Fast Food - Should It Be Banned?

[Fate]

Everyone knows how bad it is. But the question is, should we ban it or not. Here, debate whether we should or not. So...

Debate.

[Joe]

Of course not. That's completely idiotic. Should be ban couches, and chairs because people sit in them all day? Of course not, because plenty of responsible, healthy people use them. Plenty of responsible healthy people eat fast food too. Are you going to deny them something they use as a pleasure every now and then because some people can't hold their big macs.....or in this case hold their big macs for years?

Again, you can argue all you want how fast food is bad for you. But what it comes down to is moderation. If you're going to institute some kind of policy about it, it might as well be something like every store does with medications that contain Pseudophedrine HCL. That would be to Keep a log of everyone who buys it, with ID. People who are trying to eat too much fast food, much like people buying too many allergy meds are flagged. after a certain point, you can't Buy anymore for a certain period of time.

That is the Only feasible policy, if any. If you ban fast food, you effectively shut down one of the only successful facets of the current economy. It's much like the concept of banning video games. It eliminates a highly successful, driven branch of the economy. And with all the medical problems that associate from Intense, and repeated consumption of fast food, you put more money into the medical sector of the economy, since you're paying for treatments.

I'll likely add more to this later, but it's 6am and I still haven't gone to sleep yet.

[DragonHeart]

If you're going to institute some kind of policy about it, it might as well be something like every store does with medications that contain Pseudophedrine HCL. That would be to Keep a log of everyone who buys it, with ID. People who are trying to eat too much fast food, much like people buying too many allergy meds are flagged. after a certain point, you can't Buy anymore for a certain period of time.

Except that the federal pseudophedrine law is an attempt to prevent people from making crystal meth out of it, not because they're just buying too much.

Anyways, as for the topic at hand, I don't think fast food should be banned.

I do think that the government needs some sort of program in place to help children make better choices about things like this than their parents. I was actually discussing this with my mom yesterday heh. Focusing on adults won't do anything, like that soda tax they're proposing. People are far too steeped in habits and vices to change their ways. Cigarettes are proof enough of that.

What we need to be doing is helping the next generation be better educated and able to avoid things like credit card debt and yes, fast food and other unhealthy things. If anything, the best way to help the parents change is by teaching their children healthy habits. Mandatory 'healthy choices' type classes or even some sort of incentive for healthy habits, things like that.

As for myself, fast food will never be a regular part of my diet. I can't even comprehend how people eat it every day. I get fast food maybe once or twice a year and I regret it every single time. It literally does make me sick and even worse, I can literally feel my arteries hardening. It's disgusting.

Blech, now I feel all queasy.

~DragonHeart~

[Govinda]

If fat ****s want to eat themselves to death, who cares? It's their choice. I like the odd cheeseburger or takeaway pizza every now and then, and their stupidity has no right to deny me that. I feel like slapping obese people when I see them in a fast food place.

[Kilala]

No I don't think it should be banned. It's like smoking, excessive drinking and drugs. You do it to yourself. Who else puts in the order for all the grease?
I myself am opposed to it... and rarely indulge in consuming fast food. Why?

For starters the calories in these things are unreal. But thats not even the killer. It is the chemical additives like Aspartame (which is known to promote weight gain. Even if you just have one drink with it in. Statistics say you have 20% chance of weight gain.) and MSG (more famously found in chinese food wasn't it?)
These particular chemicals are approved by the FDA and studies show that they really do lead to weight and disease issues. Mmm. All in those lovely food items.

Synthetic chemicals which are added to processed food - this does inclue fast food - are able to damage your body's cells. Man-made food stuff can even be loaded with pesticides all contributing to a decrease in health. But that really is a different topic...

Because we can't physically see what is happening at the molecular level when we consume fast food, and we know that the FDA has approved it then it must be alright? No.

The problem is that our bodies cannot process synthetic chemicals. It's not natural is it? Well thats what I can see from it. So if it can't be dealt with it's stored as fat... Not only that but it apparantly can generate an acidic pH too.

