Fast-Food Chains Told To Cut Down On Portions

[Cheesecake]

Fast-Food Chains Told To Cut Down On Portions

June 2, 2006 9:15 a.m. EST

Joanna Wypior - All Headline News Staff Reporter
Washington D.C. (AHN) - Government advisors have warned popular fast-food chains such as McDonalds and Burger King that it must shrink the size of portions in their meals if the country is ever going to successfully tackle the alarming obesity rate among its population.

The government and health officials have blamed the rising obesity levels on a growing "takeout culture" where more and more people are eating away from home rather than preparing healthy home cooked meals, according to the Daily Mail.

Over 30 percent of American adults are considered to be obese.
Director of the nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Margo Wootan, says fast-food restaurants must make aware the calories of each meal to their consumers.

She says: "If companies don't tell them, people have no way of knowing how many calories they are being served at restaurants. And chances are, they are being served a lot more than they realize."

Source

So what's it going to be? Itty Bitty Hamburgers or Caloric Content on the bag?

Hmmmmm......will they lower the prices too?

[Don D]

Originally Posted by Cheesecake

Fast-Food Chains Told To Cut Down On Portions

June 2, 2006 9:15 a.m. EST

Joanna Wypior - All Headline News Staff Reporter
Washington D.C. (AHN) - Government advisors have warned popular fast-food chains such as McDonalds and Burger King that it must shrink the size of portions in their meals if the country is ever going to successfully tackle the alarming obesity rate among its population.

The government and health officials have blamed the rising obesity levels on a growing "takeout culture" where more and more people are eating away from home rather than preparing healthy home cooked meals, according to the Daily Mail.

Over 30 percent of American adults are considered to be obese.
Director of the nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Margo Wootan, says fast-food restaurants must make aware the calories of each meal to their consumers.

She says: "If companies don't tell them, people have no way of knowing how many calories they are being served at restaurants. And chances are, they are being served a lot more than they realize."

Source

So what's it going to be? Itty Bitty Hamburgers or Caloric Content on the bag?

Hmmmmm......will they lower the prices too?

I am a firm believer thar quantity is where we get in trouble. The more you eat the more you stretch your stomach, the larger your stomach expands the more it takes to satisfy your hunger.
Proof stomach stapleing,the less food you can hold the more weight loss.

[AshJs3]

It's a good theory, but most places have the option for 'regular' size or 'super' size. I don't really think they should be able to tell people how much they can and can't eat. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Super sized triple cheese burger meal isn't good for you. They don't give us any credit these days.

[fordarama]

obesity is not caused by fast food places alone, The quality of our food, and the amount of chemicals is the true culprit. Stop and think how our ancestors ate, They grew most of their own foods, their staples were fruits, vegtables, home made bread, pies and cakes were a treat. Commen sense tells us that the junk in our food today is partly to blame for our obesity and our high rate of early deaths. Our ancestors would have lived really long lives had they had the simple health care we have and the food that they ate combined. We work in jobs that require little or no effort, we sit in front of computers, tv's, games for hours. We surround our selves with an electrical field in our houses, inhale toxins when we drive, use chemicals on our skin, hair, and when we clean, cook, and most every thing we encounter. The chemicals in pools that we think are so healthy absorbs into our skin, which is highly toxic to our immune systems. Even our drinking water is unsafe. Obesity is a problem, but it really goes much deeper than that. I really am not sure there really ever will be a way to make our lives any less unhealthy. Where in the world do we really start? Change our diet, but all the prepackaged foods have so many chemicals, fat, sugar, ect.. ever notice that low fat products have more sugar than the regular version, and low sugar products have more fat?? Just look at them the next trip to the super market. Look at low fat salad dressing, it's full of sugar..I really am not sure which one is the worst.
I think our health is kind of like politics, Nothing will ever really change...Only appear to do so...

[Cheesecake]

Portions are a big thing.
Ingredients, re: chemicals, and preservatives are another.

Both, way ...''too much''.

But, our ancestors ate alot, of homegrown foods, as mentioned above.

But when they were through eating they went outside and worked their tushes off, in the fields, or in the mines, or down at the hardware store..... they didnt take a nap, or lay back and watch TV and play Video games.

Its all a balance of what you eat and what you work off........

If you are gonna lay around, or sit at a job...........you need to cut back.......and you don't need the Gov't telling you to do that.....imho...you need to be smart enough to do that.

When you are ordering your Hamburger at MickeyDs.......think about what you are going to do the rest of the day......will you work it off?

Otherwise, and if not, order one of their salads......and sitting wont be so unhealthy.

Its all relative........ only eat what you are going to work off......
Discipline yourselves.

And, fix food at home, for children.....they do not need all those ''added ingredients'' so often.............they'd be better off with tuna and mayo, and whole wheat bread at home, with jello and fruit..........of course this depends on how much control and influence a parent has.........in running their own home and kitchen.


I realize the kids call the shots these days.......and its hard to say no.

Controlling what you eat, will eventually control your weight...
Some of us do and some of us don't.......control our weight.
Some weight problems are beyond, food control.........see your Doctor.

But, stuffing these ''chemicals'' into our faces is our choice........we need to make wiser choices.

[loves2fish]

Maybe the term 'Gluttin" may come into play here??

[Cheesecake]

Originally Posted by loves2fish

Maybe the term 'Gluttin" may come into play here??

