What is Digg?106 Comments
- anasazi, on 10/12/2007, -6/+38its not the restaurant's fault that the customer is a fat ass who can't stop eating.
personal responsibility FTL! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+30That would imply the food and not the labour is the main expense.
- grunherz5x5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22I lived in Holland for five years. I didn't own a car and rode a bike everywhere (even between cities to visit friends). It was the healthiest I was in my entire life. My eating habits were the same, I just led an active lifestyle because the way The Netherlands is set up is very conducive to a healthy active lifestyle. You exercise just by going to work, getting groceries and going out drinking because you can ride a bike or walk just about everywhere.
In the USA the distances are extreme. Most Europeans, and especially those from Holland, have a hard time grasping the insane travel distances here since the scale is so different. Riding a bike or walking to work, school, shop is often impractical to utterly impossible.
That's the major difference. Combine that with our insane work ethic which adds a lot of stress and leaves very little time for recreation in our lives (geen gezelligheid hier) and we're all fat bastards.
Groetjes. - apeiron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18i lived in Germany from ages 9 to 18, and can confirm that portions in the US are out of whack. Americans like to think they are getting a good deal for their money, which restaurant will be the first to cut their portions? If Chili's cuts it first, they will lose business because Applebees will look like a better deal, even if Chili's reduces their prices. Then there is the clean plate club. Our parents beat it into us that we have to clean our plates.
When i dine out i try to eat only half the meal and have the rest for lunch the next day. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+23I've often thought that when you go to a restaurant like The Olive Garden, they should give smaller portions, but allow free "refills" if you need it. They'd save a lot of money, there would be less wasted food, and people wouldn't have to be rolled out to their car because they couldn't stop eating.
- SanderSpies, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16In the Netherlands, where I'm from, the plates are much smaller then in America. American sized plates is like a whole family meal here. And we don't have free soda refills here, too.
Whenever someone from here comes back from America, they talk about the fat people. Not good at all if you ask me. - agent888, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14You should live down south....we will fry anything. I volunteered at the Seafoodfest for my hospital, and vendors there were frying Oreo's and Twinkies.
Just the thought makes my chest hurt. - qwickone, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Since more people are overweight than not, they might end up giving out more in refills. Plus, I think people are more likely to gorge themselves when it's all you can eat.
- etresoft, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12The Olive Garden does give free refills - on salad.
But stugautz is right. I don't know the exact percentages, but of all the things you pay for:
labor
profit
transportation
rent
food
The wholesale price of food is always the last. - surfit, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14One thing I notice is the people who are over weight tend not to chew their food, or purposely choose heavily processed food that requires no chewing and therefore just gulp it down. From what I understand, the concept of chewing actually sends signals to your brain telling you when you are full up, not doing so means it has to rely on other signals such as the stomach which can easily hold excess amounts - with each meal expanding further to prevent over capacity.
Basically, stay away from processed food, chew your food, you'll be less hungry, eat less and not get fat. - gothsquirrel, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15I personally feel bad when I'm given a large amount of food and cannot finish it all. It's a waste just to throw it away and i know most of the time i won't eat it if i take it home. I personally don't go out to eat much because of that. Americans should learn to cook and not rely on others to make food for themselves.
- jerbaker, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12> Fast Food is not cheap. I can buy a pound of turkey, cheese, lettuce,
> and bread for what it would cost to get 2 extra value meals @ McD's.
> That would feed me for 4 days even if it is all that I ate.
You are smoking crack, or you live somewhere very far away from my world. Two value meals at McDonald's cost about $7. Nowhere can you buy a loaf of bread for under $1.50 here, so we're down to $5.50. An 8oz package of cheese will cost at least $2.00 for something on sale. Now we're at $3.50. If you buy a head of lettuce, it's never going to be less than $2.00. So, now we're supposed to buy a pound of turley for $1.50? I don't think so.
But, let's say even for the sake of argument that you had a pound of turkey, a loaf of bread, a head of lettuce, and 8oz of cheese. If that's enough to feed you for four days, you must be under 5 feet tall and weigh less than 80 pounds.
Caloric content:
1lb turkey 1,056
Loaf bread 1,280
Head lettuce 54
8oz cheese 912
---------------------------
3,302 calories
That's enough for an average person to last 36 hours. How you will manage to survive for 96 hours on 3,300 calories is beyond me. That's approaching the caloric levels that define an anorexic diet. - buglord, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Just read this week that we are at a tipping point where there are more suffering from obesity than from malnutrition. It really is time to rethink our relationship with food.