So in my opinion... stay away from it. But hey.. it's your choice! Free will, your decision <3.

[Clint]

If fat ****s want to eat themselves to death, who cares? It's their choice. I like the odd cheeseburger or takeaway pizza every now and then, and their stupidity has no right to deny me that. I feel like slapping obese people when I see them in a fast food place.

Obviously you know nothing of obesity, so perhaps you should shut up about it, and stop generalizing, before you make another incredibly ignorant comment that pisses me off even more. My mother is obese, and yes, she eats fast food occasionally, but when she does, she orders small portions of a healthy meal. Food consumption has absolutely nothing to do with her problem. She watches what she eats, taking in less than 2,000 calories a day, whereas, I'm as skinny as a rail, consuming nearly 7,000 calories a day.

I eat fast food at least four times a week. It's convenient, fast, and it tastes good. A common misconception is that people get fat from eating that kind of food, whereas, it actually depends on a lot of factors. For example, somebody with a fast metabolism can eat as much as he or she wants to, and will not gain a pound. People with a thyroid condition, on the other hand, can eat one cheeseburger and a small fry, and gain five pounds.

However, I think fast food should be banned, because then it would eliminate the need for ignoramuses to keep generalizing against my mother.

[RagnaToad]

Obviously you know nothing of obesity, so perhaps you should shut up about it, and stop generalizing, before you make another incredibly ignorant comment that pisses me off even more. My mother is obese, and yes, she eats fast food occasionally, but when she does, she orders small portions of a healthy meal. Food consumption has absolutely nothing to do with her problem. She watches what she eats, taking in less than 2,000 calories a day, whereas, I'm as skinny as a rail, consuming nearly 7,000 calories a day.

I eat fast food at least four times a week. It's convenient, fast, and it tastes good. A common misconception is that people get fat from eating that kind of food, whereas, it actually depends on a lot of factors. For example, somebody with a fast metabolism can eat as much as he or she wants to, and will not gain a pound. People with a thyroid condition, on the other hand, can eat one cheeseburger and a small fry, and gain five pounds.

However, I think fast food should be banned, because then it would eliminate the need for ignoramuses to keep generalizing against my mother.

1. Obesity is almost always a consequence of an unhealthy life style, but if you're mother only consumes the amount of calories you say she consumes, she must just have a slow metabolism, meaning that she also needs more exercise to lose calories. Diabetes and similar conditions can be a major factor too. It's just a fact that some people get overweight easier than other people, but you're not telling me that those 200 kg adults are merely suffering from "genetics". If they watch their eating pattern they should be almost like a regular person. It's unfair that they have to watch their eating habits more carefully to look the same as we do, and that some people (like me) could effortlessly look healthier even though they not necessarily are, but when has the world ever been fair?

2. You seem te believe that "being fat" is the only unhealthy thing about eating fatty food. People don't die from too much fat between their organs as likely as they die from a cholesterol level that is way too high and decreasing space in their veins. I myself, for example, can impossibly gain weight, but that doesn't mean that eating all the fatty food in the world is healthy to me and bad to all the rest. Imagine that . Being skinny does not equal being healthy. If anything, I probably don't weigh enough for my height.

Being fat is not so much a problem itself as it is a sign. It shows your body isn't doing too well on the inside. Which is why we naturally like larger people less than "regular" sized people.

P.S. 1/2 people in the UK die because of a high cholesterol level. Or so I saw in a quite reliable documentary. I was like, wuh...

[Unknown Entity]

Obviously you know nothing of obesity, so perhaps you should shut up about it, and stop generalizing, before you make another incredibly ignorant comment that pisses me off even more. My mother is obese, and yes, she eats fast food occasionally, but when she does, she orders small portions of a healthy meal. Food consumption has absolutely nothing to do with her problem. She watches what she eats, taking in less than 2,000 calories a day, whereas, I'm as skinny as a rail, consuming nearly 7,000 calories a day.

