fast food warning labels?

[laptopuser]

should fast food contain warning labels similar to the ones used on packs of cigarettes? before you dismiss this idea, hear me out.

the tobacco industry boomed since the industrial revolution. it was only until the mid 90s that scientists conclusively found a link between smoking and cancer. eventually warning labels became necessary. today, smoking is no longer seen as cool as it was in the past, but as an addictive, disgusting habit. its "common sense" that smoking is bad.

the link between obesity and fast food is there already. the jump in north american obesity and the rise of fast food chains happen at roughly the same time. fast food is proven to be addictive. obesity increases the chance for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, pregnancy complications, and a slew of other health problems.

we're in the same spot smokers were 30 years ago. today our youth finds it acceptable to eat things like KFC, mcdonalds etc. but if we were to include warning labels, say half of a big mac carton, this could deter people from eating it.

few people need to eat 1200+ calorie meals in one sitting. the fast food industry knows their product is bad for people, much like the tobacco industry knew, its time things changed and we brought this behemoth down

[Simaahoy]

No...

[45ED]

No.

[Unclebeuford]

No

[Purgatory]

No ~

[appleb]

No

[Importz]

Double big Mac , super size please! LoL

[raymondly]

no

[MrDisco]

the link between obesity and fast food is there already. the jump in north american obesity and the rise of fast food chains happen at roughly the same time. fast food is proven to be addictive. obesity increases the chance for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, pregnancy complications, and a slew of other health problems.


yes absolutely. we should also follow NY's lead and get caloric info displayed on menus. this is a far better path to follow than some other calls for outright bans on fast food. as long as consumers are properly informed as to what they're eating then let free choice prevail.

the fast food industry is playing itself out just like cigarettes.

[Cytosol]

No.

I can't imagine anyone buying fast food and seeing a warning label would be like "what? this stuff is bad for me? screw this, healthy food all the way for me!"

You can put warning labels on everything, but it's not going to stop people from doing stupid things. If anything, more warning labels will just desensitize people to them and make everyone more inclined to ignore.

If someone eats fast food too often and gets fat, they have nobody to blame but themselves. I personally have a hard time believing fast food is a major cause of obesity either. It’s this ridiculous trend that people can live their lives without exercising at all. Got fat? Cut out carbs and you will lose weight! No need to exercise! Teach kids and adults to get off their lazy asses and exercise once in a while, because there will ALWAYS be unhealthy food out there.

[ishfish]

The Canadian Cancer Soc had funded a study to determine if nutritional info impacts food choice. The results do not seem to have been released yet. So it is an assumption that such info would influence choice. I query that those most likely to supersize...would also be the most likely to ignore such info.

So I would say Yes when there is proof that it has a positive impact.

[4flava]

It's called common sense from an education.

[kingofwale]

no.


if so, then people need to have a tattoo on their mouth, stating "Feeding here will increase food intake"

[spf1971]

The problem isn't that eating fast food makes you fat, it's that eating more than you burn makes you fat. It is much easier to consume more calories and fat when a serving is in excess of 1000 cal but high calorie food alone doesn't make you fat.

[45ED]

The problem isn't that eating fast food makes you fat, it's that eating more than you burn makes you fat. It is much easier to consume more calories and fat when a serving is in excess of 1000 cal but high calorie food alone doesn't make you fat.

This.

[laptopuser]

No.

I can't imagine anyone buying fast food and seeing a warning label would be like "what? this stuff is bad for me? screw this, healthy food all the way for me!"

You can put warning labels on everything, but it's not going to stop people from doing stupid things. If anything, more warning labels will just desensitize people to them and make everyone more inclined to ignore.

