The huge number of calories in some fast food dishes!

[Rudynate]

Not many. I eat out often and usually order an appetizer and a side. I usually eat about half of each before I'm full. The restaurants often ask whether there was a problem with the food.

 

As for sidewalks, walking and taking public transport is far more practical in big cities.

 

You must be eating at Chili's and P.F. Chang's and that sort of place.

[Rudynate]

Not many. I eat out often and usually order an appetizer and a side. I usually eat about half of each before I'm full. The restaurants often ask whether there was a problem with the food.

 

As for sidewalks, walking and taking public transport is far more practical in big cities.

 

You must be eating at Chili's and TGI Friday's and that sort of place. Even if walking isn't a valid exercise option, everyone owns a DVR and can afford to buy a copy of P90X or can exercise along with shows on the Fitness Channel.

[Rudynate]

Sadly, this is true only in some big cities. In New York, Chicago, and San Francisco one can easily get around without a car. It is do-able in LA, but not particularly practical unless one's home and job are in close proximity. Other large cities are too spread out to make public transit practical. Here in San Diego, we drive to the walking path.

 

But you do have walking paths.

[+ FreshFluff]

You must be eating at Chili's and P.F. Chang's and that sort of place.

 

There are no Chili's or P.F. Changs where I live. The places I go are usually Asian fusion places.

 

I only go to Chili's when I'm at the airport and have a long wait for my flight.

[Rudynate]

There are no Chili's or P.F. Changs where I live. The places I go are usually Asian fusion places.

 

I only go to Chili's when I'm at the airport and have a long wait for my flight.

 

Chains like that are the only places I know of that serve enormous portions. A couple years ago, I was visiting my mother in rural Mississipi. It was the kind of town where the only places there are to eat are Chili's and Ruby Tuesday's and other chains. Needing a bite of lunch, I went to Chili's and had a chicken Caesar salad. There was a couple, with their daughter, at the next table, both parents easily 80 - 100 lbs overweight. As a starter, they ordered one of those enormous plates of some sort of deep-fried appetizer, fried cheese or some such. They then proceeded to each polish off a dinner-plate sized hamburger and enough french fries for six people. I didn't wait around to see if they ordered the mud pie or one of those other ginormous deserts that those places always have. Surprisingly, their daughter, who looked to be about nine y.o. was a healthy size, not even plump.

[wisconsinguy]

Chains like that are the only places I know of that serve enormous portions. A couple years ago, I was visiting my mother in rural Mississipi. It was the kind of town where the only places there are to eat are Chili's and Ruby Tuesday's and other chains. Needing a bite of lunch, I went to Chili's and had a chicken Caesar salad. There was a couple, with their daughter, at the next table, both parents easily 80 - 100 lbs overweight. As a starter, they ordered one of those enormous plates of some sort of deep-fried appetizer, fried cheese or some such. They then proceeded to each polish off a dinner-plate sized hamburger and enough french fries for six people. I didn't wait around to see if they ordered the mud pie or one of those other ginormous deserts that those places always have. Surprisingly, their daughter, who looked to be about nine y.o. was a healthy size, not even plump.

think many of us witnessed such an incident. I do not, probably for decades, on my own, go to all you can eat joints. The last time I went, I was hungry, leaving town, and had a few hrs drive. I knew I had healthy options. I sat down, and to my left was a family. Mom & dad, and with a tenish looking girl. All very obese. To my rt. was a single lady, 50's. Very obese. The single lady only had a huge plateful of fried chicken. She was ONLY eating the skins. The family also started out with huge platefuls of everything. Into maybe 15 mins the ten year old vomited all over their table.

[Epigonos]

If you really want to be repulsed go to one those inexpensive buffet restaurants that have become quite common recently. One by the name of “Hometown Buffet” is located quite near my condo. A year or so ago an obese friend of mine coned me into going to the place with him for dinner. The quality of the food was god awful. All the vegetables were overcooked and all of the hot foods were swimming in grease or in oil. About the only thing that appeared eatable was the salad greens so a salad I had. My friend was horrified that all I was eating was salad. Believe it or not the one thing worse than the appearance of the food was the appearance of the dinners. There was NOT a dinner in the place, including my friend, who shouldn’t have lost at least fifty to one hundred pounds. Just watching them return to the buffet time and time again was nauseating. The diner’s table manners or lack thereof was a revelation. At the table next to us a boy about fifteen or sixteen was chowing down with his fork in his left fist. He stabbed the food then twisted his fist around to place the speared food in his gaping mouth.

