Why don’t Americans give a f*** about what they eat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The “Nutrition” service from school systems is the best example of “I don’t care”. If you raise the issue to the school adm they will crucify you for the rest of the academic years. They do not care.

So why don’t you care enough to pack and send a healthy lunch for your kid? Schools should focus on education not food service

[Anonymous]

Y'all sound like Randian libertarians. Just because schools serve lunches to children doesn't mean they should serve healthy lunches.

What?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I live just across the border from France and we have a lot of French friends and often shop or holiday in France. You people are crazy for believing that French people eat all meals the same as what you see in restaurants. Go outside of the tourist trap areas of Paris and see plenty of chubby French people who make bad food decisions.

I’m sure there are plenty of them, but obesity rates in France is about 20% and US is 40-45%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

DP. I see that the Americans you criticize are in the same boat as you, and I'm not sure how this translates into other individuals here being worse than you. You found yourself in the same boat as them, and you ended up at the same place.

That seems like it should lead to a criticism of corporate interests, etc., not individual people. I mean, I presume you can vote and do whatever advocacy you feel is warranted, just as much as those individuals can, and that it has just the same odds of success.

That’s the point. We should be advocating for healthy school lunches and regulating food industry, setting standards for restaurant and store bought food and their marketing campaigns.

But no one cares. Like this thread people think it’s about personal choice and don’t hold the system accountable.

Do parents care? They can pack their own child a lunch. Why does making sure your child eats heathy fall on the school?

Im confused. My dad packed me a lunch every day. How is that abnormal?

Also, if you truly *only* have an Arby’s in your town, why don’t you just eat the burger bun-less with a side salad?

America has SO many incredible options when we eat out. A ton of places these days have gluten free, vegan, paleo, keto choices, including chipotle, cava, sweetgreen, even McDonalds. Farmers markets and organic options are usually just a drive away- and 30-45 minutes isn’t too terrible if you’re prepping for the week.

When I lived outside of Paris for a year, I longed for an American salad. When I lived in China, it was even more laughable to try and get veggies that weren’t drenched in oils (eating out). Stop complaining about America. We have more food choices than nearly anywhere else. People just need to make them. And exercise occasionally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp here. Okay, I am from Europe and I became overweight when I lived in the U.S. for 2+ years. But contrary to OP, I fully realize that it was due to my poor choices.

Why do you think while you’re living in Europe you don’t get weight and make “right” choices but in America all of a sudden you’re making “bad” choices?

It doesn’t occur to you it has something to do with the choices?

I assure you that in the U.S., my choices (if by choices you mean available options) were not too different from those in my home country.

I just started eating too much (due to some personal issues. And yes, I loved those caramel frapuccinos...)).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Are you kidding? Disney has really good restaurants. With healthy food. Their quick stops at the parks usually have fatty/greasy stuff, but even there you can buy fruit or cut up veggies. The Flying Fish (one of our favorite Disney restaurants) offers filet mignon with asparagus and sweet onion risotto. Scallops with grits and sweet corn. What’s wrong with that?

Are you kidding? I’ve been to at least half of Disney restaurants, the ones where you have to make reservations months in advance and I’m struggling to think of one that I could say had quality food.

If you have ever eaten in French or Italian restaurants you would never think of Disney food as quality.

Please explain how Italian and French restaurants will make filet with asparagus or scallops and sweet corn better. Or how they would be QUALITY.

I am NP who has resisted commenting until now. I am honestly shocked at the responses here. OP is pointing out a system, fueled by capitalism, that presents us with mostly unhealthy choices. Some people make good choices and many others don't.

Anyhow, the meal: dry-packed scallops v. Wet (injected w/salt water for weight.) Grass fed/free range livestock v. factory-farmed beef. As far as vegetables, they could be sourced from local farms and use far less pesticides to produce. The difference in phytonutrients between a couple days and a couple weeks from harvest is significant.

[Anonymous]

If we were not overweight and stupid, we might realize that capitalists are holding us in pig pens and working us to death.
And if we are not working, they are profiting from us dying.
What a dumb question op!
This is not the land of the free or the brave! This is the land of the overweight and overexploited.

[Anonymous]

^^also let's not forget about portion sizes of meat, in particular, and the whole plate in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My kids have all been enrolled in public schools. They have never once eaten a meal there because I have always, every damn day, packed lunch for my three kids. All parents can pack a lunch. I’d never let the school feed them

And it never occurred to you that an institutional problem? That many families don’t have extra time and money to do this?
Have you ever thought what a life it would be if schools actually served healthy meals?

And you’re blaming individual choices after you admit that healthy choice is not easy or cheap to make here? Wow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Y'all sound like Randian libertarians. Just because schools serve lunches to children doesn't mean they should serve healthy lunches.

What?!?

And you sound like a lazy parent. Heaven forbid parents show some accountability and raise their own kids. Childhood health and nutrition falls squarely on the parents’ choices. Stop trying to eschew accountability and punt to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:
If you are truly surrounded by unhealthy foods with no healthy options within driving distance then you really should move. None of my friends or acquaintances in the dmv area have these problems. We know how to find healthy food whether we are eating out or at home. This is a problem with a solution.

Have you been outside dmv? Have you been South or Midwest?

This is a weird stereotype that there’s just no healthy food in the south or Midwest.

Have you been to small towns in the Midwest or South? Healthy living is not an option

+1

Not an option in small towns and not easy in big cities.

There are some provincial posters on this thread who have never ventured out of the DMV.

This just is not true. There are plenty of small towns with plenty of healthy food options. And “not easy” in big cities?



Look you can blame others all you want, but the reality is that you can make good food choices, you’re choosing not to.

I went to a conference at Ole Miss and the organizers took bus to a restaurant where literally every item on the menu was fried. You have no idea . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My kids have all been enrolled in public schools. They have never once eaten a meal there because I have always, every damn day, packed lunch for my three kids. All parents can pack a lunch. I’d never let the school feed them

And it never occurred to you that an institutional problem? That many families don’t have extra time and money to do this?
Have you ever thought what a life it would be if schools actually served healthy meals?

And you’re blaming individual choices after you admit that healthy choice is not easy or cheap to make here? Wow

Wake up 20 minutes earlier. And if you can’t feed your kids, you should think twice about having them.

[Anonymous]

The reason some pps here can't admit the fault of their country's government is not regulating the food industry, and all surrounding it is the same as any inability.
They think they live in the greatest country on earth! But, they have no idea what life in any other country is like.

[Anonymous]

Just think about how wrong it is to say: "I'd never let the school feed my kids!"
Imagine that being said in Frane, Japan, South Korea?
Where people are demanding accountability! From schools and their governments.
But, here we elect our officials.... so they can serve huge corporations!
Bravo America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we were not overweight and stupid, we might realize that capitalists are holding us in pig pens and working us to death.
And if we are not working, they are profiting from us dying.
What a dumb question op!
This is not the land of the free or the brave! This is the land of the overweight and overexploited.

Please take your meds and help your parents clean your pigpen today.