If someone eats fast food too often and gets fat, they have nobody to blame but themselves. I personally have a hard time believing fast food is a major cause of obesity either. It’s this ridiculous trend that people can live their lives without exercising at all. Got fat? Cut out carbs and you will lose weight! No need to exercise! Teach kids and adults to get off their lazy asses and exercise once in a while, because there will ALWAYS be unhealthy food out there.

im sorry but i think you missed the part of my post where i stated that its proven to be addictive. if you're a smoker just quit! if you're a cocaine addict just quit! you see how these statements are ludicrous right? nobody wants to be obese, they cant help it

and the warning labels arent so much to prevent current fast food eaters from eating it. much like smokers will continue smoking despite the picture of a cancerous lung on the cover, the labels are actually there to embed a sense of disgust into people so that something like smoking is no longer normal, but seen as considerably dangerous for ones health. this has a cumulative effect that will deter future generations from participating in that activity, its something that produces results in the long run

[transitguy1]

yes for the labelling.

You must realize that these corporate slaves who have not enough time to make their daily coffee/tea at home, you expect them to not eat junk everyday?
Everyday they eat food from the fastfood and coffee chains, they never cook at home. Then come the problems with health later on and they wonder why it happens to them...

North American fast food or food standards in general, are the worst in the developed world. Food corporations have too much leniency that they find a work around anything.

[laptopuser]

The problem isn't that eating fast food makes you fat, it's that eating more than you burn makes you fat. It is much easier to consume more calories and fat when a serving is in excess of 1000 cal but high calorie food alone doesn't make you fat.

fast/junk food is the biggest culprit. in a utopia we'd all have time to go to the gym everyday and workout for an hour. in north america you work 40-60 hours a week, spend hours commuting, then binge on garbage food because you're stressed out from your ***** workday.

cooking your own food also makes you much more conscientious about what you're eating. and i think it would be hard to overeat if you had to prepare every meal yourself.

if fast food joints weren't ubiquitous, obesity would be a rarity

the point is, much like smoking, fast food is an unnecessary evil that can and should be done away with if we want to progress as a society

[MrDisco]

This.

Except I would argue:
1. people of all age groups are not getting enough exercise
2. people are not aware of the health risks of the monster foods being served, foods which deceptively look healthy but are not, and worst of all the sugar found in pop drinks

The current status quo is not working. A healthy life style needs to be promoted (the earlier we can get kids the better) and nutritional guides and caloric values is one part of it. It's not perfect, and people will creatively find all sorts of excuses of why it's flawed but it's a whole lot better than keeping consumers in the dark.

[ishfish]

In some states it is mandatory to post the nutritional info. That would make the info accessible and keep the consumers out of the dark. Certainly some of the foods that look healthy are loaded with hidden unhealthy fats (salad dressings etc).

[45ED]

Except I would argue:
1. people of all age groups are not getting enough exercise
2. people are not aware of the health risks of the monster foods being served, foods which deceptively look healthy but are not, and worst of all the sugar found in pop drinks

The current status quo is not working. A healthy life style needs to be promoted (the earlier we can get kids the better) and nutritional guides and caloric values is one part of it. It's not perfect, and people will creatively find all sorts of excuses of why it's flawed but it's a whole lot better than keeping consumers in the dark.

Oh, I don't argue that there are people who aren't aware of health risks in foods they judge based on looks rather than nutrition content; I know people like that. But the impression I got from the OP is that if you just put a label or a picture on a box related to the food contained therein - a box that you'll only get after the food is purchased - that the bulk of the obesity problems will go away.

It is not just fast food that are high in calories. Many items on the average sit-down restaurant also contain foods that look good and taste good but aren't good for you given the quantities they serve. Sushi can be healthy, but a lot of folks eat rolls after rolls of sushi. And not just basic rolls of rice and filling, but drenched in sauce and accompanied by piles of tempura vegetables and shrimp, all bathed in soy sauce or similar. A basic garden salad is healthy, but I see a lot of people opt for salads with creamy sauces, meat, cheese, etc.. And curry -- I see few people outside of myself stick to a small portion. They opt for large bowls and more rice than necessary. Foods that can contribute to obesity, by virtue content, aren't easily labelled. You could label the menu, but not the food container itself.

There are a lot of unhealthy foods that aren't fast foods. And all of those foods are just as likely and potent as junk food to contribute to obesity. Is it possible to label them all? If you label junk food and people migrate from junk food because they see it as being unhealthy, they may begin to eat other foods that, by virtue of not being junk food, are okay. But they're not okay, necessarily.

