Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
TR, 9:50am
23 comments:
Gracia A
said...
In my prospective, I know myself. We, people, know that fast food is not good for our health; but we chose to eat it anyway. I know so many people that have said they don’t want to eat Mc Donalds or Buger King anymore after finding disturbing facts about their meat quality. I do not exclude myself from it, I eat everyday in a restaurant or to the closest fast food restaurant. On the other hand, eating fast food may be more convenient because some people barely have time to sit for a full meal, so have no choice but to grab something quick. The only way, we can do something about it is by letting people, that don’t know about fast food (or already fast food fans), how that can damage their health; posting ads, and getting the word out that fast food is unhealthy and instead of grabbing the fatting foods, try picking up something more quick and healthy.
Usually I don't eat a lot of fast food especially McDonald's because it doesn't even taste that good. I try to eat real soul food, so I can feel good about myself when I'm done eating. As for 2/3 of the population being addicted to fast food, I honestly feel like its their decision to eat what they want. People aren't oblivious to the fact fast-food is bad for them, same as tobacco or alcohol. On the other hand people do need to become more aware of the condition that the food they eat is held. We should be assured that any animals we consume were properly taken care of; we shouldn't want to save money if its going to cost us our health.
Although obesity is an epidemic and the physical consequences of this “cheap food with a high price health wise” are shocking, what I found even more shocking was the effects that this crisis of damaging eating habits is having in our brain. These negative consequences will be passed on from generation to generation. There is a saying out there that I agree with: “You are what you eat,” and by that I interpret not only the food that goes in our bodies but also into our brains. When it comes to our brain I believe there are two types of fuels that make it function: actual, real food and information and knowledge. When we are confronted to make a decision about what we are going to eat, we can’t make the right decision if we do not have the correct information and knowledge. Do we know what some of the possible consequences are when it comes to the choices we have? We live in such a fast paced “mentality” (I think it is a state of mind rather than a social condition), that there is no room to literally think, or get informed. I believe that the real crises we are facing is that of having the largest population of uninformed people that ever existed on our planet, who don’t know anything about food, our most important means of survival. Here is an explanation about the effect of the current American diet in our brain from a professor of neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“While our ancestral human diet varied for different groups, it did have certain common features. It was a diet that was mostly vegetarian, with very little fat and very little sugar. Sweet flavors were rarely encountered-they typically occurred in ripe fruit or wild honey- and meat was a rare luxury and was usually quite lean when it could be obtained. Most important, in many locations intermittent famines were regular occurrences, so when energy- dense foods containing fat and sugar were available, it made sense to gorge on them to establish a body fat reserve for anticipated hard times. Our love to salt, meanwhile, remains a bit of a puzzle, it could possibly be due to the lost of salt from perspiration. The result of this ancestral diet is that we are hardwired from birth to like certain tastes and smells, most notably those of sugar and fat, but also salt. Humans show a much grater activation of their VTA (pleasure reward system) and dopamine release when eating energy-dense fatty and sugary foods. Interestingly, the combination of fat and sugar is superaddictive, producing a significantly larger jolt to the pleasure circuit than either one given alone. Like cocaine, concentrations of glucose conveyed to the brain will give large, fast-rising pleasure signals that are the most rewarding and most addictive.” (The compass of pleasure, David J. Linden.)
So for the corporate chefs of the world it is very easy to figure how to win our dollars, just add more salt, fat, and sugar to your existing recipe and we will be hooked like any cocaine or heroin addict out there. In my opinion, we are dealing with an epidemic of ignorance.
obesity and unhealthy eating habits that are getting bigger and bigger in america in my opinion are solely due to the poor decision making in americans. fast food is a choice that is given to everyone, weather they decide to eat it or not is completely up to the individual. this decision is usually made because of money,and also the convenience factor. there are many things someone can do to make a healthier meal a priority in life but life especially city life is so fast paced and peoples schedules are so full of things to do that people do not realize or care about what garbage they are putting in their body. i personally make a consiencious effort to avoid eating out and eat a home cooked my prepared by my self or go to a reasturant that has a menu variety with high quality food.
Without a doubt we all know the negative impact fast food have on us mentally and physically. It’s the little things that keep us craving for more burgers or perhaps the strings of fries. Food expert continuously informed us about the disadvantages of eating unhealthy and shared with us the facts about fast foods. Yet, it did not make much difference on the obese population. Fast food has become a drug to the nation. Sometimes I wonder why is it so cheap to get a cheeseburger when countless of cows have died in order for us to produce burgers that could feed millions of people. That is where the issue of animal domestic comes in. Meats are supposed to be healthy for us. So, killing a cow or a chicken should benefit us with protein and such. But instead they inject it with steroids to make it fatter and less healthy. If that’s the case the population will never be able to adapt to a healthy lifestyle because the unhealthy food will keep getting unhealthy and will cost less while the healthy nutrients will cost more and less individuals will be willing to spend money on shopping for healthy food. As the economy worsens it will be a matter of time before plenty turn to fast food rather than staying home and cooking a healthy meal for the family.