I agree with that.

I was in Rolla having lunch with my Son last week, and we went to a Chinese Salad Bar type restaurant.

I watched people go BACK over and over and come back with HEAPED plates....and, I just wondered where did they put it?

How did it fit.........roflol....honestly.. everyone in my family is a hearty eater...but, there is some limit....

So I sat there like my snobby self, and cast judgement...but it was making me

[fordarama]

everyone has a weakness, some people smoke knowing it is killing them, some people drink, some people speed, knowing they are in a big metal bullet, and some people fill the void with something that you have to have to survive....Food.. I was a fitness teacher for a few years and I understand the battle that some people go thru with their weight...Thin people always sit back and judge, but...There are so many things that cause one to be overweight...from phisical to emotional.and cutting down on portion size at fast food will help nothing.... They will just order more if that's their desire... It all has to come from within...and telling someone to simply eat less does not work.

[Cheesecake]

Originally Posted by fordarama

everyone has a weakness, some people smoke knowing it is killing them, some people drink, some people speed, knowing they are in a big metal bullet, and some people fill the void with something that you have to have to survive....Food.. I was a fitness teacher for a few years and I understand the battle that some people go thru with their weight...Thin people always sit back and judge, but...There are so many things that cause one to be overweight...from phisical to emotional.and cutting down on portion size at fast food will help nothing.... They will just order more if that's their desire... It all has to come from within...and telling someone to simply eat less does not work.

SO true.

[Michie]

Originally Posted by fordarama

everyone has a weakness, some people smoke knowing it is killing them, some people drink, some people speed, knowing they are in a big metal bullet, and some people fill the void with something that you have to have to survive....Food.. I was a fitness teacher for a few years and I understand the battle that some people go thru with their weight...Thin people always sit back and judge, but...There are so many things that cause one to be overweight...from phisical to emotional.and cutting down on portion size at fast food will help nothing.... They will just order more if that's their desire... It all has to come from within...and telling someone to simply eat less does not work.

Well, I think that is unfair to say and fairly judgemental as well. I think people who have self esteem issues and who are not comfortable with their own bodies are the ones judging others weight, looks, and what they are wearing. And people with self esteem issues come in all sizes and shapes.

[loves2fish]

Sorry, but repeated over and over trips to the buffet with heaping plates is not a weakness, it is gluttin. They ask for the problems they have. Why not cut back to 3 or 4 platefuls?? Then they waddle out to their car with the handicapped sticker which is parked right out side the door, as they have bad knees and ankles, collecting disability, heading for walmart where they ride around in the electric cart to pick up more food. Sorry, I have no sympathy or tolerance for obeisety. That is one of the main reasons we do not frequent buffets, it is sickening to watch these people. Grossssssssss.

[fordarama]

I agree with loves to fish to a point, but..and there's always a but.. But not every one who is over weight eats alot...My husbands family all have weight issues, my husband is the smallest, but not thin...My husband eats less than anyone else in my house....I to have struggled with mine, I taught 3 aerobic classes a day and was a body builder as well, and i still run 2 to 3 miles per day and clean 4 to 5 houses a day for 5 days a week... But I am not skinny...I was really skinny once and it took eating a can of soup a day for 2 years and little else but crackers to stay that way and it was not worth it. The one in my house that eats the most is my step son who is just now 13. He is rail thin and eats non stop and always has..
I do agree that there are people that are so big that they do need to use a electric chair and are disbled... But to generalize that all over weight people eat alot and are lazy is just not true..

[Cheesecake]

I guess the issue here (re: this thread) is...should Fast Food Chains be told to cut back on portions?

I know that some restaurants where we go to sit down and eat, have portions in one order that could feed a family of 3, and there would still be something left over.

I realize too, that that is ''getting your money's worth''............

But this two scoops are better than one, and the ''clean plate society'' have not been good for those people who cannot ''decide for themselves'' what is a healthy portion.

We are all weak...''generally speaking'' and when tempted, we often indulge.

The point is ... have we come to a decision yet in this thread whether ''Fast Food Chains" should be dictated too, regarding portion, or is it too much to ask, grownup people to make decisions for themselves, and their children?

It's easy to place the blame, and demand regulation........but when did we stop taking responsibility for ourselves?

(this has nothing to do with physical disability and inabilility to loose weight....this has to do with being told by the Gov't to eat less and regulated into it.)

Are we so weak, we cannot take care of ourselves?
Or are a huge majority of people, just pigs?
And, is this enough reason to call in the ''food police'' to get us to obey the ''eat less law".

[loves2fish]

I totally hate govt intervention, but think about who are paying for the uninsured health costs and disabilities for the gluttins? We are. Not to get off track here, but I am sure there is more money spent on these people than the Mexicans. I wonder if the buffets charged people by the pound like they do kids by their age, if this would help curb it?? hee hee

[fordarama]

well, The govt, has really not had that much influence on the indulgant things we do, I guess we need to be in control of what we do to our selves. But as far as tax dollars go, I know of alot of really thin people who die of heart disese and cancer, smokers are a burden, on our tax dollars .. but high taxes on tobacco has done little to curb smoking. They just take it out of other areas in their lives and still continue to smoke. I do agree that being really over weight combined with no exercise is really a drain on your health. To pick on one thing is not going to change the whole picture. I really think it's all smoke and mirrors as far as the fast food resturaunts cutting back.