And then, as spf1971 noted, there's the issue of not enough activity. But that's a whole 'nother issue itself. This post is long enough as is.

Obesity, like smoking and poverty, can't be solved with just a simple gesture. It might help. But a food warning label is not an obesity panacea. Give a person a label, and what will they do with it? They might have information - data - but what are they suppose to do with that information? Nutrition requires education or a thorough walkthrough of what's good, what's not so good, portions, concepts of moderation, etc.. It requires a lot of work, not just a basic label-job.

[uber_shnitz]

I don't think you should put labels on fast food no. If you can't figure out that fast food is bad for you then you'll have many issues other than bad diet.

When I went to the US, they put calorie count next to the items on the menu in big chain restaurants (think Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday, TGI Fridays etc) and yet that doesn't seem to be helping the population make "healthy choices".

People just need to get a leg up and understand what healthy nutrition and lifestyles are. They teach you a basic at school, now go apply it or learn more if you need to learn more. The internet is there.

[wilsonlam97]

Start selling rice at McDonalds. It would fix all the problems for me at least.

[ever1221]

yes.

[MrDisco]

that the bulk of the obesity problems will go away.

we will agree on this point. information is only one small part in the overall fight.



It is not just fast food that are high in calories. Many items on the average sit-down restaurant also contain foods that look good and taste good but aren't good for you given the quantities they serve.

The labeling isn't perfect as you've illustrated but it's still better than the current system of doing nothing. Portion size is simply another area where people need to be educated.



There are a lot of unhealthy foods that aren't fast foods. And all of those foods are just as likely and potent as junk food to contribute to obesity. Is it possible to label them all?

As far as food in the grocery store we may not get 100% of the items but at least we've started by labeling all the processed foods. Wouldn't take much to have signs in the meat department showing the right portion sizes and other such info.



Nutrition requires education or a thorough walkthrough of what's good, what's not so good, portions, concepts of moderation, etc.. It requires a lot of work, not just a basic label-job.

That's what I argue for. Labeling is just one step in that direction. We need physical education all through out high school as mandatory (heck maybe even college/university). We need proper gym teachers and home ec classes in public school. Tax incentives for gym equipment/memberships. Accessibility to family doctors. Maybe a tax on processed foods and incentives on vegetables. Bring back the Participaction duo. Take a page from anti-smoking and maybe even crack down on junk food marketing.

It requires an entire culture shift that will take a generation to achieve but the first step has to start somewhere, as unpopular as those measures might be.

[willdacanucker]

#first world problems. :rolleyes:

[Simaahoy]

Things the government should do to curb childhood obesity:

Maybe they should include pictures of obsese people on packages.That will surely keep kids away from fast-food items or better yet, those 18 and younger cannot eat fast food.. (Sarcasm).

Don't turn this into a nanny state...

[laptopuser]

Things the government should do to curb childhood obesity:

Maybe they should include pictures of obsese people on packages.That will surely keep kids away from fast-food items or better yet, those 18 and younger cannot eat fast food.. (Sarcasm).

Don't turn this into a nanny state...

ya great argument. maybe we should take the warning labels off cigarette packs, sell tobacco to any age, and legalize hard drugs too? dont want a nanny state bruh

[Jimboski]

No way.
Pretty sure most people know that eating fast food will make you fat and overweight.. Guess people just don't care.

[Ottomaddox]

That's what I argue for. Labeling is just one step in that direction. We need physical education all through out high school as mandatory (heck maybe even college/university). We need proper gym teachers and home ec classes in public school. Tax incentives for gym equipment/memberships. Accessibility to family doctors. Maybe a tax on processed foods and incentives on vegetables. Bring back the Participaction duo. Take a page from anti-smoking and maybe even crack down on junk food marketing.

It requires an entire culture shift that will take a generation to achieve but the first step has to start somewhere, as unpopular as those measures might be.

The only thing that will stop our society from becoming the humans on Wall-e is a giant EMP that destroys all electronic devices.

