Social costs of fast food

18 posts / 0 new

Thu, 2009-07-02 23:30

Boom Boom

We've discussed this before on old babble I think. Here's a current discussion under way:

McDonald's Is Poisoning Consumers -- And Blaming Everyone Else for the Catastrophic Societal Costs
excerpt:
But the American public is increasingly seeing through the antics. In a recent Corporate Accountability International poll conducted by Lake Research partners 57 percent of Americans said they believe the fast food industry was, "responsible...for the increase in diet-related diseases and health conditions." This is a three-fold increase over a similar Gallup poll conducted in 2003.

Fri, 2009-07-03 11:57

Boom Boom

excerpt:

The playbook is the same, but this time the the lies and misinformation could be disastrous for everyone -- children especially.

Fri, 2009-07-03 12:11

Snert

Quote:
57 percent of Americans said they believe the fast food industry was, "responsible...for the increase in diet-related diseases and health conditions."

So in other words, "It's someone else's fault that I keep SuperSizing my order!". Not exactly shocking.
Anyway, I'm off to get lunch. I'll be very curious to see if any fast food employees run up to me and try to stuff onion rings in my mouth.

Fri, 2009-07-03 12:29

Stargazer

You're a one trick pony snert. It gets old mighty fast dude.

Fri, 2009-07-03 13:18

Snert

**shrug**

Fri, 2009-07-03 14:01

HeywoodFloyd

There is a simple solution. Don't eat fast food.

I don't anymore. It's cheaper and I'm in better moods. I found that I would get really agitated after eating McDonalds.

Fri, 2009-07-03 14:10

Boom Boom

No fast food joints here, but there is one restaurant in our isolated village which serves hamburgers and fries in addition to other items. I haven't eaten there since about 2007. I enjoy cooking, actually, and using the best ingredients I can find. However, I can see the appeal of fast food for some: I visited downtown New York City and downtown Washington DC several times, and office workers run out quickly to grab a hamburger and fries and run back to work. I've never understood why office workers don't make their lunch at home and take it with them, but I guess that's not an option for many, for whatever reasons.

Fri, 2009-07-03 14:17

rural - Francesca rural - Francesca's picture

Everything in moderation!

We McDonalds very rarely now (wheat allergy for me a problem) but before the wheat allergy sometimes when you're on the road it was the easiest thing to do. (also have dairy allergy and knew what 2 things I could eat there safe)

But to blame....

What about video games? Cut backs on physical education in school? Cut backs on community recreation subsidies? Fear mongering that made us keep our kids near us, and therefore inside? What about eating disorders? Consummerism?

The list goes on for causes, I don't think there is one central cause that we could point to and go "aha if we just cut out cinnamom we'd all be skinny"

Fri, 2009-07-03 15:21

Sven

HeywoodFloyd wrote:

There is a simple solution. Don't eat fast food.

But that solution is too easy (and, unfortunately, it doesn't require the hiring of massive numbers of government box-checkers, even more massive amounts of government spending, nor a need for oceans of intricate and confusing regulations to implement).

Therefore, your solution is: [color=red]REJECTED!!![/color]

_______________________________________

[b]Eleutherophobics of the World...Unite!!![/b]

Fri, 2009-07-03 15:30

#10

rural - Francesca rural - Francesca's picture

speaking of McDonalds http://consumerist.com/5306408/mcdonalds-10-lb-bags-of-ice-contain-less-...

Fri, 2009-07-03 17:19

#11

Tommy_Paine

So, Sven, Heywood and Snert, are you against the ban on tobacco advertising?

A large part of me (above the belt, and below my shirt pockets) thinks the above troika is correct, basically. But I also think fast food outlets shouldn't be allowed to advertise, and certainly should not be allowed to advertise to kids.

Or, if we allow them, then let everyone else. Raspberry flavoured cigarette commercials during Sponge Bob Square Pants, Kahlua during Saved by the Bell (actually, I've seen that) or Oxycontin durring I Carly.

And, all that packaging at fast food joints should include a list of ingredients.

