things."

 

Shut up!

[Messino]

Thanks to Aqueduct for finally piping up about this whole "organic" bullcrap. It's the same shit, isn't it? I don't need these tirades on how "oh they pump this with that" and "I'm better than you because I buy pricier things."

 

Shut up!

 

Actually organic is healthier because there are more nutrients and vitamins. Its like when you plant tomatoes in your backyard without using pesticides and other artifical crap, you get tomatoes and cucumbers that are huge and tastier which usually have more of the said nutrients and vitamins compared to the mass produced genetically modifed pesticide and chemically fertilized fruits and vegetables that are usually alot smaller, less tasty and do have less nutrients and vitamins..

 

Thats why organics dont last as long. In the real world tomatoes wernt meant to last so long traveling to the other side of the globe until they were eventually in the consumers home..

 

Its like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for..

[QM1to6Ave]

Thanks to Aqueduct for finally piping up about this whole "organic" bullcrap. It's the same shit, isn't it? I don't need these tirades on how "oh they pump this with that" and "I'm better than you because I buy pricier things."

 

Shut up!

 

While I do understand that there are pesticides on non-organic fruits and such, and that organic is better, I honestly think that the organic companies inflate the health value of organics. As long as you are eating any fruits and vegetables, you will be waaay more likely to live a healthier life.

 

Plus, organic stuff is still too high-priced to be a realistic option for most consumers, and is not that available. I mean, its hard enough to get any fruits or vegetables into a little bodega or whatever, forget about this organic stuff that rots in a day.

[SubwayGuy]

While I do understand that there are pesticides on non-organic fruits and such, and that organic is better, I honestly think that the organic companies inflate the health value of organics. As long as you are eating any fruits and vegetables, you will be waaay more likely to live a healthier life.

 

Plus, organic stuff is still too high-priced to be a realistic option for most consumers, and is not that available. I mean, its hard enough to get any fruits or vegetables into a little bodega or whatever, forget about this organic stuff that rots in a day.

 

It's all marketing bullshit. When I went to Europe, I visited several countries and in NOT A ONE did anyone talk about what is and is not organic, or count carbs. And they're the less obese ones. They eat what they eat and they don't eat too much of it.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Everything is organic, it had to come from something. The organic vegetables are twice as much and last half as long. Usually trader joes and whole foods groups = smug yuppie douches

 

 

Oh please... Look at the usual Whole Foods shoppers and compare them w/the ones who eat at the fast food joints like McDonald's and such and then tell me who healthier. I eat anything that I want (in moderation) and I am quite healthy and in shape. I get my daily intake of natural yogurt and fruit and such. I eat meat but usually lean stuff like turkey and I eat lots of veggies and tofu and seafood like salmon and mussels and such.

 

If you think a hamburger from McDonald's that appears to never become rotten is healthy for you then clearly there is a problem. Food is supposed to break down, not remain as is for months at a time. Who knows what they pump in that crap. The last time I attempted to eat McDonald's a good 7 years ago, I got sick to my stomach and I have not eaten there since. Your body can tell if you're eating crap or eating quality and eventually it will manifest itself in various ways.

 

If I want a good burger and fries I will go to a good place which serves quality food, not some whole in the wall like McDonalds.

[DOB2RTO]

It's all marketing bullshit. When I went to Europe, I visited several countries and in NOT A ONE did anyone talk about what is and is not organic, or count carbs. And they're the less obese ones. They eat what they eat and they don't eat too much of it.

 

 

I don't think it's what we eat, but what is in what we eat. It doesn't matter where a burger is bought, it came from a cow. Chicken comes from chicken, tomatoes come from plants, fish comes from fish, etc. It's the additives, salts, and preservatives, that are in what we eat here, that is doing the harm to our bodies..........

 

When I went to the PA Amish eateries, the fried chicken there, taste way different than what I would buy and cook, cause it didn't have all that steroid and garbage pumped into it. My wife buys fresh live chicken, and have them kill it. It taste way different than Tyson, Purdue, etc.........

[SubwayGuy]

I don't think it's what we eat, but what is in what we eat. It doesn't matter where a burger is bought, it came from a cow. Chicken comes from chicken, tomatoes come from plants, fish comes from fish, etc. It's the additives, salts, and preservatives, that are in what we eat here, that is doing the harm to our bodies..........

 

When I went to the PA Amish eateries, the fried chicken there, taste way different than what I would buy and cook, cause it didn't have all that steroid and garbage pumped into it. My wife buys fresh live chicken, and have them kill it. It taste way different than Tyson, Purdue, etc.........

 

Yes, that is also true a bit...but the biggest differences are in lifestyle and portion size. The reason they stuff so much food into meals at American restaurants is so they can justify charging you $10-$15 f***ing dollars for it.

 

The two best meals I had in central Europe were more than enough food. One cost $4.50 (US), the other cost $8.50 (US). And the best part was, I didn't need an extender for my fork to reach the table, because the seats hadn't needed to be moved far away from the table to accommodate the overgrown guts of the fat asses that might dine there as in many restaurants here.

 

Instead, here in the US, we deal with ever increasing clothing sizes, f***ing fat ass benches everywhere, and humongous portions you have to bag and take home just so they can take $15 of your money home to get a dinner at an "affordable" restaurant. And forget all the way to hell about it if you go somewhere considered "upscale."