My mother is obese too, yet I didn't feel any offecnce to what Govinda said. Yeah sure, if Govinda just happened to show up while my mother was eatting to go hit her, I'll have a problem with it and fight back, but... chances are she won't.

Tax "unhealthy" fast food like countries tax alcohol, smokes, and any other vices.

We got enough money problems atm to worry about taxing fast food. I'd say most fast food branches now are getting a little pricey anyway.

Don't buy into bullshit food related studies. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that has absolutely no shown negative effects on human beings. It doesn't cause weight gain, it contains 0 calories, is way sweeter than sugar per unit of measurement, and cannot in any way be linked to cancer in humans. These "tests" are performed by force feeding RIDICULOUS amounts of substances into laboratory animals, amounts that are inhuman to consume when converted.

Aspartame makes the food taste better, hence making you want more of it. Maybe not in the same day or whatever, but it'll make you crave more. Haha, we all know what it feels like to eat something GOOD, and want more. ^^

[Sean]

Aspartame makes the food taste better, hence making you want more of it. Maybe not in the same day or whatever, but it'll make you crave more. Haha, we all know what it feels like to eat something GOOD, and want more. ^^

Aspartame is the sugar substitute used in diet sodas and other sugar-free drinks, also packaged as equal table sweetener and/or nutrasweet. It in no way tastes nearly as good as sugar, and they don't exactly add it to the burgers and fries. The reason people "crave" fast food is because of a saying we all have as cooks... "fat equals flavor."

Flavors really come from one of three things... protein, salt, or fat, or a lovely mixture of all 3 known as a hamburger.


Edit:

foot-long subways or a large meal at lunch time.

I had a footlong Subway today... it contained less than a quarter of the calories in a McDonald's burger, and nearly no fat. The main reason being, I basically ate calorie and nutrient free lettuce stuffed with a bit of chicken between starches with some silly sugar based sauce.

It also left me hungry, go figure.

IIRC, fat contains 9 calories/gram, alcohol 7 calories/gram and protein and carbohydrates 4 calories/gram, but your body only uses protein for energy (calories) when necessary, as it uses the amino acids in proteins to build body tissue, and even a fat-free diet doesn't mean your body will lose fat, because your body has the ability to convert any excess alcohol, protein, and carbohydrates into fat, as well as convert any fat in your body into a simple carbohydrate and burn it as calories when needed.

[Furore]

Aspartame is the sugar substitute used in diet sodas and other sugar-free drinks, also packaged as equal table sweetener and/or nutrasweet. It in no way tastes nearly as good as sugar, and they don't exactly add it to the burgers and fries.

Aspartame is used in many products as an artificial sweetener and that's what could cause it to be so alarming. While a little bit won't harm you much as long as you're not allergic to it, too much has been shown to likely carry negative effects.

And some studies have linked it to brain tumours among other things. Might be nothing as other studies have reported otherwise, but I felt it worth a mention. Also of note is the original studies were thought to be influenced by those wanting it to be a legally usable substance, but if I get too into that I'll likely sound like one of those aspartame conspiracy theorists.

[Clint]

You seem te believe that "being fat" is the only unhealthy thing about eating fatty food. People don't die from too much fat between their organs as likely as they die from a cholesterol level that is way too high and decreasing space in their veins.

No, I don't seem to believe that. The comment that I responded to mentioned obesity, and not cholesterol levels. The only reason why I responded to it is because that person generalized my mom into a category of "fat ****s," and if anybody is surprised as to why that pissed me off, then you're completely retarded.

My mother is obese too, yet I didn't feel any offecnce to what Govinda said. Yeah sure, if Govinda just happened to show up while my mother was eatting to go hit her, I'll have a problem with it and fight back, but... chances are she won't.

That's great for you, but when somebody stereotypes my mother into a "fat ****s" category, I tend to find the need to defend her.

[RagnaToad]

[...] when somebody stereotypes my mother into a "fat ****s" category, I tend to find the need to defend her.