- Chopper3, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12I know exactly what you mean, I'm from the UK and I remember the first time I ordered food in the US (a sandwich) and when it came I genuinely couldn't stop laughing for at least 5 minutes. I'm far from thin but this would have fed a family of 4. Don't get me wrong, it was great value and also good food too but I could only really finish just over a quarter of the whole thing. Since then I'm a bit more careful of what I order, I just hate seeing it all go to waste, that or I'll order one meal but split it with someone else. I guess it's just what the normal, non-tourist, US consumer must want or they wouldn't serve it like that I guess.
- datastorageguy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12I hear alot about Europeans saying Americans are fat, yet I am looking around my office right now and most people are quite fit. Perhaps it is a socioeconomic and geographical issue as to where the "fat" people are.
- surf314, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I think the biggest problem is this idea that we are more fortunate than other countries and not finishing your plate means that your being ungrateful. My step mom was trying to get me to finish my plate once and told me about starving kids in Africa and I was like if that's the case lets donate to charity but how is my finishing my food going to help them. For a lot of americans that is like a leap of logic and makes it hard for people to lose weight because they feel guilty not eating all the food they're given.
- friedcheese, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9American have always been infatuated with the bigger the better mentality. It isn't always bad to have a big meal once in awhile, but the big problem is that Americans eat out almost every meal and most of the restaurants they frequent are the high fat huge portion restaurants. If more people cooked or went to healthier restaurants corporations would notice and follow suit. So don't blame the corporations because you like that extra helping of Alfredo. They are giving it to you, but remember you asked for it.
- ActivitY, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10exactly, and the people who are not over weight are forced to pay for bigger meals...because it's the norm.
- chris9902, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10yes I agree but do you really need "all you can eat" on a menu?
- deter1ii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8In Las Vegas, all of the food left on your plate gets fed to hogs in surrounding area's. Nothing goes to waste, now if they could just use hog dung to create electricity they would be all set.
- Web_Weasel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8This is especially true for those of us raised by parents that grew up in the depression. In the depression you didn't waste food because you didn't know when you'd have some more. They taught their kids the same. I still feel a little guilty when I leave food on my plate.
- poolboy82, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Shlep has a good suggestion except that far too often you would have people eating massive portions. The people would ask for one more serving only to try to get it 'to go' so they feel like they get another meal for free. Locations like The Olive Garden would have to do away with offering 'to go' boxes which would upset a lot of customers.
Look at the average 'all you can eat' places. Here in Indiana we have tons of them most are serving Chinese food. On average I eat around two plates that aren't packed full of food. However, if you watch others eating they pack food almost 4-5 inches high on the plate and can sometimes eat nearly four plates. And if they serve all you can eat crab legs...watch out...they'll be there for at least an hour and a half. I've seen families asked to leave because they have consumed way too much food.
At one time I was known to be able to put away a whole Family Meal from Taco Bell. It was 10 tacos, Nacho Bell Grande, and a Mexican Pizza. It wasn't too long and I was pushing almost 300lbs. One day I had enough of it and forced myself to limit my portions. It wasn't that difficult and it didn't require only eating Subway. Small portions aren't easy to adjust to but you will adjust. Eating more fresh foods does wonders.
And the regular soda's...they are probably helping you keep an extra 10lbs if you are over weight. Diet soft drinks have come a long way in recent years and many taste great. I've won many bets getting people to stop drinking regular soda's to drop weight.
Eating right isn't that hard to do...it's just that Americans are far too lazy to even try to control themselves. We are too lazy to do anything about it, we'll just blame some corporation and try to sue them. We do that very same thing with so many issues from food to cigarettes to video games. We are a society nearly full of gluttons and a short life span is the reward for that type of behavior. - brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11It is natural human instinct to consume everything in front of you. When portions aren't fully eaten, there is a natural reaction that says something is amiss, so there is an incredible biological urge to eat the rest, full or not.
I know when I go to an all you can eat place, I feel like I didn't get my money's worth if I didn't get at least 2 plates of food, even if the cost of the buffet was cheaper than 1 plate. It's a psychological game these restaurants are playing. - tizz66, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8It's got nothing to do with us europeans, it's got to do with the fact that your nation is essentially killing itself with food. If it makes you feel better, some European countries are heading the same way, albeit a few years behind.