Yes, I know I’m skinny but don’t judge me! I’m one the skinny people that eat a lot of junks, I’m not allergic to anything so whatever you give me, as long it’s good in my mouth I’m going to eat it. As for fast food, I eat them all, burger kind, McDonald, Taco bell, etc. the good thing about it is that not they taste good; I don’t have to worry about gaining weight. I still like to eating salad but it’s not really for me and if someone sees me with a salad, they going to look at me weird like “you already skinny go eat some real meat.” But they just don’t know I’m a skinny with a fat girl appetite. People say it’s going to bad for me in the future but that’s my choice. People are not dumb; they have a pretty good idea what they putting in their mouth. There are facts and videos about the food they eating. Like, hello you getting fat or you blood pressure rising up so it’s so obviously it’s bad for you yet they still eat it. . Then again it’s so good. But people have to notice what good and bad for their health. As example, I was in McDonald with my friends not too long ago; a big girl walked up to us and asked me if I was going to peel off my monopoly ticket. We looked at her then looked at each other, I smiled and said yea. I peeled one and my friend peeled the other, the one I peeled off was about the spa, I asked her do I get to go to the spy because I really want to go to the spa but she ignored me. And asked my friend what she has and she said a large fries. Oh my god, the girl faces bright with a hug smile. She was happier than the person who won. She asked us if she can have it, we looked at her like, she’s not serious. Since we were already full we gave it to her, I think we made her day. The funny thing is, she was in line to get food and she spotted us, came to us just for that. So in order to have something good, you have to make sacrifices so can receive something good. In that case, you have to sacrifice fast food for good health. Nobody can‘t control what others eat except themselves and the company will definitely won’t stop selling their food if people keep eat it. Also Fast food are cheaper than the healthy food, if companies lower their prices, maybe, just maybe people will start buying healthy food.
The problem of obesity in the United States is mainly caused by the fast food produced in restaurants around the country. The big problem is that this problem is not only in the United States, is becoming global and in the near future almost everybody will have high blood pressure or obesity problems. The big issue is that this problem has become too big that part of the economy needs this production to survive. If all the people decide that they are going to stop eating fast food, it will create an economic collapse. The reason is very simple: The companies expend too much money producing all the ingredients for these products in an exaggerated way. So what would happen with all the food? What would happen with all the dead animals?. This problem is caused by the way of living of the American people which is agitated and always in a hurry. People prefer to buy something than cook it and expend time on it. Some people say that the easiest way of decreasing this problem of obesity and waste of food is to eliminate these places but that’s not possible. At least that’s not possible to do from one day to another, and is the same with all the possible solutions for the problem. Of all the possible solutions, the most acceptable and realistic is the fact of making these foods very expensive maybe twice as expensive as it is now, because when you cannot afford something too expensive as this kind of food, the solution is to try to find something more affordable. It’s obvious that people would still eat this food, but the amount of people would be smaller and the benefits in a long term would be surprising.
Can we do something about it? Ofcourse we can,but will we? Probably not. It's unfortunate but its true. In my opinion obesity will just continue to grow in America. We can continue to educate the community on the consequences lead by eating food sold by fast food restaurants, but it's up to each individual to think about their own health. I think its just common sense that your eating garbage when a cheese burger cost less then a dollar. I'm aware that McDonald's affects my body and health and that's why I limit myself to what I eat there. I always eat a grill chicken snack wrap, probably one of the healthiest meals on the menu, but even as that said, in the back of my mind I acknowledge the amount of hormones that were put in the production of the chicken. I'm at fault, but atleast I make an effort to reduce the amount of times i go to McDonald's and that's what we should all do.
Honestly I never eat fast food because it always somehow gives me headaches. It also disgusts me it does not ever look appetizing to me. All my friends’ family eats it all the time and I always tell them that it is disgusting that’s not real food. I don’t know how they do it just by looking at the kitchen they cook these so called amazing burgers fries is disgusting. Plus with all the movies they have made warning and showing us how it made and where it comes from should already have people running the opposite direction. I understand there isn’t much time in the day to cook all the time. But I would prefer to make a sandwich and put it in my bag and eat later. That sandwich will hold you up and you won’t be putting disgusting grease and mystery meat into your body.
the best thing that could have been done to avoid all this increase in obesity, money spent on fast-food restaurants, unhealthy diets, etc. is if these fast-food restaurants never existed. it’s all about making money for these major corporations and do you think they care about the health risks it brings upon people? today, it is hard to stop people from eating at such places because the damage has been done. yet, there is still some hope to improve the diet in the majority of the population. before forcing anything on people, they should be educated first on the risks involved with eating fast food. you cannot just throw in a bunch of criticism against fast food without letting the person know why. yes, it is obvious that fast food is very unhealthy but i do believe there are people out there that are not aware of the huge effects it can have besides weight gain. most people don’t know that money is spent more on fast food restaurants than education, which is very sad. their advertising is very tactic in the sense that it lures people they desire and most of the time it is false advertisement. they make the food look so appetizing on ads but when it comes to seeing it in person it looks crappy. however, people still decide to eat these things and most are addicted. people do have a choice in what they eat. children don’t have a choice because parents take them to these places to eat and they don’t know that it’s bad. i made the choice to avoid eating at fast food places because i realized how unhealthy it is, but i do still go at times because of the cost. i get my coffee from mcdonald’s instead of the café in the culinary building because it is way cheaper. sometimes factors such as these do play a role when people chose to eat at a fast food place (i don’t even think it should be called restaurant.) not everyone is open to the idea of not eating at these places and it is going to happen. i think the best thing to do is do some research of fast food places where one goes to on how the food is processed, etc. it’s not something easy for everyone to do but if one puts their mind into it, they can definitely stop eating fast food. i’ve just started reading the book fast food nation: the dark side of the all-american meal to see what the book has to say about fast food and so far it’s interesting!