 

Fortunately after I expressed my opinion regarding the quality of the food and the quality of the customers my friend has never invited me to go there with him again. Now we go to the “Cheesecake Factory”. There at least some of the menu items are quite good and counting the fact that with what I eat in the restaurant and what I take home I get three meals for the price of one. The Jambalaya Pasta is really quite good.

[Guest AnthonyDriller]

I used to think that Panera was healthy but once I checked into the situation further I found that their food although healthier than most fast food really isn't that "good" for you.

[sincitymix]

reminds me of the time I went to korea with my mom when I was very young. mcdonalds and most fast food places were just making inroads. everyone was short. jump ahead about a decade or so, went back and boy, my Korean cousins are now well over 6'. I blame the hormones in the beef and chicken.

[Lookin]

. . . I am, of course, totally aware that what I’m about to say is currently out of fashion and currently politically/socially incorrect BUT I will NEVER believe that alcoholism, drug addiction, and obesity are illnesses. They are rather poor life style choices that people make for themselves.

 

As an aside my father was an alcoholic and my mother a valium addict. Dad remained an alcoholic his entire adult life. However, my mother broke her addiction to valium by herself without the assistance of anybody or anything other than her own will power.

 

 

Thanks, Epigonos, for sharing the events that contributed to your admirable willpower. For better or worse, most of us haven't experienced the clearcut examples that you have.

 

 

The addictive gene runs through my family too, at various strengths, and some of us have iron wills and some of us don't. So there are all shades of gray in how addiction has affected us. As a condition of boarding a ship in his teens, my father promised his mother that he would never touch alcohol. And he never did. My aunt drank all her life. Her daughter drank until her fifties and then stopped for good. Food addiction wasn't rampant in our family, but other addictions were, including the two that you mention. Some of us fought them successfully, and others didn't.

 

 

I congratulate you that your willpower is more than a match for whatever addictive tendencies you may have inherited or observed. But my experience tells me that addictions come in all strengths and flavors, and so does willpower, and so do temptations, and so do enabling factors. So much so, that I don't believe that there is one hard and fast rule that everyone on God's green earth is able to follow day in and day out. Yet I think we are all on this earth together, differences and all, and there must be at least some room for empathy for those who are not just like us.

 

 

As for me, I take my cue from what a wise woman once said:

 

 

http://image.way2enjoy.com/pic/35/73/81/4/600full-my-profile.jpg

 

 

I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it.

[Rudynate]

 

Epigonos, I'm sure statistics back you up on obesity in Europe. Based on the number and popularity of chains like Burger King and KFC, I'd say the Americanization of the European diet is well underway. However, my eyes tell me that it's no where near the epidemic that it is in the states, at least not yet.

 

I don't know. If they didn't talk, you could easily mistake all those chubby people on British reality TV as coming straight from heartland America.

[Rudynate]

 

As an aside my father was an alcoholic and my mother a valium addict. Dad remained an alcoholic his entire adult life. However, my mother broke her addiction to valium by herself without the assistance of anybody or anything other than her own will power.

 

I'm guessing, though, that she was never able to use sedative-type drugs again, after she "broke" her addiction; or if she did, she only used them under strict medical supervision. The disease concept of substance addiction may not necessarily be true or correct, but it is a very constructive way to view it. Impressing upon the addict that he/she has an incurable disease that is only in remission is one of the most effective ways yet found to keep them returning to abuse of their substance of choice. And, yes, as effective as it is, there is still an extremely high relapse rate.

[+ FreshFluff]

Thanks, Epigonos, for sharing the events that contributed to your admirable willpower. For better or worse, most of us haven't experienced the clearcut examples that you have.

 

The addictive gene runs through my family too, at various strengths, and some of us have iron wills and some of us don't. So there are all shades of gray in how addiction has affected us. As a condition of boarding a ship in his teens, my father promised his mother that he would never touch alcohol. And he never did. My aunt drank all her life. Her daughter drank until her fifties and then stopped for good. Food addiction wasn't rampant in our family, but other addictions were, including the two that you mention. Some of us fought them successfully, and others didn't.

 

I congratulate you that your willpower is more than a match for whatever addictive tendencies you may have inherited or observed. But my experience tells me that addictions come in all strengths and flavors, and so does willpower, and so do temptations, and so do enabling factors. So much so, that I don't believe that there is one hard and fast rule that everyone on God's green earth is able to follow day in and day out. Yet I think we are all on this earth together, differences and all, and there must be at least some room for empathy for those who are not just like us.