I don't think Govinda was attacking fat people in general, but isn't it a logical response to diss on overweight people that complain about being fat yet chóóse to eat at McDo (to stay on the Mac subject here), while complaining the food is too fat? It's not like there's no alternative...

Again, offering healthy food is not McDo's market. They offer what many people seem to want, be it once in a while, be it every frikkin' day.

But I do think misinforming people who already have a problem staying away from fast food is not very righteous, and I do believe they could do more effort in the US to inform the customers. Quick, the better version of McDo over here in Belgium and France, has huge posters of the number of calories in every meal and the amount every person needs on the wall in every restaurant.

I'm really interested in you Americans' responses, since obesity is not that big an issue over here, even though we're more liberal and all that stuff, hehe.

[SilverSoul]

If fat ****s want to eat themselves to death, who cares? It's their choice. I like the odd cheeseburger or takeaway pizza every now and then, and their stupidity has no right to deny me that. I feel like slapping obese people when I see them in a fast food place.

I wholeheartedly agree with you on this. Instead of continuing to eat fast food, junk food, etc how about they eat a salad? Instead of a Whopper? This is why America has this issue of obesity, because it's the people's right to choose wheither or not they want to grub on a king size serving at McDonalds and Burger King. I mean just because someone waves a Big Mac in your face doesn't mean you have to eat it if you don't want to lol.


Honestly, theres no point in banning fast food, because human beings will always find other means of stuffing their faces. Sad but true. *sigh* I for one want to try to live a healthy lifestyle and eat healthy foods like salads and veggies, hell even a turkey burger! Through occasionally I might treat myself to a Whopper or a HUGE T-Bone Steak, it's sad but hey, were only human lol.

[RamesesII]

Hell no fast food is exactly that, it serves it's purpose and lives up to its name 90% of the time anyway. It was invented for parents and families like us when you have been late night shopping or at someones house and there is just no time to cook diner haha i know it sounds bad and dodgey but it is very rare and unless you have been a parent with screaming tired kids you cant judge. Before i was married fast food was one of my main food groups haha but you do get sick of it.

[Furore]

I'd probably hate anyone trying to ban fast food if they were actually getting anywhere with their campaign. Fast food is by no means good, but it's bloody fast and sometimes when your break between shifts is only 15 minutes or so, fast food is a life saver. Security guards, police and people in several other often lengthy and terrible hours occupations can almost need fast food in some cases. It's that or freeze a sandwich and hope it dethaws decently.

Ban McDonalds instead. Even the bums tell me to **** off at 2am when they ask which food places are open and I respond that Maccas is the only one.

[Unknown Entity]

Ban McDonalds instead. Even the bums tell me to **** off at 2am when they ask which food places are open and I respond that Maccas is the only one.

I totally agree.

Banning fast food does sound like a good way to get people to re-think what they have for breakfast/lunch/dinner, but but banning it won't stop them from running in a food store and picking up microwavable meals, snacks and garbage like that. So... that failed.

At the end of the day, who am I to tell people not to eat it - it's your body you're going to mess up if you abuse it. Your body, your choice.

If fat ****s want to eat themselves to death, who cares? It's their choice. I like the odd cheeseburger or takeaway pizza every now and then, and their stupidity has no right to deny me that.

Exactly.

Personally, fast food is something that is very helpful when you have limited amount of time. I grab something out pretty much 4 days a week (which is a lot less now I've finished some of the units at college). To be honest, you only really need something tiny - like a roll or pieces of fruit. It makes me feel ill when I see people gorging themselves to death with either foot-long subways or a large meal at lunch time.

If you're going to eat fast food everyday, I think you should be prepared to want to work some of it off. If I know I've "sinned" badly, I'll get off the bus one or two stops early and walk through the park on the way home. Not much, just that walk, but it helps somewhat.

[Che]

Fast food is mother effin' delicious. I say we ban fat people from going into public.

[RagnaToad]

Oh darn. Everything I wanted to point out has already been stated. Seriously...