As we all know fast food is unhealthy for our body. Majority of the US population consumed fast food daily not because we wanted to is because of the way it presented to us. For instance fast food restaurant are convenient, every block and every corner there is fast food restaurant; therefore when we are hungry the first thing that catch our eyes is a fast food restaurant, which prevented our mind and body from resisted from it. Fast food causes a lot of damage to our society most of us in US are obese. Many parents don't have time to cook healthy food for their kids ;all they do just give the kids money for the whole day, and the kids went to the closest fast food . If we take a look of diseases such as, heart attack,cancer,high cholesterol,and much more. Those diseases are more likely cause by those unhealthy fast food restaurant. The fact is not that fast food couldn't have been good is what they used to make those burgers , fries and drinks. They used the cheapest quality of oil , bread ,corn,and etc.Those businesses do not really care about our health ;they are just in business to make money and not care about us citizens.The cheaper the foods are the more danger they are to our health. Imagine a world without fast food? how will that will impact our life and our society? can we really get rid of fast food restaurants? There are people that do not know how to make a dish or are not capable of buying things to cook an healthy meal , sometimes don't have a much time to cook. these are some factor we have to look at before we are addressing the disadvantage of fast food and what are the consequences of getting rid of it.But we may not capable of getting rid of but we diminish the amount of fast food we consumed everyday to make our life healthy.
The way I see it, is the problem is far deeper than what it seems, somewhat like the theory of "determinism" everything happens because of a prior event, The prior event for the over consuming American mentality is the fact that, we are greedy. We being America with all due respect it seems this country and its people are well aware of the problems they and the rest of the world have but yet do nothing about it out of convinience. I can stand by the fact that I am not a fast food eater, although I've had my days literally once a blue moon that I may go, I still try to choose their better food choices such as their Parfait or grilled chicken. I am not saying I'm any better than anyone for never consuming junk food but I am well aware of the health risks and not to mention the damage it does to your appearance due to the lack of vitamins, minerals, etc in that food. Back to the idea that this dilema is being driven by a prior event, our greed has pushed us to make food based on quanity not quality. It has also made us as a society pretty ignorant and not in tune with reality of what is really going on, I am a firm believer that we need to appreciate everything and it seems we take things for granted if we could see the blood and work behind all this food perhaps we would have much more appreciation to the animals being taken for granted. The solution is simple America as in the people in this country need to learn to put the blame on themselves and put the responsibility on themselves when we learn to blame no one but ourseleves and not the "big corporation" by which all means I understand is a big factor we are an even bigger factor, we're the consumer...
America wake up this planet won't be able to hold our weight of greed much longer !
Fast food franchises have been brainwashing us since decades ago. We have even thought about companies like McDonalds as part of our culture, at some extent because it has transcended through American generations. How can we buy a burger, fries and soda with less money than if we wanted to buy healthy food to prepare a nice and natural meal? If we look at some of the processes this companies use to “cook” their meals we would probably find out that these burgers might not even be close to one hundred percent natural meat, that of course due to some chemicals added to preserve the “freshness” they are not healthy, but also that the sources the meat comes from are not totally biological, not to mention the ways this animals are breed. Many people say that they don’t have time to cook a real meal and that they rather pass by the drive through and grab something to fill their biological needs. But even knowing that this food harms us, why do we keep making this kind of business profitable? -Armas, Randy-
Right now, I feel that the only way that America’s eating lifestyles will change if something catastrophic occurs. With us, it’s going to take more than advertisements on television to make us change the way eat. Something major has to happen for large food corporations such as Burger King or McDonalds to change the way they distribute food. For example, we start seeing major alterations to our body. If something like this example were to happen, the probability of change will increase. The mentality of most Americans is burying themselves in ignorance until the worst scenario happens. We have a hard time adapting to change even if the way we are eating is hazardous to our health. I’m not going to lie; I have tendencies of eating fast food. I don’t know how to cook and don’t have time to learn. However, I try my best to eat healthy as possible. All we can do is start taking care of ourselves and continue showing awareness of our eating habits and how corporations produce their food.
I do not think that there is an easy solution to this problem because so many people rely on fast food chains to provide quick cheap meals. I think the only way things will change is if there are laws in place on how these manufactures have to handle their livestock and produce their food to be sold here. As much as we try to educate the population there is always going to be people who don’t care where it comes from, how it’s processed or how it affects their own health. Manufactures on the other hand do not want to be shut down and loose money due to violations. I believe that unless there are laws in place the manufactures are only going to care about mass producing and saving money.
If we view the topic from a "nutri/nomics" stand point, there really is no argument. Quality products consume more time to produce, and through compensation for the time consumed, price increases. Also, profit increases with larger quantities sold. Corporation such as McDonald's have focused not on quality but quantity and the result is cheap food, economically and nutritionally speaking. This is an extremely consistent model and as a result we much respect it as such. Another focus of this topic is how our society reacts, which would be a separate “realm” of logic. Instead of microscopically dissecting the causation of these implications, I prefer to macroscopically view society, as this gives a better standpoint as to the true essence of the American thought process of this situation. Overwhelmingly so, the success of McDonalds and other “cheap” fast food restaurants indicate that we prefer economical options. Fortunately, as we have discussed briefly, the sum of society do not dictate the members (emergent train of thought) and we are able to decide our diets indifferently to the rest of Americans.
