[Ryan D Andrews]

I Eat Fast Food Because...

An epic study was published in the latest American Dietetic Association Journal.

Here is the title...

"Why Eat At Fast-Food Restaurants: Reported Reasons Among Frequent Customers."

After I read this title, I felt like it was Christmas freakin' morning. I couldn't wait too see what fast food degenerates revealed as their top reasons for eating products that have a hard time passing as 'food.'

drive-thru-wheelchair.jpg

Here we go...

The most frequently reported reasons for eating at fast-food restaurants:

• It's quick
• It's easy to get
• It tastes good

The least frequently reported reasons for eating at fast-food restaurants:

• It's a way of socializing with family and friends
• It's nutritious
• It's fun and entertaining

Fast food people are amusing, aren't they?

What do they think? That the top 3 reasons healthy people eat nutritious foods are:

• It takes long
• It's very difficult
• It's bland and unappetizing

Basically, the results of this study leave me with two main thoughts. I am amazed and encouraged.

First, once again I'm amazed at people because they KNOW fast food IS NOT healthy, yet they still choose to eat it on a regular basis (I don't see many burger joints closing down).

Second, I am encouraged because if the reason people are eating fast food is because it's cheap, easy and tasty - there is NO reason that they couldn't start packing meals ahead of time and seeking out healthier 'fast food' options.

Seriously.

To me, more than anything, this study illustrates the power of advertising and societal norms. People go to fast food because they don't consider other options. They see commercials for it. Their parents eat it. Their friends eat it. Their co-workers eat it. And so on. It's what people do.

I don't think these fast food people have experienced all of the tasty and nutritious foods that exist.

Taking 30 minutes to prep food for the day, or stopping off at a healthy market and gathering your bounty fits the aforementioned criteria, right? It's quick, easy and tastes good.

What's really going on here?

Honestly, deep down, I think people use the same old reasons (e.g., quick, easy, tasty) to rationalize their addiction/dependence.

Eating nutritious food doesn't bring the same level of stimulation for these people. I really feel they have a dependence on fast food. People that frequent these places aren't opting for the new healthy fare consisting of lettuce salads and apple wedges.

They are eating for a fix.

And then, instead of admitting it, they use the standard excuses of "it's quick, easy, tasty and cheap." Soooo old school.

Potential Solution?
--How about getting rid of "standard" fast food or completely changing the food that's offered.

Why?
--Because with any addictive substance (like fast food), we must first consider availability. If it's not available, people won't be able to develop the addiction.

It's hard to develop a crack addiction when there's no crack.

[Minervia]

I absolutely agree that people get addicted to these high-stimulating non-foods. Like in the movie Supersize Me, Spurlock says he would get a high whenever he would eat and a couple hours later he would crash out again and wouldn't feel good until he got another fix.

[dshuppert]

People pay for convenience. I travel, a LOT! I know that I've certainly pulled into a few fast food places to save time on the road. I try not to, but they're just too convenient when my motivation is low

[Ryan D Andrews]

Study Alert

People who go to fast food restaurants aren't seeking nutritional information.

Wow - that's shocking.

I thought people who frequent these places were proactive about their health.

The study from Yale appears in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

From a popular press article:

A new study finds consumers are not likely to seek out nutritional information at fast food chains.

Researchers at Yale University observed more than 4,000 customers as they entered and ordered at restaurants, including McDonald's, Burger King and Starbucks.

"Out of that 4,000, only six people, so that's .01% of customers, were actually accessing nutrition information," said Christina Roberto, Yale University.

"If I'm going to McDonald's, I'm there to eat McDonald's. I don't want to know what's in it," said one consumer.

The consumer doesn't want to know what's in it? Fine by me...I just hope they don't complain when they have a 42 inch waist, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, rectal cancer and heart disease at the age 50.

[jodmend]

I agree somewhat, I guess. I think I have a fundamental problem sometimes on this board (and other health-related boards) about the lack of access folks have to fresh foods and that fresh fruits and vegetables are actually pretty dang expensive in certain parts of the country (meaning--poorer parts of the country).

Many, many years ago I worked as a nurse in E. St. Louis. I don't know if you've ever heard of East St. Louis, but that place had the highest murder rate in the U.S. for awhile and has one of the worst school systems in the country. It's a scary place and, I guess in it's own weird way, a wonderful place that you can potentially do a lot of good for folks.

It made South Central LA look like a freakin' wonderland (I've been in both places and I'd rather live in S. Central, qutie frankly). Crappy fast food was easy and cheap. To find an actual grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables?!? Not so easy to find. Especially not so easy if you didn't have a car. Sure you'd have corner stores, but they didn't sell fresh produce.