Although:

@ Kilala: Of course it is not healthy most of the time. Luckily for the business, that's not its purpose. If you want a quick yet satisfying meal or you just feel like spoiling yourself with some overflavoured red meat (to name one type of food), fast food shops are the way to go.

I think everyone agrees on the issue of the consumer's responsibility for his own eating pattern. The world is full of temptations, and as an adult you're expected to be able to resist them. If you go to the chip (read: french fries) shop every other day, and can't help but getting fatter and more addicted, that tells you a lot about your discipline.

In this world everyone knows what's good or bad for them. Anyone can enjoy a nice cheeseburger every once in a while, but saying that you are misinformed is most of the time plain hypocrisy. Although apart from the number of calories maybe, it's often hard to find out exactly what (unhealthy) substances are in food, but that also goes for the whole restaurant industry. Maybe the problem is that fast food is just cheaper than a restaurant, giving more people the opportunity and seduction of fattier/sugarier food. But that's but one of the seductions our society has to offer.

Anyone seen Supersize Me? Great documentary.

Btw, do you know those people (girls/women mostly) that complain EVERY time they eat french fries or a hamburger or something, yet enjoying it... Makes me nuts sometimes. If you're gonna criticise it, why pay for it?

[Kilala]

@ Kilala: Of course it is not healthy most of the time. Luckily for the business, that's not its purpose. If you want a quick yet satisfying meal or you just feel like spoiling yourself with some overflavoured red meat (to name one type of food), fast food shops are the way to go.

I wasn't saying people should eat it all the time or anything. They need to deal with some issues in the fast food world though.
For many people the whole thing is 'too easy' and so allow themselves to binge on it. Because it has been approved some people aren't aware of what exactly they're putting in their mouth.
For example with the Aspartame a small quantity ups weight gain by 20%. The horrifying thing is that that is not only in fast food but in soft drinks too. Well actually it's in DIET food. A sweetner gone wrong as you may like to say.

Supersize Me was an excellent documentary. Definitely worth recommending if you want to be enlightened on the facts.

Not that I want fast food to be gone! Because it is a fabulous time saver - just comes with a consequence and promotes heart disease etc etc....

Hey, it's a debate ^~ Makes it more fun if someone stirs things up a little

::Edit:: Oh! And yeah RagnaToad. Your girl comment - it's so true... drives me up the wall too... If all you're going to do is whine about it don't do it. All you do is annoy others.

[Led Zeppelin]

Well eating fast food all the time is a poor lifestyle choice since it causes some harmful health problems but for some people it's more convenient if it's there just incase if they have no time... So no I don't think it should be banned but I do believe that people shouldn't go to them as much because people are starting to get overweight because of it and it must be hard to loose the weight once you get into a routine of eating it... Sure once in a while can't hurt you horribly but if it becomes a daily thing it could really hurt your body =[...
It's no help either though that at night if you're watching tv all you see are fast food commercials and then you start to crave it and want to have some... And restaurants like that are opened twenty four/seven so some people might get influenced by seeing it and wanting it and just go down to a fast food restaurant in the middle of the night... Eating before bed is bad enough as it is since your body can't work it off since you'll be sleeping soon but if it's very fattening food that's in your stomach it makes it just that much worse.... So in a way I wish there wasn't restaurant like that because I feel bad seeing and hearing stories about people being overweight and having a hard life because of it =[...

[rJ floW]

Win-Win situation...

Tax "unhealthy" fast food like countries tax alcohol, smokes, and any other vices.

multi-pronged affect:

Fat ****s who cant help themselves will support the economy with a greater contribution to the tax base. They could effectively pay for their own health care through these taxes without really noticing it.

If "healthier" fast food was cheaper (unhealthy is now cheaper) they would be price conscious and hopefully choose the salad instead of fries and other "healthy" alternatives.

Less people go to WackArnolds means less obesiety (who knows how this could affect childhood obiesity) and less fat ****ers means less drain on our society through health issues. People forget to take into consideration the cost of disease to the general public, its a huge social cost.

It would open up opportunities for alternative foods if we cant get a double cheeseburger for 1.25$, it could help small local business who are effected by today's crisis.