The quality of our food is controlled by people who only care about profits and we're just slaves eating for fuel. Cheap affordable food isn't without a catch, most fast foods are pretty bad for you, in excess, and most of us know that. But it's difficult to elude a nice hot hamburger and fries after a long a day at work, especially when there isn't much to eat at home. I admit it, i did that last night but i also don't weight 300+ pound or suffer from diabetes. I guess what I'm trying to say is that our food options are more of a personal responsibility. I dont like to talk about what people should or shouldn't do because I feel like a preechy idiot but we all make decisions on a daily basis so why not try to make the best possible ones? right?
America is infamous for its addiction to fast-food. The blame lies with our "fast lane" mentality and pure laziness of newer generations. I often point to education as a means to bettering humanity but in this case, ignorance is not the issue. The vast majority of Americans simply do not care; no one wants to be bothered with the hassle of shopping for ingredients, preparing, and cooking a meal. It's one of America's worst flaws, our love for the easy way out. Our society wants instant gratification without putting in any effort or sacrifice. That mentality leads us to the obesity "epidemic". Sadly, most people would rather pay for cheap, quick, unhealthy meals then spend a little extra on wholesome, nutrient rich food. What these individuals fail to realize is that nothing is ever as simple as it seems; they will end up paying more with future medical bills, shortened lifespans, and (in severe cases) the inability to enjoy everyday life.
We have to look at the bottom of this problem. Who ultimately decides to buy McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, or Taco Bell? The consumer. Us. According to McDonald's own website, they are currently operating more than 31000 restaurants in 119 countries, yet United States is the only one of them with such high rates of overweight and obese population. More than 60% of US adult population is overweight. It is all about choices we make. If I walk into McD (and I did many times), I have options. I can get relatively fresh salad, drink glass of water and spend as much money as somebody whose getting a Big Mac, fries, and soda. I will get all my nutrients, no animals were harmed, no soil was fertilized to grow "super-corn", no pollution was added to Mississippi river, and so ultimately no coral reefs and fish will die of pollution. McDonald's will make their profit, I will do my share of "spending" to keep the economy moving. What I am trying to say is that we have options. McDonald's is profit oriented. If they notice the sales of salads are growing, they will inevitably adjust their strategy. They won't give up Big Mac, or sandwiches, they would just sell less of them. That would lead to smaller demand for beef, which would lead to smaller demand for super-corn. That would again, lead to less pollution. To offset the loss of meat consumption in fast food places, we could just cook organic meats at home or eat in "real" restaurants that proudly serve only organic ingredients. Just like they do it in Europe for example. It may all sound little bit Utopian, but who can predict what will happen in the future. When Bill Gates predicted that every household will own at least one PC one day, they called him crazy too. Matej Kasala
Is very important that Americans take into consideration what they are eating. I think it will be convenient for people to understand the importance of eating organic. Most of the food we eat now days like milk or meat is full of hormones and many other additives and chemicals to add flavor or to maximize profits. As a result, all these hormones and chemicals found in milk and meat bring bad consequences to human health.
In my opinion, there is something we can do. However, putting it into practice is the hard part. Eating junk food is a habit, which has led America to become obese. Everywhere we turn, we see McDonald’s or other fast food restaurants that tempt us to buy something. People have become ignorant and oblivious, because we are all informed that fast food is very unhealthy, yet we still consume it, no matter what. I eat fast food once in a while, but I always try to tell myself that looking better, feeling better and living better are good reasons to stop eating these “cheap foods”. We just have to learn to choose what is better for us in the end; instead what is pleasing to us at that moment. -Roger Ramirez.
Unfortunately, we are attacked of advertising daily. Conscious or unconsciously these advertising manipulate our decisions to buy something; that is one of the reasons we consume a lot of fat food instead of healthy food. However, we cannot avoid it and we can ask the seller for eliminating these advertisements or taking these foods out of the market, so the only solution is to change our bad habits and to introduce to the market more advertisements of healthy food. Another solution is the education; we should educate our future generations since they are children and that’s way they will be hardly manipulated. On other hand, I am happy to know that some organizations such as FDA are taking steps to awareness people because nowadays supplier and sellers are pushed to put the ingredients, nutrients, and other important information in the food labels. Since these liabilities exist, producers have tried to make food with healthier ingredients.
In today’s society we are depending too much on fast food companies for a quick meal. Although at fast food restaurant has its advantages, it has its long term disadvantages. These corporations provide a quick meal in order to get you in out as fast possible; their efforts help a person resume on their busy schedule as soon as possible. But is the quick meal actually worth the time that you might spend on a hospital bed for horrible eating habits. Such eating habits to we are incorporate in our diets can only lead to harm. The addiction to fast foods can lead to obesity and in some cases heart problems. Americans seem to neglect that these foods are actually bad for us. I personally don’t like fast food, and would prefer and home cooked meal over a simple burger any day. The premade burgers do not have as much flavor as a burger made at home. Although I dislike fast foods, I often find myself eating it. During this last summer I ate McDonald’s every day. Eating it really affected my health and I noticed it. As an athlete I know my limits; walking up stairs was never an issue for me, but one day I suddenly lost all my breath. This is proof that fast food has a physical impact on the body. One should really chose their meal wisely and take their time have a tasteful and healthy meal.