Many of the suggestions you've made will just end up being yet another tax grab lining the pockets of some special interest groups, unions and businessmen.

[Hairball]

Labels will help, but people should be responsible for what they eat.

Most fast food chains have nutritional info on their websites. McDonald's takes it further and has nutritional info on packaging.

[LaserEnvy]

I don't think you can compare fast food with cigarettes.

[iEyeCaptain]

Labels will help, but people should be responsible for what they eat.

Most fast food chains have nutritional info on their websites. McDonald's takes it further and has nutritional info on packaging.

+1

[mapledragon]

Start selling rice at McDonalds. It would fix all the problems for me at least.

Im sorry but they thought of that already. KFC sells rice and congee everyday.

[Hairball]

Im sorry but they thought of that already. KFC sells rice and congee everyday.

Maybe in the country you're in...

Rice is not exactly something great if you are diabetic, even if you aren't it's pretty much empty calories without nutrition.

[Junigenmukyoku]

Labels will help, but people should be responsible for what they eat.

Most fast food chains have nutritional info on their websites. McDonald's takes it further and has nutritional info on packaging.

+1

I don't think there should a warning because people generally know it's bad, but then again there are a lot of stupid people in this world. I can say yes to mandatory nutritional labels on the packaging, but no to warnings.

[GunnerX]

Why stop at fast food? Why not all similar foods sold in supermarkets and grocery stores? Big warning labels on packs of bacon saying "You will become a FAT PIG if you eat this and DIE!!"

[flashy_mcflash]

Labels will help, but people should be responsible for what they eat.

Most fast food chains have nutritional info on their websites. McDonald's takes it further and has nutritional info on packaging.

So....labels then?

[Scott M.]

What is the harm in showing the number of calories in each menu item on the menu? It's informative! I'd love to have that in menus at all restaurants, not just fast food. How am I supposed to know what they put in their Veal Marsala? Does one restaurant's bread have lots of sugar in it?

I don't get the whole "see our website" or "see the packaging after you buy it" stuff. It should be on the menu so I can make an informed choice at the time.

[Hairball]

What is the harm in showing the number of calories in each menu item on the menu? It's informative! I'd love to have that in menus at all restaurants, not just fast food. How am I supposed to know what they put in their Veal Marsala? Does one restaurant's bread have lots of sugar in it?

I don't get the whole "see our website" or "see the packaging after you buy it" stuff. It should be on the menu so I can make an informed choice at the time.

There's no harm to have calorie counts (in fact for McDonald's they already have it on the packaging, posted on the wall and on the tray paper). But the OP sounded like they wanted warning labels like for cigarettes.

The only negative I can think of is it can be prohibitively expensive for small restaurants or restaurants with frequently evolving menus to always have an accurate reading.

[Hairball]

So....labels then?

It sounded like the OP wanted warning labels like for tobacco.

[flashy_mcflash]

It sounded like the OP wanted warning labels like for tobacco.

Ah, gotcha. I thought it was just nutritional info. Yeah, tobacco-style labels are real dumb.

[uber_shnitz]

What is the harm in showing the number of calories in each menu item on the menu? It's informative! I'd love to have that in menus at all restaurants, not just fast food. How am I supposed to know what they put in their Veal Marsala? Does one restaurant's bread have lots of sugar in it?

I don't get the whole "see our website" or "see the packaging after you buy it" stuff. It should be on the menu so I can make an informed choice at the time.

Nothing is wrong. By all means, if they want to put nutritional info or value on their menus (or say in a separate document given with the menu) that'd be great, but at the same time like I said, lots of restaurants already put calorie count on the menus and fast foods typically have the nutritional data on the wall or the packaging.

IMO, you can only do so much at some point people have to take responsibility for their choices. When I go out to eat, I don't expect it to be the healthiest of foods. Assuming I don't have allergies or prominent health issues, going out to eat for me is a treat; I don't want to police myself when I go out. I do that the rest of the time.

[sandikosh]

No. Eating any food in excess of your body needs will get you fat!

[adelfoxy]

No...

Only tobacco industry contains this....