 

 

This is a biggie. Epigonos, you seem like a man with a lot of natural willpower. That's a kind of blessing, like good looks or intelligence. Many of us have far less discipline to go around, so trying to "eat clean" AND limit calories AND not consume sugar substitutes is just too much. I have a pretty good satiety signal and hate feeling stuffed, so I , so I eat only when I'm hungry and stop eating when I'm full. If I want a chocolate chip cookie, I start eating one and then stop when I don't want anymore. I mostly drink iced tea sweetened with a packet of Splenda, but if I want a Gatorade, I cut it with water and ice. Works fine for me.

 

I do worry about additives an overall heath perspective. Splenda and sugar taste about the same to me, so I just go with Splenda. I have maybe 2 packets every other day.

 

I believe in the concept of a weight "set point," though in my experience, it can be reset if the overall level of activity changes. I also agree that food, like alcohol and drugs, can be an addiction.

[wisconsinguy]

I want to clarify a point about genetics and addictions. It's in it's infancy. There has been no gene, when a vial of blood is drawn for genetic testing, that pops up as the addictive gene. However, what makes sense to me this. There has been some preliminary investigation that addicts, more long term ones, can mutate their genes. And, those of course control those lovely chemical and hormones that make us feel so good. Same ones that give us that tired, good feeling after that Thanksgiving meal. The mutation theory helps explain cravings addicts get, many times months, even years into recovery. My points being, as stated, relapse remain high. I don't think the stats on relapse have not really changed over decades. Familial and environment, (how our life progresses) continue to be the biggest indication of causation. My dad was an alcoholic, mom was a pill addict, and crazy. All three of siblings had, or have abuse problems. Oldest is a sister. She is 82, still has her mind, bedridden in a nursing home. All due to poor choices. She has admittedly been addicted to Oxycontin for about 18 yrs. or so. Currently gets doses that would take me down. Oldest brother died from the complications of alcohol and smoking. Next brother has been clean for about 15 yrs. I had great teachers. Should we continue funding rehab programs? Yes we should. Individuals need to know the basics about their disease. Diabetics, cardiac, renal patients need a ton of education. And, sometimes re-education. Even after that, they too choose to relapse. I think we should fund rehab one or two times. I have run into individuals that almost seem proud of the fact they have been to 12 treatment programs. Then I agree, relapse becomes a matter of choice. Today, I am waking up clean, happy, and sober. Plan on staying that way...today. My baby son and I going to share a lovely salmon meal for dinner. F. Fluff: Might want to try Monk Fruit for your sweeter. Natural, really tastes like sugar, and not genetically engineered. It's nice to have you guys and gals out there. You make a positive difference in my life.

[actor61]

Frankly all addicts have the same problem. It doesn’t make a damn bit of difference if we are talking about a “food addict, a “drug addict” or an “alcohol addict”. The only person who is going to conqueror an addiction is the addict himself or herself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating the high caloric foods shown on this post if one indulges oneself once a week. It’s the “food addicts” who do so every day and claim they can’t help themselves because their addiction is an illness – bullshit. I have good friends who are incredibly obese and they are obese because their greatest pleasure in life if over indulging in food. If government do-gooders really believe they can change the eating habits of people by simply posting the calories of all items on menus in both fast food outlets and regular sit down restaurants they are damn fools and kidding only themselves. “Food Addicts” eat exactly what they want to and don’t give a tinkers damn about the number of calories they are consuming. In fact “food addicts” only derive pleasure from eating. They don’t really care about their family and their friends. They also refuse to admit that their addiction will subject them to a multitude of illness and eventually kill them prematurely (from which knowledge they hide). Yea I know I'm mean, cruel and unfeeling.

 

I worked in a doctor's office for 20 years where I would say 90% of the staff was obese. You'd think that working in a medical environment would have created better awareness of how to eat healthily but it seemed to be the opposite. The "goodies table" was near my cubicle and it never had fruit, yoghurt or nuts on it; it always held bagels, donuts, cakes, pies, cookies and chocolate candies. I'll never forget the day one of the very fat nurses stood next to my desk with a chocolate donut in one hand, a bagel loaded with full fat cream cheese and jam in the other, and a can of soda in her uniform picket saying to me, "I just can't seem to lose weight no matter what I do." And she was serious! I said, "Honey, maybe if you put down the crap you're holding and took the stairs once in a while, you wouldn't be so fat." She never spoke to me again, thank heavens. Couldn't stand the bitch.

[+ poolboy48220]

In Dan Savage's book "Skipping Towards Gomorrah", e talks about deliberately indulging in all seven deadly sins. The chapter on Gluttony featured a visit to a restaurant somewhere out west that specialized in HUGE portions - a piece of cake the size of your head, I think he said. All the food was pretty mediocre, from his reports.

[Epigonos]

Actor61 I loved your fat nurse story. You are a man after my own heart. I never ceased to be amazed by people making statements like that without ever considering what type of response it might illicit.