So dont ban, just tax so much its like banning but will provide enough social benefits to offset the inherent social costs fatties inflict.

[Darkwave]

I think that they should ban it for the simple fact is that after a hards days work you can't be bothered cooking.

[Sean]

For starters the calories in these things are unreal. But thats not even the killer. It is the chemical additives like Aspartame (which is known to promote weight gain. Even if you just have one drink with it in. Statistics say you have 20% chance of weight gain.) and MSG (more famously found in chinese food wasn't it?)
These particular chemicals are approved by the FDA and studies show that they really do lead to weight and disease issues. Mmm. All in those lovely food items.

Don't buy into bullshit food related studies. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that has absolutely no shown negative effects on human beings. It doesn't cause weight gain, it contains 0 calories, is way sweeter than sugar per unit of measurement, and cannot in any way be linked to cancer in humans. These "tests" are performed by force feeding RIDICULOUS amounts of substances into laboratory animals, amounts that are inhuman to consume when converted.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is the same way, it cannot and has not been successfully linked to cause any health problems in any human being, even when introduced on it's own without food. The main reason it's popular in asian cuisine is because seaweed is very rich in MSG naturally, and has been a popular ingredient for ages.

What really leads you to weight gain is eating a 1000 calorie burger and 500 calorie fries with that calorie free diet coke, then going home to sit on your couch for the remainder of the evening, engaging in absolutely no physical activity for prolonged periods of time, pushing your metabolism down to where you're burning < 2K calories a day in order to function while you consume 4-5K a day which your body stores as fat. It's not the "chemicals" in your food, it's the sedentary lifestyle of Americans coupled with an uneducated ignorance of what you're putting in your body is doing to you.

Banning fast food restaurants would be a shame, because I'd have nowhere to go to eat at 3AM after leaving a bar drunk as shit. On a slightly more serious note, all the dredges of American society wouldn't have a minimum wage job between welfare checks, either.

The economical impact would be tremendous, let the idiots eat their shitty filler-loaded food while those of us who are educated and intelligent enough to not live off that shit continue about our lives.

On a sidenote: I've not eaten at a "typical" fast food joint in over 4 years. There's a few all night drive-throughs I hit up at 3AM for drunky eats, but I don't go to McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, etc etc. If I'm craving a good burger, I go to the store and pick up some 80/20 ground chuck and make my own.


Edit: Also thought I'd mention that fast food restaurants, the major corporate chain ones, are all aware of the role they play in causing obesity in this country, however many have found alternatives for health-concious people. McDonald's offers a wide variety of low calorie items and even removed "super-size" as a size entirely a few years back. These companies have evolved over time to meet the changing needs of their clientelle while trying to keep as many customers as possible, health concious or not.

Just remember the next time you're eating something from a budget value menu at a fast food place... it's all filler and no real food. They're still making a profit off your purchase, and I can't even think of a way to make a burger for a buck with today's food prices, God only knows what part of the cow you're really eating in that dollar mctasty or wtfever.

[Kilala]

But places like MacDonalds are trying to offer a healthier variety too. For example I just found:

Fast Food News: New Salads From McDonald&#39;s Canada

Inclusive of the article:

McDonald's has announced 4 new salads for their restaurants in Canada.

They are:

The Mediterranean Salad: red peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, black olives and leafy greens.

The Mighty Caesar Salad: parmesan cheese, bacon, croutons and leafy greens with a garlic and parmesan glaze.

Spicy Thai Salad: spring mix and leafy greens with red peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and whole wheat crisps with sweet and spicy Thai glaze.

Garden Fresh Salad: red onion, cucumber, grape tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on leafy greens.

[Sean]

But places like MacDonalds are trying to offer a healthier variety too. For example I just found:

Fast Food News: New Salads From McDonald's Canada

Inclusive of the article:

McDonald's has announced 4 new salads for their restaurants in Canada.

They are:

The Mediterranean Salad: red peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, black olives and leafy greens.