- sgtawol, on 10/12/2007, -6/+13If they're too stupid to stop eating, let them eat. They'll all have heart attacks and hopefully their children will learn something when it takes a forklift to put daddy in the ground.
(Yea, it's cold, harsh, and makes me seem like a dick. However, no one is to blame but the ones that shove the garbage down their throats day in and day out. The truth is harsh sometimes.)
@Shlep:
Fast Food is not cheap. I can buy a pound of turkey, cheese, lettuce, and bread for what it would cost to get 2 extra value meals @ McD's. That would feed me for 4 days even if it is all that I ate. - rising21, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9That's true. I lived in Spain for many years. When you go out to eat, you get enough on your plate to eat in one sitting. To drink, you get one little 20 cl bottle of soda, no refills. I always ask for water because you get a bigger bottle! The Spaniards have no idea what a "doggie bag" is. If you were to ask for one, they would look at you funny. They also talk about how fat Americans are. It's their favorite criticism.
- buglord, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7oops... forgot to say "worldwide"
- Lazybones, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7It is not like the single or the double is not still on the menu. You chose the triple.
- velocipenguin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@Grunherz5x5:
You hit the nail on the head with regards to distance. Urban sprawl in the US has made it impossible for most people to get around without a car. I'd love to be able to walk or bike everywhere, but the distances are just too great - and it's not exactly fun to ride a bike on roads filled with massive SUVs whose drivers take offense at the mere presence of a bicycle. - ActiveMatx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I sure am glad I live in Honolulu....
....which, by the way is the thinest city in America. 2nd place is San Francisco - tizz66, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6That's exactly the problem. You can't say no - don't blame the corporations for their marketing, blame yourself for being a sucker for them. So what if the large fries are only 20c more? Take the regular and be happy :)
- Tabris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6It's not even a matter of being lazy...
I'll get a chicken kabob salad instead of a cheese-steak 95% of the time, now. Still eat the occasional Wendy's and stuff, but yeah. Even less than eating right is simply exercising. 50 push-ups as soon as you get up, wakes you up and keeps you in shape.
After I stopped playing football, I ballooned to 200 pounds after 2 years (you can imagine what 5'8, 200 looks like). When I went to college, I actually ate a lot less (not good obs) and went from 200 down to 150 over 3-4 months. The biggest thing, imho, is counting calories and not carbs. I only ate about 1000-1500 calories a day, and needed probably 2000-2500.
Taking in less calories than you burn means you lose weight, taking in more calories means you gain weight. Simple as that! THAT is the secret to weight-loss. I still eat everything I love, just not as much of it, and my stomach shrank too. I used to be able to eat 3-4lbs of steak in a single sitting, now I can't even finish a 18oz with mashed potatos and other *****. Just eat until you "feel" full. Not stuffed, just comfortably full, and learn to fight the urge to keep eating cuz the foods oh-so-good. I get sick now if I do that. - steve693, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I've never been able to finish an entire plate of food when I go to chain sit-down restaurants, there's just too much there. I always walk out with food in a container for the next day, and even have to skip dessert.
Whine and moan about advertising all you want, you're still completely in control of what goes in your mouth. - shosterman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6How come you're always such a fussy young man
Don't want no Captain Crunch, don't want no Raisin Bran
Well, don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan
So eat it, just eat it
Don't want to argue, I don't want to debate
Don't want to hear about what kind of food you hate
You won't get no dessert 'till you clean off your plate
So eat it - xutopia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I went to a restaurant with friends last week. We did the usual, ordered an entrée and a main course. We couldn't even finish the entrées and 2 of the 5 people actually didn't buy one but shared with the others.
In European countries when you purchase an entrée it isn't that big because it's meant to start the meal and prepare your stomach for a larger course. When the plate is overflowing with food and you can't even finish your plate there is a problem. - tizz66, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Thing is, it's a never ending cycle. If you consistently eat large plates of food, your stomach enlargens. If you then go to 'normal' portions, you no longer feel full up. You essentially need to train your body to eat less by not eating until you're full up for a while. How many Americans would do that?
Eating at home more often would also be good. I know I'm using a stereotype to a certain extent, but I've never seen a nation that eats out so much! At home, you control your own portions - and it's cheaper, and healthier, and often quicker. - violetedwards, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Exactly. Why do we have to trick ourselves into eating better? Or worse, ask the government to regulate our diets? It seems ridiculous to me. What happened to personal responsibility and accountibility?
