Supersizing Bull$hit

Post Reply New Topic

Today Tonight episode screened 14/8/07.

The Yanks have an obsession with supersizing, mainly with McDonalds and other fast foods. Now Australia is following suit. Apparently the Double Pounder is available upon request (although not actually a menu item) and it contains up to 8 patties. Hungry Jacks have the double Whopper, which has 4 patties, and the supersized Cokes are about enough to make a dentist scream. People are talking about an obesity epidemic (not exactly right, obesity is not a disease but a dietary problem), and they are suggesting that maybe we in Australia should follow the European example of smaller serves more often. What do you think?

I think the quality of the food must be addressed before quantity limitations will matter.

of course, I also think that food sold in, say, schools should match FDA recommendations in it's composition, etc. . .
and I'm pretty sure that will never happen.

In Australia schools are banned from selling unhealthy food at the tuckshop, and even though they do sell lollies and soft drinks etc, kids are encouraged to eat less of the junk. Only problem is that todays generation of kids need to get out and exercise more, and because of computers, X-Boxes, PlayStations etc, they have become lazy and less active.

It's a matter of both better food and better exercise habits. I'm more guilty of the latter. I've been an avid book reader most of my life. It was only later that I succumbed to the siren song of the games consoles. However, I rarely eat takeaway (usually no more than a few times a month, or once a week if I'm lucky), and I enjoy steamed vegetables, as well as a glass of orange juice each morning. My problem is exercise, or motivation. And health problems merely scare me into a necrophobic stasis.

And if they serve super-size food does that mean we have to order it? What's with all the food police lately trying to equate eating certain foods with drowning kittens and what-not? They act like full-grown adults can't make a choice by themselves on what to eat.

They try to keep everyone else from eating anything remotely "bad" because they don't want to deal with temptation and don't have the will-power to just not buy the stuff. It's just like how religious fanatics act in regards to sex. If they have to miss out, hell, everyone else has to suffer too.

And didn't McDonald's almost introduce a larger version of the Big Mac, called the MegaMac?

Tim

Actually, I've noticed that many times, after eating at Hungry Jack's (Burger King for those in the US, and other parts of Australia than Queensland), I get the most god-awful colic....

Good point. Food nazis tend to go overboard with their campaigns.
I'll be the first to admit that I probably should be eating better, and that I weigh about 15 stone, but as I am in my 40s, it may to too late to 'teach this old dog new tricks'. I also have gotten stuck into the old PS2 lately, but I suppose a good walk now and then helps keep the muscles working.

Last edited by The_Chosen_One on 14 Aug 2007, 2:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

Ah, the voice of reason!

Folks, pretend for a moment that you have willpower, the intellect to decide what you're gonna put in your mouth, and the power to resist (...quiver...) advertising.

Too late, they get into your neurochemicals, doping you with dopamine, making you pleasure-seeking hedonists at the expense of your health and your souls!! !! !! RUN FOR THE HILLS!! ! WHILE YOU STILL HAVE YOUR OWN SANITY AND FREE WILL. IT'S TOO LATE FOR ME!! !!


Woah. A social catharsis does wonders.

Asocial catharsis works better for me!

(A little "AS" pun...)

You've always been able to order "larger" burgers; you get charged for every extra slice of cheese & patty though.

I saw a Whopper with >30 patties once. Wow! (Practical joke type thing; cost a pretty penny though).

Just say: "No, thank you!"

It's probably the raw onion pieces in some of the burgers. I like Burgers like the McOz but don't like raw onion pieces. It's a shame they couldn't cook the onion first because then it wouldn't cause so much indigestion.

I mean colic as in gas pains, not indigestion. And sometimes I have to go spend a penny afterwards, if you get my meaning.