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yes, that is also true a bit...but the biggest differences are in lifestyle and portion size. The reason they stuff so much food into meals at American restaurants is so they can justify charging you $10-$15 f***ing dollars for it.

 

The two best meals I had in central Europe were more than enough food. One cost $4.50 (US), the other cost $8.50 (US). And the best part was, I didn't need an extender for my fork to reach the table, because the seats hadn't needed to be moved far away from the table to accommodate the overgrown guts of the fat asses that might dine there as in many restaurants here.

 

Instead, here in the US, we deal with ever increasing clothing sizes, f***ing fat ass benches everywhere, and humongous portions you have to bag and take home just so they can take $15 of your money home to get a dinner at an "affordable" restaurant. And forget all the way to hell about it if you go somewhere considered "upscale."

 

You are talking about "typical" American restaurants, which I avoid. More upscale places offer regular sized portions. Also organic and natural food restaurants offer very healthy option with no preservatives, etc. and normal sized portions. Of course you pay more for quality, but it is worth it. Having lived in Europe as well, I know exactly what you mean though. Here we have lost the idea of QUALITY with everything and now it is how much can I get and cheap is it, so let me stuff my face w/as much sh*tty processed food as possible for $15.00 rather than, let me get a quality meal in for a decent price. It's about choices and selections that we make and unfortunately most folks are too lazy to make choices and take the easy road.

[SubwayGuy]

You are talking about "typical" American restaurants, which I avoid. More upscale places offer regular sized portions.

 

They can charge you more for less. Profiteering. When I was in Europe good food was not significantly more expensive.

 

Also organic and natural food restaurants offer very healthy option with no preservatives, etc. and normal sized portions. Of course you pay more for quality, but it is worth it.

 

Artificial price increases. It's not that much more to create organic foods but the label lets them charge more while shrinking the portion. More profiteering. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always quite affordable. But "organic foods" are not. I call bulls*** on the corps. involved.

 

Having lived in Europe as well, I know exactly what you mean though. Here we have lost the idea of QUALITY with everything and now it is how much can I get and cheap is it, so let me stuff my face w/as much sh*tty processed food as possible for $15.00 rather than, let me get a quality meal in for a decent price.

 

For some people yes. But the problem is with the corps who profit by charging more for food here because they can. Buyers will choose the unhealthier option 9 times out of 10 because the unhealthy corp offers more (since they can still profit a killing off cheaply sourced crap)

 

It's about choices and selections that we make and unfortunately most folks are too lazy to make choices and take the easy road.

 

Many people are idiots with food, but I don't see why companies have to be greedy and be profiteers about it. They could just as easily reduce the sizes of portions and reduce costs proportionally and still have similar profit margin ratios. But they'd rather be greedy and "upsell." The same f***ing line of thought that "super sizing" comes from. At 39 cents for 25 more french fries and 8 ounces of soda they are raping you blind. Probably costs them about 8 cents to produce all that. Profit margin of almost 80%.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

They can charge you more for less. Profiteering. When I was in Europe good food was not significantly more expensive.

 

 

 

Artificial price increases. It's not that much more to create organic foods but the label lets them charge more while shrinking the portion. More profiteering. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always quite affordable. But "organic foods" are not. I call bulls*** on the corps. involved.

 

 

 

For some people yes. But the problem is with the corps who profit by charging more for food here because they can. Buyers will choose the unhealthier option 9 times out of 10 because the unhealthy corp offers more (since they can still profit a killing off cheaply sourced crap)

 

 

 

Many people are idiots with food, but I don't see why companies have to be greedy and be profiteers about it. They could just as easily reduce the sizes of portions and reduce costs proportionally and still have similar profit margin ratios. But they'd rather be greedy and "upsell." The same f***ing line of thought that "super sizing" comes from. At 39 cents for 25 more french fries and 8 ounces of soda they are raping you blind. Probably costs them about 8 cents to produce all that. Profit margin of almost 80%.

 

I think here in the States it's about marketing to a degree as opposed to Europe. Here, those who eat healtier tend to be willing to spend more for quality food and so the products now and days target those kinds of folks.

 

The cheaper crap is cheap to make and allows them to maximize profits so I guess they're thinking is why not make more of the crap esp. knowing that people LOVE bargains here even if it is pure garbage. Put a 12 pack of Coca Cola on sale and see how many of those get sold even though they're loaded with sugar and other garbage.

 

 

Brand recognition is also another problem and the big giants have the money to put their name out there so since your average American consumer tends to be rather lazy when it comes to shopping, they'll just go with what is there in front of them and what they think they know.

 

Me on the other hand, I like to know what I'm buying and from whom I'm buying it from, so I will go to the company's website and read up about a particular company and what their practices are and what sort of activities they are involved in. For example, are the environmentally responsible? I am, so that it is very important to me. I want to buy from companies that share my ideals and my thinking is that companies have a responsibility to be innovative, to be environmentally responsible and to care about the quality of the products that they are making and to think about their customer's needs. A lot of the companies that I buy from are small companies, but they take pride in for example making their product here in the US and they discuss that proudly on their packaging and/or website. :tup: :cool:

 

I also buy a lot from European companies as well since they already have the sort of thinking that I mentioned above in place.