Fri, 2009-07-03 18:26

#12

HeywoodFloyd

Not at all. There is no healthy alternative to tobacco and tobacco is a luxury rather than a need.

Food is food. We need it. Period. But there is a health alternative to fast food and junk food. Real food. And it is readily available.

Fri, 2009-07-03 18:53

#13

Fidel

I think all these fast food flyers that come in the mail are the equivalent of propaganda leaflet drops by a fascist food industry, if we can call it food. I guess hungry people as captive audiences everywhere would consider it food.

Fri, 2009-07-03 19:12

#14

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

HeywoodFloyd wrote:

Not at all. There is no healthy alternative to tobacco and tobacco is a luxury rather than a need.

Food is food. We need it. Period. But there is a health alternative to fast food and junk food. Real food. And it is readily available.

Where, when you're out & about? I mean, when I'm in the city, I know where to get my 2 serving portions of cantonese chow mein with tons o' veggies 'n' shrimp, BBQ pork & Chicken for under 8 bucks. I can find my bahn mi sandwiches stuffed with coriander and pickled carrot and daikon radish alongside recognizible roast chicken or BBQ pork for $2.25, each a meal in themselves.

But when I'm travelling in unfamiliar territory, where can I stop for real food for less than $15 a head?

Fast food vs. corporate food: one offers no nutritional value, the other no financial value.

Fri, 2009-07-03 20:09

#15

Tommy_Paine

But there is a health alternative to fast food and junk food. Real food. And it is readily available.

Not in all cases. In fact, there are neighborhoods I saw featured in L.A. where every "food" outlet was a fast food joint.

I'm just looking for the thread of consistency in your arguement, Heywood. I can respect, if dissagree, with a laisez fair, let the devil take the hindmost point of view if it's across the board. At least it gives me the equal opportunity to go to wealthy neighborhoods and deal oxycontin, or meth in the playgrounds.

But this seems one sided. I can't sell poison in rich neighborhoods, but rich people can sell poison in poor neighborhoods.

I appeal to your sense of fairness.

Fri, 2009-07-03 22:05

#16

Boom Boom

from the article I posted at the beginning of this thread:

This brings up Line 4 - "It's not our responsibility that kids are getting sick from eating too much of our food, that's on parents." Well, McDonald's certainly isn't doing parents any favors when it takes advantage of every space parents cannot control to make lifelong customers of young people.

It's not just the promotion and marketing in and around schools, the siting of restaurants or cleverly disguised product promotion like the McDonald's All-American Reading Challenge - it's the actual sale of branded fast food in schools (which occurs in one out of every five schools).

As the largest fast food corporation, McDonald's can do better than this. It can stop zoning restaurants next to schools and selling branded fast food in schools. It can also provide an example of industry best practices by halting all sports sponsorships and marketing that appeals to children.

Sat, 2009-07-04 12:32

#17

al-Qa'bong

HeywoodFloyd wrote:

There is a simple solution. Don't eat fast food.

I don't anymore. It's cheaper and I'm in better moods. I found that I would get really agitated after eating McDonalds.

I get agitated by just smelling McDonalds. There's a rendering plant here in town, the emanations from which are not unlike those that are spewed by the exhaust fans that cover McDo's (and Burger King's) hamburger grills.

Anyway, I agree; don't eat fast food, and I blame those "billions and billions served" more than I blame the corporation.

After all, McDo is doing what it does out of the necessity of being a soulless corporation, and to expect it to refrain from advertising to children as a means to get to adults is silly. McDonalds can no more stop its type of predations than a crocodile can stop biting the heads off watering zebras, which is why people need some amount of protection against it.

Sat, 2009-07-04 13:48

#18

no1important

Obesity is an epidemic. Plus like smoking fast food causes cancer, heart attacks, strokes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, joint problems from being over weight and will be a drain on our health care system like tobacco.

I actually see in the not to distant future fast food will be taxed like booze and tobacco are now. Less people smoking, more people getting sick from fast food and the governments will need money.