23 comments:
In my prospective, I know myself. We, people, know that fast food is not good for our health; but we chose to eat it anyway. I know so many people that have said they don’t want to eat Mc Donalds or Buger King anymore after finding disturbing facts about their meat quality. I do not exclude myself from it, I eat everyday in a restaurant or to the closest fast food restaurant. On the other hand, eating fast food may be more convenient because some people barely have time to sit for a full meal, so have no choice but to grab something quick. The only way, we can do something about it is by letting people, that don’t know about fast food (or already fast food fans), how that can damage their health; posting ads, and getting the word out that fast food is unhealthy and instead of grabbing the fatting foods, try picking up something more quick and healthy.
Usually I don't eat a lot of fast food especially McDonald's because it doesn't even taste that good. I try to eat real soul food, so I can feel good about myself when I'm done eating. As for 2/3 of the population being addicted to fast food, I honestly feel like its their decision to eat what they want. People aren't oblivious to the fact fast-food is bad for them, same as tobacco or alcohol. On the other hand people do need to become more aware of the condition that the food they eat is held. We should be assured that any animals we consume were properly taken care of; we shouldn't want to save money if its going to cost us our health.
Although obesity is an epidemic and the physical consequences of this “cheap food with a high price health wise” are shocking, what I found even more shocking was the effects that this crisis of damaging eating habits is having in our brain. These negative consequences will be passed on from generation to generation.
There is a saying out there that I agree with: “You are what you eat,” and by that I interpret not only the food that goes in our bodies but also into our brains. When it comes to our brain I believe there are two types of fuels that make it function: actual, real food and information and knowledge.
When we are confronted to make a decision about what we are going to eat, we can’t make the right decision if we do not have the correct information and knowledge. Do we know what some of the possible consequences are when it comes to the choices we have?
We live in such a fast paced “mentality” (I think it is a state of mind rather than a social condition), that there is no room to literally think, or get informed.
I believe that the real crises we are facing is that of having the largest population of uninformed people that ever existed on our planet, who don’t know anything about food, our most important means of survival.
Here is an explanation about the effect of the current American diet in our brain from a professor of neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“While our ancestral human diet varied for different groups, it did have certain common features. It was a diet that was mostly vegetarian, with very little fat and very little sugar. Sweet flavors were rarely encountered-they typically occurred in ripe fruit or wild honey- and meat was a rare luxury and was usually quite lean when it could be obtained. Most important, in many locations intermittent famines were regular occurrences, so when energy- dense foods containing fat and sugar were available, it made sense to gorge on them to establish a body fat reserve for anticipated hard times. Our love to salt, meanwhile, remains a bit of a puzzle, it could possibly be due to the lost of salt from perspiration.
The result of this ancestral diet is that we are hardwired from birth to like certain tastes and smells, most notably those of sugar and fat, but also salt. Humans show a much grater activation of their VTA (pleasure reward system) and dopamine release when eating energy-dense fatty and sugary foods. Interestingly, the combination of fat and sugar is superaddictive, producing a significantly larger jolt to the pleasure circuit than either one given alone. Like cocaine, concentrations of glucose conveyed to the brain will give large, fast-rising pleasure signals that are the most rewarding and most addictive.” (The compass of pleasure, David J. Linden.)
So for the corporate chefs of the world it is very easy to figure how to win our dollars, just add more salt, fat, and sugar to your existing recipe and we will be hooked like any cocaine or heroin addict out there.
In my opinion, we are dealing with an epidemic of ignorance.
obesity and unhealthy eating habits that are getting bigger and bigger in america in my opinion are solely due to the poor decision making in americans. fast food is a choice that is given to everyone, weather they decide to eat it or not is completely up to the individual. this decision is usually made because of money,and also the convenience factor. there are many things someone can do to make a healthier meal a priority in life but life especially city life is so fast paced and peoples schedules are so full of things to do that people do not realize or care about what garbage they are putting in their body. i personally make a consiencious effort to avoid eating out and eat a home cooked my prepared by my self or go to a reasturant that has a menu variety with high quality food.
Without a doubt we all know the negative impact fast food have on us mentally and physically. It’s the little things that keep us craving for more burgers or perhaps the strings of fries. Food expert continuously informed us about the disadvantages of eating unhealthy and shared with us the facts about fast foods. Yet, it did not make much difference on the obese population. Fast food has become a drug to the nation. Sometimes I wonder why is it so cheap to get a cheeseburger when countless of cows have died in order for us to produce burgers that could feed millions of people. That is where the issue of animal domestic comes in. Meats are supposed to be healthy for us. So, killing a cow or a chicken should benefit us with protein and such. But instead they inject it with steroids to make it fatter and less healthy. If that’s the case the population will never be able to adapt to a healthy lifestyle because the unhealthy food will keep getting unhealthy and will cost less while the healthy nutrients will cost more and less individuals will be willing to spend money on shopping for healthy food. As the economy worsens it will be a matter of time before plenty turn to fast food rather than staying home and cooking a healthy meal for the family.
