Who's making America so fat?

Detroit News ^ | 9/22/02 | Lynn Waldsmith

[Jean S]

It's the kind of food for thought that Jay Leno's writers salivate over. In the first case of its kind in the United States, 56-year-old Caesar Barber is suing McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Wendy's. He blames the four fast food giants for making him obese and causing his obesity-related problems, which include two heart attacks, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

[dwollmann]

A pox on the do-gooders. That's all I have to say about that.

[IronJack]

Who's making America so fat?

Americans.

[lafroste]

The answer is really pretty simple. Diets high in grains and corn products, without enough meat and animal fat. We are carnivores. Deal with it. (from one who lost 80 lbs in six months after throwing out the "proper" diet guides and gorging on steak, sausage, bacon, cheese, etc while avoiding all "healthy" foods).

[Northpaw]

Perhaps we could save on food stamps and help stamp out obesity, if all the fat welfare recipients were given government paid gastric-bypass surgeries.

[sinkspur]

Diets high in grains and corn products, without enough meat and animal fat.

Exactly. If you eat like a pig, you're gonna look like a pig.

I lost 15 on Atkins and got down to my desired weight in six weeks. And the carb cravings are GONE!

[BulletBrasDotNet]

It's the Republicans! It's a vast right-wing conspiracy to make Americans FAT

The skinny Repubs are making the Democrats into DemoFATS! The Hildabeast told me so last week!

[Dante3]

We have choices. I've never heard McDonald's claim that the serve diet foods.

But this is just another get-rich-quick and get on national TV rip-off. Anyone who brings these kinds of lawsuits will should be charged with extortion.

[jellybean]

"We apparently have a sudden epidemic of obesity in the last 15-20 years," says Banzhaf. "So it's not something genetic. There's no reason to believe that we suddenly have lost all our personal responsibility, that parents are suddenly far less responsible than the parents of 15 or 20 years ago. It has to be something that happened relatively recently, and fast food is it."

Another viewpoint.

[McGavin999]

Actually, there is a real opportunity for some smart entreprenure to open up Low Fat Fast Food chains. A place where you can go and pick up lean chicken breast and baked potatoe with some kind of topping that tastes decent, salads with low fat dressing, smaller portions etc.

It could end up being worth a small fortune if it's done properly. People going back to work with their lunches in bags that announce to the world that "they care" about themselves.

Most people buy fast foods because......they're fast. If they could buy something healthier, they would. There's just nothing out there. McD's and Wendy's offer some, but even if you have good intentions when you go through the drive thru, it's hard to resist that georgeous burger and great smelling fries. If you could go to a place that offered only healthy foods, it would be easier.

[T-Bird45]

I totally agree as I have lost 25 lbs. in the last month using a similar diet (Atkins). I suggest that anyone interested in the REAL answer to the thread title question use a search engine to find "hyperinsulinism". The Atkins website will be one of several places where you will find the answer.

Bottom line, carbohydrates stimulate overproduction of insulin that causes conversion of the carb to sugar (glucose) for use by the body. If the body does not need it immediately, it goes to fat. The body cannot make this same conversion with animal or plant fats and proteins.

[The Electrician]

"People said tobacco lawsuits were so frivolous we'd never get the cases to a jury. Well, at this point we're winning multimillion-dollar verdicts including punitive damages," says John Banzhaf, the George Washington University Law School professor who led the effort to sue McDonald's for failing to disclose it precooked fries in beef fat while advertising that the fries were cooked in 100 percent pure vegetable oil.

That sentence is key to understanding the source of much of the evil in the world. The Commies don't simply give up and go away when they're defeated. They keep coming back and coming back and coming back. Eternal vigilance means just that - defending liberty against parasites like this guy is a full-time job.

[Brytani]

As more research is done, it seems the food pyramid does not work for a good percentage of the population. For me to keep a stable weight, I have to keep carb content under 50gm/day. If I want to lose weight, I drop them down, if I need to gain a few lbs I increase carbs.

From really looking at how my body reacts to food, I've found that carbs from flour, wheat, starch and rice tends to pack on pounds, while carbs from natural sugars in fruits do not. My diet is mainly high protein from meats, fish, poultry, veggies of every sort and fruits. By doing this, for really the first time in my life I am at a normal, healthy weight. I have unlimited amounts of energy and virtually no cravings.

If more people paid attention to what their body needed, how their body reacts to different foods they would be much healthier.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Who's making America so fat?

These guys?

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Most people buy fast foods because......they're fast.

NO way ever sat in the drive through of your favorite establishment at lunchtime? its anything but fast i think people like fast food especially in these times is because it tastes good [With the exception of mcdonalds YUCK ]of course this is just an observation because i dont eat at restaurants i pack a good lunch for myself its cheaper and tastes even better than what some high school kid picking his nose can throw together

[FITZ]

They had Burger Kings and McDonalds before 1991 when everyone was skinnier.

[FITZ]

Maybe it's not food at all but Nintendo games and cable television.

[John Lenin]

How come no one has put this together yet ? Another unintended consequence from liberals who wanted to tax the hell out of cigarettes, everybody knows that when you quit smoking you put on weight.

[gilor]

They had Burger Kings and McDonalds before 1991 when everyone was skinnier.

Yep, and back then the stuff they sold (even though I eat it sometimes, can't really call it food) had much Higher fat content.