- bryanedds, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6You know, what we REALLY need is for government to tell us what and how much to eat, when to sleep, what to read, and what job to do. That way we can be sure that we are all healthy, well-rested, intelligent, and successful people.
So long as we vote for the right people, government knows what is best and will act benevolently towards that end. It's not totalitarianism. It's total-love-arianism. The world will be a better place. Let's get started today! - brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I found it ironic on "Super Size Me" when Morgan was talking to that whale-sized woman from France. French women don't get fat my ass!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6You want truly fat people, try Samoa.
No, on second thought don't. If you did, you'd have to deal with the fact that genetics also has something to do with it (and America has a far more diverse genetic background than many [most?] other countries) and we can't have rationality enter this 'discussion,' can we?
Or can we? People rag on America -- not completely without reason -- for being overweight. However, America is far from the only overweight country. Great Britain (England particularly) has more than its share of grotesque blobs shambling around, to name one.
Oh, who am I kidding? Don't let reality spoil your fun! It used to be cool to hate Black folks, the Japanese and "ze Chermanz." Some day, it'll be cool to hate someone else. "Any port in a storm" when it comes to bigotry, right? - doopy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I think it is restaurant fault. humans are greedy in nature. if you serve 6 inch sandwich for $5 but 12 inch for 7. Even if you can eat only half you will think why not spend extra $2 to get the whole sandwich. Same goes for fries and combos. just because I need a drink I have to take the combo with fries because it is cheaper to buy the combo and what you gonna do with fries? well you are not gonna throw it.
- phucku2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5What the ***** are you talking about? I've gotten doggy bags in Aus any number of times and never been told anything like that, neither have I ever heard anyone being told they can't take their unfinished food home. You're full of *****.
- anasazi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4for every food you tell me not to eat, i will eat 3.
- CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4nevada does some pretty innovative stuff. all those bizarre casino shrimp deals. did you know they farm raise the shrimp out in the middle of the desert many many miles from the ocean?
- tizz66, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Coincidently, this article just appeared on the BBC site. It seems the UK is heading the same way: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5263156.stm?ls (although it should be said that we generally have smaller portions, and far far fewer 'all you can eat' places)
- brundlefly76, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10I wouldnt put a blanket statement over Europe. Last I visited Germany and London the fat percentage and portions of meals were enough to give you a stroke before you got up from the table.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5My idea was basically that if you put a plate of food in front of someone, they will eat it. It takes about 15 minutes for you to realize that you are full, and during the period of waiting for the refilled plate, the fat-ass might realize that he/she is stuffed a little earlier and merely gorge themselves as opposed to over-gorging.
It's been suggested that if people were to take more time eating, they wouldn't be as fat because the period between full and exploding a' la' Monty Python would be shorter. - fuzzball963, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I saw a perfect example the other day of how eating healthier portions can actually be good.
I was at orientation for university and they served lunch. Instead of it being the usual burger/fries it was actuallya fire grilled chicken mix with peppers and other veggies in it in a small tortilla. They had the usual fixings in a separate dish like tomato and shredded cheese and sour cream but the dishes were smaller than the giant ones you can get sometimes. I noticed that people tended to take less of the bad stuff and load up the thing with more of the chicken mixture because it was good. And for a drink they had either ice water or lemonade.
You would have thought that the students would have complained but they got so many compliments on the food they actually added it to the university's menu :). - hoopers, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6There is a place here in Georgia called Dillard House (I think) where you don't order from a menu. Basically you and your family go in and sit down and they bring you everything from the menu. Period. Want it or don't want it, doesn't matter. It all comes out. If you want more they'll bring you more. So you get two or three kinds of meat, six or seven veggies, bread, everything. The amount of food is mind boggling. We went once on a recommendation and I refuse to go back due to the decadent waste even though the food was really pretty good. I just couldn't enjoy the meal as I was watching people leave when they were done and they'd only eaten half or less of what was brought out. The leftovers were just thrown away. Sickening.
- jerbaker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4In fact, a McDonald's double cheeseburger costs $1. That's 460 calories, or 0.2 cents per calorie. Your hypothetical turkey meal would also cost 0.2 cents per calorie. The price per caloric content is the same.
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