Yes, I know I’m skinny but don’t judge me! I’m one the skinny people that eat a lot of junks, I’m not allergic to anything so whatever you give me, as long it’s good in my mouth I’m going to eat it. As for fast food, I eat them all, burger kind, McDonald, Taco bell, etc. the good thing about it is that not they taste good; I don’t have to worry about gaining weight. I still like to eating salad but it’s not really for me and if someone sees me with a salad, they going to look at me weird like “you already skinny go eat some real meat.” But they just don’t know I’m a skinny with a fat girl appetite. People say it’s going to bad for me in the future but that’s my choice. People are not dumb; they have a pretty good idea what they putting in their mouth. There are facts and videos about the food they eating. Like, hello you getting fat or you blood pressure rising up so it’s so obviously it’s bad for you yet they still eat it. . Then again it’s so good. But people have to notice what good and bad for their health. As example, I was in McDonald with my friends not too long ago; a big girl walked up to us and asked me if I was going to peel off my monopoly ticket. We looked at her then looked at each other, I smiled and said yea. I peeled one and my friend peeled the other, the one I peeled off was about the spa, I asked her do I get to go to the spy because I really want to go to the spa but she ignored me. And asked my friend what she has and she said a large fries. Oh my god, the girl faces bright with a hug smile. She was happier than the person who won. She asked us if she can have it, we looked at her like, she’s not serious. Since we were already full we gave it to her, I think we made her day. The funny thing is, she was in line to get food and she spotted us, came to us just for that. So in order to have something good, you have to make sacrifices so can receive something good. In that case, you have to sacrifice fast food for good health. Nobody can‘t control what others eat except themselves and the company will definitely won’t stop selling their food if people keep eat it. Also Fast food are cheaper than the healthy food, if companies lower their prices, maybe, just maybe people will start buying healthy food.
The problem of obesity in the United States is mainly caused by the fast food produced in restaurants around the country. The big problem is that this problem is not only in the United States, is becoming global and in the near future almost everybody will have high blood pressure or obesity problems.
The big issue is that this problem has become too big that part of the economy needs this production to survive. If all the people decide that they are going to stop eating fast food, it will create an economic collapse. The reason is very simple: The companies expend too much money producing all the ingredients for these products in an exaggerated way. So what would happen with all the food? What would happen with all the dead animals?.
This problem is caused by the way of living of the American people which is agitated and always in a hurry. People prefer to buy something than cook it and expend time on it.
Some people say that the easiest way of decreasing this problem of obesity and waste of food is to eliminate these places but that’s not possible. At least that’s not possible to do from one day to another, and is the same with all the possible solutions for the problem.
Of all the possible solutions, the most acceptable and realistic is the fact of making these foods very expensive maybe twice as expensive as it is now, because when you cannot afford something too expensive as this kind of food, the solution is to try to find something more affordable. It’s obvious that people would still eat this food, but the amount of people would be smaller and the benefits in a long term would be surprising.
Can we do something about it? Ofcourse we can,but will we? Probably not. It's unfortunate but its true. In my opinion obesity will just continue to grow in America. We can continue to educate the community on the consequences lead by eating food sold by fast food restaurants, but it's up to each individual to think about their own health. I think its just common sense that your eating garbage when a cheese burger cost less then a dollar. I'm aware that McDonald's affects my body and health and that's why I limit myself to what I eat there. I always eat a grill chicken snack wrap, probably one of the healthiest meals on the menu, but even as that said, in the back of my mind I acknowledge the amount of hormones that were put in the production of the chicken. I'm at fault, but atleast I make an effort to reduce the amount of times i go to McDonald's and that's what we should all do.
Honestly I never eat fast food because it always somehow gives me headaches. It also disgusts me it does not ever look appetizing to me. All my friends’ family eats it all the time and I always tell them that it is disgusting that’s not real food. I don’t know how they do it just by looking at the kitchen they cook these so called amazing burgers fries is disgusting. Plus with all the movies they have made warning and showing us how it made and where it comes from should already have people running the opposite direction. I understand there isn’t much time in the day to cook all the time. But I would prefer to make a sandwich and put it in my bag and eat later. That sandwich will hold you up and you won’t be putting disgusting grease and mystery meat into your body.
the best thing that could have been done to avoid all this increase in obesity, money spent on fast-food restaurants, unhealthy diets, etc. is if these fast-food restaurants never existed. it’s all about making money for these major corporations and do you think they care about the health risks it brings upon people? today, it is hard to stop people from eating at such places because the damage has been done. yet, there is still some hope to improve the diet in the majority of the population. before forcing anything on people, they should be educated first on the risks involved with eating fast food. you cannot just throw in a bunch of criticism against fast food without letting the person know why. yes, it is obvious that fast food is very unhealthy but i do believe there are people out there that are not aware of the huge effects it can have besides weight gain. most people don’t know that money is spent more on fast food restaurants than education, which is very sad. their advertising is very tactic in the sense that it lures people they desire and most of the time it is false advertisement. they make the food look so appetizing on ads but when it comes to seeing it in person it looks crappy. however, people still decide to eat these things and most are addicted. people do have a choice in what they eat. children don’t have a choice because parents take them to these places to eat and they don’t know that it’s bad. i made the choice to avoid eating at fast food places because i realized how unhealthy it is, but i do still go at times because of the cost. i get my coffee from mcdonald’s instead of the café in the culinary building because it is way cheaper. sometimes factors such as these do play a role when people chose to eat at a fast food place (i don’t even think it should be called restaurant.) not everyone is open to the idea of not eating at these places and it is going to happen. i think the best thing to do is do some research of fast food places where one goes to on how the food is processed, etc. it’s not something easy for everyone to do but if one puts their mind into it, they can definitely stop eating fast food.
i’ve just started reading the book fast food nation: the dark side of the all-american meal to see what the book has to say about fast food and so far it’s interesting!
