Fast Food/ Food In America - Comments

Oh yeah and That Weird Kid. No offense but I don't think that you drinking diet sodas is a really good excuse because they're a huge amount of alternatives.

Haha, this article was a joke. I don't even know why I wrote it. Change of thought, over time. I understand That Weird Kid.

This is an older article, but I am completely insulted by this. First of all, some people don't have the choice between drinking diet and regular drinks. I'm a diabetic and if I drink a can of regular soda or even drink regular juice my blood sugar could spike dangerously high and I could end up in the hospital.

Second, I, nor anyone I know, have ever thought we would never gain weight. I'm constantly worrying about how I look in my clothes or what size I am. I know I can gain weight, and for most people that leads to an eating disorder.

Third, I'm insulted by you saying "foolish freshman". It is an insult, no matter how you meant it. Everyone has been a freshman at some point, and being older gives you no right to insult them.

I do not like this writing style at all. It is constantly insulting different types of people. Did you consider that some people can't afford to buy healthy foods? Unfortunately, fast food costs significantly less than healthy foods, so many people don't have much of a choice. Would you rather only be able to eat an apple for the entire day, or eat an entire meal?

OPh, and based on the whole "government plan" line, I think it's pretty obvious that you're one of those epople who see a conspiracy theory in everything, and who find any little reason to blame the government.
You know why?
Because people like that can't face the ugly truth and accept that they have made mistakes. They are cowards who must find someone else to blame for their idiocy.

This is a rant, and nothing more.
This "article" was very biased, which is not what an article should be.
While I can understand where you're coming from...I hope you realize that not every American eats junky food. No one is forcing us to eat unhealthy foods. I have friends, teenage friends, that find fast food disgusting. Not all college students are stuffing their faces with junk. Some don't even have the money to buy all this food you say they are eating.
In the end, it's all about self-control. We, as people, choose whether or not to eat unhealthy foods. No one if forcing us to, no one "wants" us to, and it is not a "goverment plan".

I hate constantly hearing that America is fat.
At least we can afford food, unlike the countries that are complaining about us.

I'm going to ignore all of the comments I just read...

While I agree with some of the points you make in your article, I would like to say something from the "fast-food" side of the fence. I work in a fast-food chain and some of my customers I see every single day; they make the choice to eat there. While we do have overweight/obese customers, we can't say to them, "I'm sorry, you're fat, you can't eat here 'cause it'll just make you fatter, or give you (insert whatever health issue relating to digestion you want)." Some of them order massive amounts of food and yes, it is all for them, but again, it's their choice. If they're content and happy with who they are, I don't see a big deal with it.

Sure our food is greasy, half of it's fried, and some is loaded with sodium, but we're there for a reason. People may not have the time to pack lunches or want what's offered (going along with your high school cafeteria bit) at school. I've been out of high school for six years, but I still remember what was served because it was pretty much the same thing EVERY day; pizza, fries, and chicken nuggets. If we were lucky, we got tater-tots or mashed potatoes and gravy. We also had an 'a la cart' line which had ice-cream and other snack foods 'cause our cafeteria knew that not everyone would eat at school, or want what was offered.

Personally, I chose to eat at school 'cause I had to do so much each morning that I didn't have the time to pack a lunch and I wasn't going to get up earlier and lose sleep just to have a healthier bit of lunch. I'd rather just pay the $1.10 for my crappy school lunch. Towards the end of my high school years, I had a car and yes, I'd go off campus to eat, I'd hit up McDonald's, or Wendy's, or Arby's 'cause I just wanted something not mundane and what I've eaten for three previous years, and I needed it to be fast.

However, like I said, I do like the points you make about it being an issue. People should be a tad more conscious about the things they eat and most definitely in proper portions (which is why I liked fast-food, you only get more than you should if you ask for it and I for one, don't), but it all boils down to personal choice.

As for the Diet sodas bit, my Dad's diabetic, he can only drink Diet 'cause he can't have a lot of sugar. It's all that's available in my house (other than juices, milk and water). As I also stated, I work fast-food, I eat at work, and most times I have two meals at work 'cause I'm there so long. I drink Diet soda and eat fast-food pretty much daily and I'm fairly healthy. I am overweight but that's due to other health issues I have and the medications I have to take to counteract them. I'm still active, my job requires it of me, and I don't like to sit at home on my bum during all my free time.

