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What is about fast food that increases waist lines? Is it just the fact that its cheap so people consume more? At the end of the day its just calories right? So

What is about fast food that increases waist lines? Is it just the fact that its cheap so people consume more? At the end of the day its just calories right? So do people tend to over eat when it comes to fast food?

fastfoodie 9y ago
So uh... sugar, fat, and salt are extremely addictive. Fast food also doesn't make you feel full like proper food does, so not only do you crave it, but you never quite get enough. Yes, at the end of the day it's just calories, but they're addictive, empty calories. Quality and type of food matters. 1,000 calories of Big Mac is not 1,000 calories of fruits and vegetables.
- nradov 9y ago
  Sugar, fat, and salt are not literally addictive. At least not like nicotine, ethanol, and opioids. Hyperbole doesn't help here.
  - fastfoodie 9y ago
    Googling is a great skill: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/
  - throwawayoe8 9y ago
    Googling is a great skill: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/
    - Aloha 9y ago
      using multiple throwaway accounts isn't really conducive to proving your case, it just makes you look like a troll.
  - poisonarena 9y ago
    I dunno, have you ever had a bunch of delicious burger king or mcdonalds after a hangover?? now imagine being addicted to alcohol
  - PeterStuer 9y ago
    That combo is demonstrably more addictive than many of the other stuff you mention. People are literally eating themselves to death, just wishing they could stop and can't, and get withdrawal symptoms when they try.
    - nradov 9y ago
      No they don't get significant physical withdrawal symptoms. Let's stop the hyperbole. Many people have quit overeating on their own. It's nowhere near alcohol where the withdrawal symptoms can literally kill.
will_brown 9y ago
>At the end of the day its just calories right? No humans are not perfect calorie burning machines, we are aerobic organisms you can start by learning about the krebs cycle. Fast food is generally high calories and low in nutrients. Research the links between fast food and inflammation and then inflammation and obesity. Also important are the Links between fast food/high carb food, insulin and obesity. Just look at the diets we know are linked to health and longevity (Mediterranean and historical Okinawan/Japanese diets). You will find low calorie/nutrient and vitamin rich foods; anti-inflammatory foods; anti-oxidant foods; anti-toxin foods (and before people come out of the woodwork to claim anti-toxin foods are a myth, think about foods that promote healthy functioning of the liver/kidneys). You will also find a general lack of fried foods, refined flour/gluten, refined white sugar, preservatives/additives, BPA like toxins, grain fed meat (of course these are all found in fast food and are inflammatory).
thisisit 9y ago
It is about net calories per serving. For example a big Mac meal with soda is 1050 calories: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/mcdonalds-big-mac-meal-medium-size-with-soda-86722281 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/mcdonalds-big-mac-... Combine it with average daily average intake: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_food_energy_intake https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_food_en... Let's take India for example. So 2380 calories a day. The big Mac will constitute nearly 50% of calories in a meal. Then people do have other meals too - breakfast, lunch and snacks. That means the calorie count is near to 3k calories. So a 700 calories or 30% in excess to average calories consumed. If this happens for say only for weekends ie 8 days in a month. That is 5600 calories in excess. Without any exercise this is going to hit hard on the waist line and weight.
- pkaye 9y ago
  But there is nothing special about that McDonalds food. In India, you can buy street food which is way more caloric that a Big Mac. Fried starchy food, loads of cheese, salty sauces. And they are just as addictive as the McDonalds stuff... probably more addictive given how awesome and flavorful some of them are.
  - thisisit 9y ago
    The meal was taken as a reference only. All three things you mentioned would mostly still go into the category of fast foods. So let me clarify, fast food is not a copyright trademark of McDonalds or KFC. It refers to general moving away from a properly prepared meal to using processed and easy to prepare meals.
- jalayir 9y ago
  > The big Mac will constitute nearly 50% of calories in a meal The big mac in India is chicken, and a lot smaller. Edit: Also, it's called The Maharaja.
  - thisisit 9y ago
    I know and as I explained to the sibling comment, it was just an example. But if we are going to be pedantic about it: Mcdonalds India fact sheet: https://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/images/Nutrition-Information.pdf https://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/images/Nutrition-Information.... A meal = Maharaja Mac + Regular Fries + Regular Coke = 998 calories. So close enough.

