5 ms·

Except when this would drive negative feedback loops. The following scenario may not be frequent or probable, but it is definitely plausible: 1. A rural area h

Except when this would drive negative feedback loops. The following scenario may not be frequent or probable, but it is definitely plausible: 1. A rural area has few healthy eating options. 2. Everyone who cares about this sort of thing and has the means to move away leaves. 3. Healthy stores close because there are not enough customers. 4. Only junk food options remain. Now you've essentially increased societal segregation... This may sound ridiculous, but it is already seriously hard to eat healthy in many areas of the country.

SamReidHughes 9y ago
It's not. If you want to eat healthy, go to McDonalds and get a burger. Go to Walmart.
- spraak 9y ago
  You're serious? What's healthy about that?
  - SamReidHughes 9y ago
    A burger is made of meat... What do you think you need to eat healthy? Some meat, some fat, maybe a few carbs.
    - dreta 9y ago
      This is completely off-topic, but McDonald's is mostly processed foods high in trans fats, all kinds of chemistry, and filled with sugar. There's indeed "some" meat, however it's everything but healthy.
      - maxerickson 9y ago
        Trans fats are more or less banned in the United States. The burger patties at McDonald's are real actual 100% beef. It's not particularly good food, especially if it is served slower than in their test kitchen, but come on.
        dreta 9y ago
        The burger is not just beef. Everythig in there is processed, artificially sweetened, and rich in preservatives. McDonald's is not healthy, don't be ridiculous.
        SamReidHughes 9y ago
        I'm sure it has a lot of cooties, too. Most people who look down on McDonalds would have no problem ordering a beer with their burger at a bar.
        maxerickson 9y ago
        Isn't the bun made with corn syrup or something like that? Why would they use an artificial sweetener when part of the reason the sugar is there is to help keep the bread moist? I do agree that fast food isn't especially healthy, but the biggest issue is that people select meals that are much too large (especially if they get a sugar drink). The menus usually do have options that provide a reasonable number of calories (and cost less), so it is a choice.
        ams6110 9y ago
        the burger isn't especially unhealthy either. The burger patty itself is just beef. They don't add sugar or anything else to it. It's delivered frozen to the store so there are no preservatives. The buns are delivered a couple of times a week from the bakery so there are no preservatives in them either. A burger at McDonalds is really no worse than the burger you'd make at home, assuming you would buy typical grocery store ground beef and hamburger buns. The cheese is pretty much the same sliced American cheese you would get at the supermarket. The ketchup is from Heinz, or Hunts. The deep fried stuff I would avoid. The french fries, fish, chicken, it's all cooked in vegetable oil. Years ago they used beef lard, until they were pressured into switching. Now we know that cooking in vegetable oil is pretty much worse in every way but they haven't changed back.
        perl4ever 9y ago
        There is a logical reason why I suspect artificial sweeteners are being put in many products now with as little fanfare as possible. Sucralose is made from sugar, but like other artificial sweeteners is far sweeter[1] than sugar, by around 3 orders of magnitude. I'm not sure about prices on an industrial scale, but moderately large quantities of sucralose without fillers seem to be about $50/lb, and sugar seems to be about $0.44/lb in 50 lb quantities. Thus, sucralose is around 110 times more expensive, but 300-1000 times more potent. The economic logic of treating sugar with chlorine and putting it in everything seems inescapable, as long as the public doesn't become sensitized. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose Edit: I don't know whether or not McDonald's in particular is using sucralose. I'm suggesting that it's a general trend, probably helped by the general public's distaste for things like aspartame, calories, HFCS, and so on.
    - spraak 9y ago
      Meat isn't healthy. Here's some data on that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlhJU57KUdQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlhJU57KUdQ
dragonwriter 9y ago
That's actually a positive feedback loop.
- TrainedMonkey 9y ago
  You are right! I meant positive feedback driving a negative phenomenon.

SamReidHughes 9y ago

It's not. If you want to eat healthy, go to McDonalds and get a burger. Go to Walmart.

spraak 9y ago
You're serious? What's healthy about that?
- SamReidHughes 9y ago
  A burger is made of meat... What do you think you need to eat healthy? Some meat, some fat, maybe a few carbs.
  - dreta 9y ago
    This is completely off-topic, but McDonald's is mostly processed foods high in trans fats, all kinds of chemistry, and filled with sugar. There's indeed "some" meat, however it's everything but healthy.
    - maxerickson 9y ago
      Trans fats are more or less banned in the United States. The burger patties at McDonald's are real actual 100% beef. It's not particularly good food, especially if it is served slower than in their test kitchen, but come on.
      - dreta 9y ago
        The burger is not just beef. Everythig in there is processed, artificially sweetened, and rich in preservatives. McDonald's is not healthy, don't be ridiculous.
        SamReidHughes 9y ago
        I'm sure it has a lot of cooties, too. Most people who look down on McDonalds would have no problem ordering a beer with their burger at a bar.
        maxerickson 9y ago
        Isn't the bun made with corn syrup or something like that? Why would they use an artificial sweetener when part of the reason the sugar is there is to help keep the bread moist? I do agree that fast food isn't especially healthy, but the biggest issue is that people select meals that are much too large (especially if they get a sugar drink). The menus usually do have options that provide a reasonable number of calories (and cost less), so it is a choice.
        ams6110 9y ago
        the burger isn't especially unhealthy either. The burger patty itself is just beef. They don't add sugar or anything else to it. It's delivered frozen to the store so there are no preservatives. The buns are delivered a couple of times a week from the bakery so there are no preservatives in them either. A burger at McDonalds is really no worse than the burger you'd make at home, assuming you would buy typical grocery store ground beef and hamburger buns. The cheese is pretty much the same sliced American cheese you would get at the supermarket. The ketchup is from Heinz, or Hunts. The deep fried stuff I would avoid. The french fries, fish, chicken, it's all cooked in vegetable oil. Years ago they used beef lard, until they were pressured into switching. Now we know that cooking in vegetable oil is pretty much worse in every way but they haven't changed back.
        perl4ever 9y ago
        There is a logical reason why I suspect artificial sweeteners are being put in many products now with as little fanfare as possible. Sucralose is made from sugar, but like other artificial sweeteners is far sweeter[1] than sugar, by around 3 orders of magnitude. I'm not sure about prices on an industrial scale, but moderately large quantities of sucralose without fillers seem to be about $50/lb, and sugar seems to be about $0.44/lb in 50 lb quantities. Thus, sucralose is around 110 times more expensive, but 300-1000 times more potent. The economic logic of treating sugar with chlorine and putting it in everything seems inescapable, as long as the public doesn't become sensitized. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose Edit: I don't know whether or not McDonald's in particular is using sucralose. I'm suggesting that it's a general trend, probably helped by the general public's distaste for things like aspartame, calories, HFCS, and so on.
  - spraak 9y ago
    Meat isn't healthy. Here's some data on that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlhJU57KUdQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlhJU57KUdQ

dragonwriter 9y ago

That's actually a positive feedback loop.

TrainedMonkey 9y ago
You are right! I meant positive feedback driving a negative phenomenon.