Overall, I do like this article. Obviously it sparked something in the readers, but that's usually a good thing. (Personally, I think taking offense is a choice; so I wouldn't let those that have taken offense to your article, get you down so much.) You make people sit back and think a little, well done in my opinion. :)

PS: If I seem contradictory at all, I apologize, I have a hard time getting my thoughts to come out how I want them to. XD

[b]AFI34974[/b]
I don't see how their obesity makes YOUR insurance go up.
Feel free to explain.

Also, just because they take up some of your seat doesn't make it your business. Deal with it and don't be so rude about it.

I totally agree. But I am addicted :'( soz!

Them fries in the pic look REALLY good.

Also, if you really want to know what is wrong with the food industry in America, read or watch 'Food Inc.'

[i] It’s all a government plan I say. [/i]
Really?! Oh come on!
Obesity in the United States costs around $147 BILLION dollars per year. With the recently passed healthcare bill we will ALL be paying for that. There was also a bit in the healthcare bill that requires restaurants/fast food places to show customers the nutrition facts of the food they sell. But that bit doesn’t go into effect until 2014. (Besides if anyone makes money off of people being sick, it is pharmaceutical companies.) So tell me again, hoe does the government benefit from it’s citizens being obese?
(Also, just an FYI, two-thirds of America is either overweight or obese.)

If anyone is to blame, it is ourselves and the choices we make. Nobody is forcing us to buy fast food. Nobody is forcing us to watch an hour of television instead of going for a walk. We can choose to eat fast food for lunch, or we can choose to pack a lunch in the morning. All in all, we mast take responsibility for our own actions and not blame others.

I personally liked the idea behind this article. I agree some aspects could have been reworded and stated a little better and maybe a tone change, but overall the idea is good.
Though take into consideration that not everyone has the money to afford healthy. My high schools charged more money for a small salad (almost four bucks) as opposed to a chicken patty sandwich for two.
Also, for future articles, remove cursing, it just brings the article down. But again, good idea just could use some tweaking.

I'm a realist. I also suffer from an EDNOS, so don't preach to me.

tigermilk,
Rude.... that word has no meaning to me anymore. I mean, how much is supposed to be sugar coated in life?

you're coming across as incredibly rude, and I suppose you don't mean to be but you are.

the article was good but the word "Crappy" stuck up as unproffessional and kind of bugged me

Part of the reasons students go to fast-food places is the time restrictions. You can't go to a non-fast-food restaurant, eat, and get back to school in 30 minutes. It's just not possible.

Maybe we should start looking at healthier fast food places, like Tropical Smoothie Cafe (whose most calorie-laden item is less than 600 calories). One of their smoothies, each of which runs less than 450 calories for a 24-oz container, will fill someone up for about three-four hours. That's about the same amount of time as two pieces of pizza, and it costs less ($4.29 for a 24-oz smoothie, or $9.99 for a sandwich, smoothie, and fruit).

I'm sure there are other healthy fast-food joints, but TSC is the only one near me-and I can't even drive there from my school in half an hour. My choices are BK, McDonald's, or a local fast-food called Spelunker's (which has better quality and more tomatoes, lettuce, etc. on its burgers than Mickey D's and BK combined).

Bottom line: Healthier choices are needed.

hide.my.fate.
Yeah, and I'd be afraid to get it. I mean, how long can it last?
Oh and that's another thing, all that crap they put in potato chips and stuff to make it last until 2099 is REALLY bad for you. I agree with some of you, maybe I should have made it more clear that WE AS A PEOPLE should walk away from this kind of stuff because honestly, if something doesn't expire until two years later, something HAS to be wrong with it.

It was exactly the same at my school (also in North Carolina). A couple years ago, I heard that a couple of states adopted healthier vending machines. They carried fruit. I think it'd be awesome to go to a vending machine, put in a quarter, and get a banana or something... then again, I bet the price for that would be ridiculous. *shrug*