fastfoodie 9y ago

So uh... sugar, fat, and salt are extremely addictive. Fast food also doesn't make you feel full like proper food does, so not only do you crave it, but you never quite get enough. Yes, at the end of the day it's just calories, but they're addictive, empty calories. Quality and type of food matters. 1,000 calories of Big Mac is not 1,000 calories of fruits and vegetables.

nradov 9y ago
Sugar, fat, and salt are not literally addictive. At least not like nicotine, ethanol, and opioids. Hyperbole doesn't help here.
- fastfoodie 9y ago
  Googling is a great skill: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/
- throwawayoe8 9y ago
  Googling is a great skill: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/
  - Aloha 9y ago
    using multiple throwaway accounts isn't really conducive to proving your case, it just makes you look like a troll.
- poisonarena 9y ago
  I dunno, have you ever had a bunch of delicious burger king or mcdonalds after a hangover?? now imagine being addicted to alcohol
- PeterStuer 9y ago
  That combo is demonstrably more addictive than many of the other stuff you mention. People are literally eating themselves to death, just wishing they could stop and can't, and get withdrawal symptoms when they try.
  - nradov 9y ago
    No they don't get significant physical withdrawal symptoms. Let's stop the hyperbole. Many people have quit overeating on their own. It's nowhere near alcohol where the withdrawal symptoms can literally kill.

will_brown 9y ago

>At the end of the day its just calories right? No humans are not perfect calorie burning machines, we are aerobic organisms you can start by learning about the krebs cycle. Fast food is generally high calories and low in nutrients. Research the links between fast food and inflammation and then inflammation and obesity. Also important are the Links between fast food/high carb food, insulin and obesity. Just look at the diets we know are linked to health and longevity (Mediterranean and historical Okinawan/Japanese diets). You will find low calorie/nutrient and vitamin rich foods; anti-inflammatory foods; anti-oxidant foods; anti-toxin foods (and before people come out of the woodwork to claim anti-toxin foods are a myth, think about foods that promote healthy functioning of the liver/kidneys). You will also find a general lack of fried foods, refined flour/gluten, refined white sugar, preservatives/additives, BPA like toxins, grain fed meat (of course these are all found in fast food and are inflammatory).

thisisit 9y ago

It is about net calories per serving. For example a big Mac meal with soda is 1050 calories: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/mcdonalds-big-mac-meal-medium-size-with-soda-86722281 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/mcdonalds-big-mac-... Combine it with average daily average intake: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_food_energy_intake https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_food_en... Let's take India for example. So 2380 calories a day. The big Mac will constitute nearly 50% of calories in a meal. Then people do have other meals too - breakfast, lunch and snacks. That means the calorie count is near to 3k calories. So a 700 calories or 30% in excess to average calories consumed. If this happens for say only for weekends ie 8 days in a month. That is 5600 calories in excess. Without any exercise this is going to hit hard on the waist line and weight.

pkaye 9y ago
But there is nothing special about that McDonalds food. In India, you can buy street food which is way more caloric that a Big Mac. Fried starchy food, loads of cheese, salty sauces. And they are just as addictive as the McDonalds stuff... probably more addictive given how awesome and flavorful some of them are.
- thisisit 9y ago
  The meal was taken as a reference only. All three things you mentioned would mostly still go into the category of fast foods. So let me clarify, fast food is not a copyright trademark of McDonalds or KFC. It refers to general moving away from a properly prepared meal to using processed and easy to prepare meals.
jalayir 9y ago
> The big Mac will constitute nearly 50% of calories in a meal The big mac in India is chicken, and a lot smaller. Edit: Also, it's called The Maharaja.
- thisisit 9y ago
  I know and as I explained to the sibling comment, it was just an example. But if we are going to be pedantic about it: Mcdonalds India fact sheet: https://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/images/Nutrition-Information.pdf https://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/images/Nutrition-Information.... A meal = Maharaja Mac + Regular Fries + Regular Coke = 998 calories. So close enough.