The Mighty Caesar Salad: parmesan cheese, bacon, croutons and leafy greens with a garlic and parmesan glaze.

Spicy Thai Salad: spring mix and leafy greens with red peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and whole wheat crisps with sweet and spicy Thai glaze.

Garden Fresh Salad: red onion, cucumber, grape tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on leafy greens.

I'm gonna start aggravating people here soon I'm sure... but I can debate the topic of nutrition all day long and I can't sleep for shit tonight.

Salads are such a pointless food to eat if you're trying to "keep it healthy." The most basic salad dressing is a vinaigrette, which is half vinegar and half oil*, along with which most add sugar (carbohydrates) for flavor... then on top of the nutritionally dead lettuce (most lettuces contain little-to-no dietary substances) they pile up cheese* and meats*

Salads do one of two things.... they either contain way too many calories from the dressings (espcially mayonnaise** based ones) and the cheeses* piled on top... or they contain little-to-no nutritional value and leave you hungry just a few hours later.

* - Contains fat
** - Contains lots of fat
^ Notice how many times I used a * and refer to my previous post of fat = 9 calories/gram.

[Govinda]

Just as a side note, I read somewhere that McDonald's salads contain more salt per square inch than the Atlantic Ocean. If you're going into somewhere like that, keeping it healthy is impossible, no matter how much they claim they're giving you good food.

[Kilala]

Ah... I didn't know the salt thing. That really is kinda bad. You really do learn something new everyday!
I was thinking though, are Subway sandwiches a bad kind of fast food too? I've never had one, an it just crossed my mind. I remember my friend going on about how that is the healthy alternative to convenient food.

[Govinda]

Ah... I didn't know the salt thing. That really is kinda bad. You really do learn something new everyday!
I was thinking though, are Subway sandwiches a bad kind of fast food too? I've never had one, an it just crossed my mind. I remember my friend going on about how that is the healthy alternative to convenient food.

You average six-inch Subway sandwich, even the diet ones, contain as much salt as you'd find in three packets of Walkers crisps.

I see what you mean about the salt thing though. They really do hide it. Most people only pay attention to fat and calorie content, so low-fat/calorie meals can put themselves forward as being a healthy option when they're crammed to the gunnels with salt for flavour.

I like Boots Meal Deals for the way they package their food (I get alot because their £2.99 lunches are the cheapest in the airport). On each item, the calories, fat, salt, sugar and carbs are listed in a 'traffic light' system which is actually honest. Red for treats, yellow for it's not that bad, green for eat as often as you like. They open your eyes a little. I had no idea how much sugar there is in Tropicana fruit juices. I know it's natural sugar, but there's still a massive amount of it.

As for your mother, Dr. Egon, I'm sorry that she is unhealthy. But there is a stigma attached to obese people, you have to understand that. It happens to anyone who is in a group which looks different. When my mother steps out for dinner with her blind boyfriend, people ask if she is his carer. Their faces fall off when he placidly informs them that he's a partner in Glasgow's biggest law firm, and that the woman with him is his girlfriend. It's a pity he can't see their faces change.

As for a tax on unhealthy foods, I think that's unfair. People are well aware of what eating badly does for you if you do it too often. It's their own fault. I don't want my occaisional takeout to cost more just because some people can't be trusted with it. It's like hiking the cost of drink to help alcoholics.

[Ryu-Kentoshii Hirokima]

WE SHOULD NOT BAN Fast Food! But we should limit ourselves about how much we eat it. You should lower the amount of times you eat Fast Food, but it should never be banned. That is just my opinion.

[IceColdPillow]

And yes Aspartame is generally a harmless substitute , you guys were so enthusiastic about it though haha.

well, banning fast food is definately conflicting a persons right, their right to choose what they can eat. They did it on alcohol [failed miserably], the government has NO right to decide what we can and can't eat, and they have no reason to tax it either, fast food offers so many jobs. I say just leave it as is? If you don't like fast food.... DON'T EAT IT! xD