As we all know fast food is unhealthy for our body. Majority of the US population consumed fast food daily not because we wanted to is because of the way it presented to us. For instance fast food restaurant are convenient, every block and every corner there is fast food restaurant; therefore when we are hungry the first thing that catch our eyes is a fast food restaurant, which prevented our mind and body from resisted from it. Fast food causes a lot of damage to our society most of us in US are obese. Many parents don't have time to cook healthy food for their kids ;all they do just give the kids money for the whole day, and the kids went to the closest fast food . If we take a look of diseases such as, heart attack,cancer,high cholesterol,and much more. Those diseases are more likely cause by those unhealthy fast food restaurant. The fact is not that fast food couldn't have been good is what they used to make those burgers , fries and drinks. They used the cheapest quality of oil , bread ,corn,and etc.Those businesses do not really care about our health ;they are just in business to make money and not care about us citizens.The cheaper the foods are the more danger they are to our health. Imagine a world without fast food? how will that will impact our life and our society? can we really get rid of fast food restaurants? There are people that do not know how to make a dish or are not capable of buying things to cook an healthy meal , sometimes don't have a much time to cook. these are some factor we have to look at before we are addressing the disadvantage of fast food and what are the consequences of getting rid of it.But we may not capable of getting rid of but we diminish the amount of fast food we consumed everyday to make our life healthy.
The way I see it, is the problem is far deeper than what it seems, somewhat like the theory of "determinism" everything happens because of a prior event, The prior event for the over consuming American mentality is the fact that, we are greedy. We being America with all due respect it seems this country and its people are well aware of the problems they and the rest of the world have but yet do nothing about it out of convinience. I can stand by the fact that I am not a fast food eater, although I've had my days literally once a blue moon that I may go, I still try to choose their better food choices such as their Parfait or grilled chicken. I am not saying I'm any better than anyone for never consuming junk food but I am well aware of the health risks and not to mention the damage it does to your appearance due to the lack of vitamins, minerals, etc in that food. Back to the idea that this dilema is being driven by a prior event, our greed has pushed us to make food based on quanity not quality. It has also made us as a society pretty ignorant and not in tune with reality of what is really going on, I am a firm believer that we need to appreciate everything and it seems we take things for granted if we could see the blood and work behind all this food perhaps we would have much more appreciation to the animals being taken for granted. The solution is simple America as in the people in this country need to learn to put the blame on themselves and put the responsibility on themselves when we learn to blame no one but ourseleves and not the "big corporation" by which all means I understand is a big factor we are an even bigger factor, we're the consumer...
America wake up this planet won't be able to hold our weight of greed much longer !
Fast food franchises have been brainwashing us since decades ago. We have even thought about companies like McDonalds as part of our culture, at some extent because it has transcended through American generations. How can we buy a burger, fries and soda with less money than if we wanted to buy healthy food to prepare a nice and natural meal? If we look at some of the processes this companies use to “cook” their meals we would probably find out that these burgers might not even be close to one hundred percent natural meat, that of course due to some chemicals added to preserve the “freshness” they are not healthy, but also that the sources the meat comes from are not totally biological, not to mention the ways this animals are breed. Many people say that they don’t have time to cook a real meal and that they rather pass by the drive through and grab something to fill their biological needs. But even knowing that this food harms us, why do we keep making this kind of business profitable?
-Armas, Randy-
Right now, I feel that the only way that America’s eating lifestyles will change if something catastrophic occurs. With us, it’s going to take more than advertisements on television to make us change the way eat. Something major has to happen for large food corporations such as Burger King or McDonalds to change the way they distribute food. For example, we start seeing major alterations to our body. If something like this example were to happen, the probability of change will increase. The mentality of most Americans is burying themselves in ignorance until the worst scenario happens. We have a hard time adapting to change even if the way we are eating is hazardous to our health. I’m not going to lie; I have tendencies of eating fast food. I don’t know how to cook and don’t have time to learn. However, I try my best to eat healthy as possible. All we can do is start taking care of ourselves and continue showing awareness of our eating habits and how corporations produce their food.
I do not think that there is an easy solution to this problem because so many people rely on fast food chains to provide quick cheap meals. I think the only way things will change is if there are laws in place on how these manufactures have to handle their livestock and produce their food to be sold here. As much as we try to educate the population there is always going to be people who don’t care where it comes from, how it’s processed or how it affects their own health. Manufactures on the other hand do not want to be shut down and loose money due to violations. I believe that unless there are laws in place the manufactures are only going to care about mass producing and saving money.
If we view the topic from a "nutri/nomics" stand point, there really is no argument. Quality products consume more time to produce, and through compensation for the time consumed, price increases. Also, profit increases with larger quantities sold. Corporation such as McDonald's have focused not on quality but quantity and the result is cheap food, economically and nutritionally speaking. This is an extremely consistent model and as a result we much respect it as such. Another focus of this topic is how our society reacts, which would be a separate “realm” of logic. Instead of microscopically dissecting the causation of these implications, I prefer to macroscopically view society, as this gives a better standpoint as to the true essence of the American thought process of this situation. Overwhelmingly so, the success of McDonalds and other “cheap” fast food restaurants indicate that we prefer economical options. Fortunately, as we have discussed briefly, the sum of society do not dictate the members (emergent train of thought) and we are able to decide our diets indifferently to the rest of Americans.