I see the same thing when I go to Eastern Washington. There is a high migrant farmer population. When you go into the grocery stores in the mostly poor, mostly migrant worker towns--you'll see it everywhere. Candy, chips, ramen noodles, and crap foods will be 10 or 20 for $1. Apples will be 89 cents a piece. 89 cents a piece in an area where all they produce is apples. Broccoli is 1.49 a pound but you can get 25 ramen noodle dinners for the same price. Something is WAY wrong with that picture and it isn't the people who are desperately trying to stretch their dollar as far as possible.

I guess I'm just saying that I think there are multiple problems to this. YES! Societal norms and advertising are bad, bad things. HORRIBLE things. But there might be a lot more underneath the surface that must be addressed as to why folks are choosing the fast, easy way despite knowing that it is bad for their health.

It's easy to demonize folks who aren't as healthy. It is sometimes a bit more difficult to find compassion as to WHY they would be choosing ease vs. health. And really, it's a LOT harder to start to address THOSE issues than comfort ourselves with the most surface answer of saying that other people are just just lazy automons of the media and, really, we're the ones who care.

Ok, I'm off my rambling soapbox.

[gottasing]

Jo I couldn't agree more. I grew up in Kern County, the agricultural heartland of California. I also grew up on welfare. Except for occasional bouts of produce from the local Gleaner charity, we existed for a long time on elbow macaroni, canned tomato sauce and cottage cheese for protein. To this day I still can't eat cottage cheese.

If my mom was flush with cash because it was payday, we'd get Hamburger Helper or boxed mac 'n' cheese. Or Campbell's Soup in a can. Yep, all convenience foods, that were 2 for a dollar. We never went down the produce aisle unless it was for iceberg lettuce, because it was expensive. And we were at least lucky enough to live in a place that had relatively close grocery stores. Our dinners out were at McDonald's.

Sorry-I had a little trip down memory lane there. This is a big problem. It's a massive societal problem and I'm not sure how to help.

[jannastam]

Another "shocker"

Check this out:
Proximity to Fast Food a Factor in Student Obesity

And in other news, "the sky is blue and water is wet".

[greggo]

The poverty/nutrition issue is a very difficult one that I won't even try to get into since I lack perspective on it. However, I will say that I always answer people's comment that "Money doesn't buy happiness" with "No, it buys you choices." For anyone, such as myself, who can afford to make just about any choice we want, there's really no excuse for making the wrong one.

That said, there are some super-cheap health foods like beans, lentils, and whole grains. I'm not sure I could even eat 50 cents worth of beans in one sitting. I still rank some vegetables as pretty cheap, too, like carrots, celery, and onions. Last time I bought frozen spinach and green beans, they seemed very reasonable, too.

[Ryan D Andrews]

Originally Posted by jodmend

I agree somewhat, I guess. I think I have a fundamental problem sometimes on this board (and other health-related boards) about the lack of access folks have to fresh foods and that fresh fruits and vegetables are actually pretty dang expensive in certain parts of the country (meaning--poorer parts of the country).

Many, many years ago I worked as a nurse in E. St. Louis. I don't know if you've ever heard of East St. Louis, but that place had the highest murder rate in the U.S. for awhile and has one of the worst school systems in the country. It's a scary place and, I guess in it's own weird way, a wonderful place that you can potentially do a lot of good for folks.

It made South Central LA look like a freakin' wonderland (I've been in both places and I'd rather live in S. Central, qutie frankly). Crappy fast food was easy and cheap. To find an actual grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables?!? Not so easy to find. Especially not so easy if you didn't have a car. Sure you'd have corner stores, but they didn't sell fresh produce.

I see the same thing when I go to Eastern Washington. There is a high migrant farmer population. When you go into the grocery stores in the mostly poor, mostly migrant worker towns--you'll see it everywhere. Candy, chips, ramen noodles, and crap foods will be 10 or 20 for $1. Apples will be 89 cents a piece. 89 cents a piece in an area where all they produce is apples. Broccoli is 1.49 a pound but you can get 25 ramen noodle dinners for the same price. Something is WAY wrong with that picture and it isn't the people who are desperately trying to stretch their dollar as far as possible.

I guess I'm just saying that I think there are multiple problems to this. YES! Societal norms and advertising are bad, bad things. HORRIBLE things. But there might be a lot more underneath the surface that must be addressed as to why folks are choosing the fast, easy way despite knowing that it is bad for their health.

It's easy to demonize folks who aren't as healthy. It is sometimes a bit more difficult to find compassion as to WHY they would be choosing ease vs. health. And really, it's a LOT harder to start to address THOSE issues than comfort ourselves with the most surface answer of saying that other people are just just lazy automons of the media and, really, we're the ones who care.

Ok, I'm off my rambling soapbox.

Thanks for sharing. Definitely a good reminder.

[Ryan D Andrews]

Originally Posted by greggo

That said, there are some super-cheap health foods like beans, lentils, and whole grains. I'm not sure I could even eat 50 cents worth of beans in one sitting. I still rank some vegetables as pretty cheap, too, like carrots, celery, and onions. Last time I bought frozen spinach and green beans, they seemed very reasonable, too.

I really agree.