The quality of our food is controlled by people who only care about profits and we're just slaves eating for fuel. Cheap affordable food isn't without a catch, most fast foods are pretty bad for you, in excess, and most of us know that. But it's difficult to elude a nice hot hamburger and fries after a long a day at work, especially when there isn't much to eat at home. I admit it, i did that last night but i also don't weight 300+ pound or suffer from diabetes. I guess what I'm trying to say is that our food options are more of a personal responsibility. I dont like to talk about what people should or shouldn't do because I feel like a preechy idiot but we all make decisions on a daily basis so why not try to make the best possible ones? right?
America is infamous for its addiction to fast-food. The blame lies with our "fast lane" mentality and pure laziness of newer generations. I often point to education as a means to bettering humanity but in this case, ignorance is not the issue. The vast majority of Americans simply do not care; no one wants to be bothered with the hassle of shopping for ingredients, preparing, and cooking a meal. It's one of America's worst flaws, our love for the easy way out. Our society wants instant gratification without putting in any effort or sacrifice. That mentality leads us to the obesity "epidemic". Sadly, most people would rather pay for cheap, quick, unhealthy meals then spend a little extra on wholesome, nutrient rich food. What these individuals fail to realize is that nothing is ever as simple as it seems; they will end up paying more with future medical bills, shortened lifespans, and (in severe cases) the inability to enjoy everyday life.
We have to look at the bottom of this problem. Who ultimately decides to buy McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, or Taco Bell? The consumer. Us. According to McDonald's own website, they are currently operating more than 31000 restaurants in 119 countries, yet United States is the only one of them with such high rates of overweight and obese population. More than 60% of US adult population is overweight.
It is all about choices we make. If I walk into McD (and I did many times), I have options. I can get relatively fresh salad, drink glass of water and spend as much money as somebody whose getting a Big Mac, fries, and soda. I will get all my nutrients, no animals were harmed, no soil was fertilized to grow "super-corn", no pollution was added to Mississippi river, and so ultimately no coral reefs and fish will die of pollution. McDonald's will make their profit, I will do my share of "spending" to keep the economy moving. What I am trying to say is that we have options. McDonald's is profit oriented. If they notice the sales of salads are growing, they will inevitably adjust their strategy. They won't give up Big Mac, or sandwiches, they would just sell less of them. That would lead to smaller demand for beef, which would lead to smaller demand for super-corn. That would again, lead to less pollution. To offset the loss of meat consumption in fast food places, we could just cook organic meats at home or eat in "real" restaurants that proudly serve only organic ingredients. Just like they do it in Europe for example. It may all sound little bit Utopian, but who can predict what will happen in the future. When Bill Gates predicted that every household will own at least one PC one day, they called him crazy too.
Matej Kasala
Is very important that Americans take into consideration what they are eating. I think it will be convenient for people to understand the importance of eating organic. Most of the food we eat now days like milk or meat is full of hormones and many other additives and chemicals to add flavor or to maximize profits. As a result, all these hormones and chemicals found in milk and meat bring bad consequences to human health.
In my opinion, there is something we can do. However, putting it into practice is the hard part. Eating junk food is a habit, which has led America to become obese. Everywhere we turn, we see McDonald’s or other fast food restaurants that tempt us to buy something. People have become ignorant and oblivious, because we are all informed that fast food is very unhealthy, yet we still consume it, no matter what. I eat fast food once in a while, but I always try to tell myself that looking better, feeling better and living better are good reasons to stop eating these “cheap foods”. We just have to learn to choose what is better for us in the end; instead what is pleasing to us at that moment.
-Roger Ramirez.
Unfortunately, we are attacked of advertising daily. Conscious or unconsciously these advertising manipulate our decisions to buy something; that is one of the reasons we consume a lot of fat food instead of healthy food. However, we cannot avoid it and we can ask the seller for eliminating these advertisements or taking these foods out of the market, so the only solution is to change our bad habits and to introduce to the market more advertisements of healthy food. Another solution is the education; we should educate our future generations since they are children and that’s way they will be hardly manipulated. On other hand, I am happy to know that some organizations such as FDA are taking steps to awareness people because nowadays supplier and sellers are pushed to put the ingredients, nutrients, and other important information in the food labels. Since these liabilities exist, producers have tried to make food with healthier ingredients.
GEOVANA VAZQUEZ CHIARI
In today’s society we are depending too much on fast food companies for a quick meal. Although at fast food restaurant has its advantages, it has its long term disadvantages. These corporations provide a quick meal in order to get you in out as fast possible; their efforts help a person resume on their busy schedule as soon as possible. But is the quick meal actually worth the time that you might spend on a hospital bed for horrible eating habits. Such eating habits to we are incorporate in our diets can only lead to harm. The addiction to fast foods can lead to obesity and in some cases heart problems. Americans seem to neglect that these foods are actually bad for us. I personally don’t like fast food, and would prefer and home cooked meal over a simple burger any day. The premade burgers do not have as much flavor as a burger made at home. Although I dislike fast foods, I often find myself eating it. During this last summer I ate McDonald’s every day. Eating it really affected my health and I noticed it. As an athlete I know my limits; walking up stairs was never an issue for me, but one day I suddenly lost all my breath. This is proof that fast food has a physical impact on the body. One should really chose their meal wisely and take their time have a tasteful and healthy meal.
by:Christian Arias
Post a Comment