Lovin' it: McBranding hooks preschoolers, study finds

That's what I'm saying. I was the same way growing up. Another reason why I adore my GF...she makes her 7 year old get outside, run around, and exercise, instead of plopping him down in front of the TV with a bag of chips.

 

McDonald's is good for you, otherwise, why would so many people eat it?

 

not to defend mcdonalds, and i haven't seen supersize me admitedly, but I saw a special on 20/20 about how government subsidies of corn farming has been a bigger cause of the obesity crisis in this country. all of these processed foods we eat now that last forever are heavily corn starch/syrup based. corn has almost no nutritional value.

it was interesting because there were these two guys in the early seventies who predicted the problem when the government first started heavily subsidizing the corn farming industry. I really wish I could find the transcript to the story, unlike "supersize me" I think it would really teach something you don't know about the food industry.

its not just fast food, its all this pre processed food we buy at the grocery store that's contributing to all of our expanding wastelines, not just the kids'.

 

Yeah, that's what she does with you!

 

Nope. She plops me down on the bed and eats me like I'm a bag of chips!

 

I blame the femnist movement. It has long been the womans responsabilty to prepare the family meal. That sacred tradition went out the window and the children are feeling the consequences. I don't care if you don't make my dinner woman, I'm a grown man, but think of the poor innocent children.

 

Healthy unprocessed food is expensive and sold in boutique shops for yuppies. ****ty, clogged-artery food is cheap and sold everywhere to working-class people.

also ...

....was anyone else totally creeped out and maybe a little traumatized by this?

 

I quit eating at McDonalds about 20 years ago, but my girlfriend's son who was 10 at the time, and always asked for McDonalds at the time, watched Super Size Me with us and he quit eating at McDonalds. He's been there a couple of times in the last couple of years with his friends, but he never asks for McDonald's any more.

 

you could go to mcdonalds and get a salad! but when you put on the dressing it takes up 150% of your daily value of fat. oh well, at least they tried!

 

I think the real point is that no... they didn't.

 

couldn't find link on 20/20 story but here's one article linking corn subisidies and obesity

link


The Corn Syrup Debate—A Sticky Subject

Some experts have raised a red flag about a common ingredient in everyday foods—high fructose corn syrup—saying it may be a culprit in the nation's obesity epidemic.

High fructose corn syrup is a liquid sweetener that is made by processing cornstarch with acids or enzymes. It has only been around for a few decades, but its use has steadily sky rocketed. Today, high fructose corn syrup sweetens a huge variety of foods, from packaged baked goods and yogurt to ketchup and soft drinks.

Corn Syrup and Obesity—Is there a link?


In the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic rise in obesity in America. Today nearly one third of adult Americans are obese and another third are overweight. The number of obese children has doubled to one in five. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and chronic illnesses like Type II diabetes and arthritis.

The concerns about high fructose corn syrup are two-pronged. First, Americans may be packing on the pounds simply by consuming too much.

In his book, "Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World" (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003), Greg Critser argues one of the single most important changes to the nation's food supply was when the two biggest soft drink makers switched from a fifty-fifty blend of sugar and corn syrup to 100 percent high fructose corn syrup in the1980's.

"The move saved both companies 20 percent in sweetener costs, allowing them to boost portion sizes and still make substantial profits," he wrote. The same went for food makers.

Sweet & Cheap

What helps make corn so cheap and plentiful are government subsidies to the tune of billions of dollars each year. There is a growing chorus that says overabundance is part of the problem and Uncle Sam needs to consider how agricultural policy can improve public health.

A recent study published in the journal Obesity Research found Americans consumed 83 more calories each day from added sweeteners in 1996 than they did in 1977. Most of the extra calories came from beverages.

"We are increasingly consuming foods that provide energy, but few other nutrients," concluded study authors Barry Popkin and Samara Joy Nielsen of the Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The government is considering changing the nutrition facts label to make things clearer for people who are trying to manage their weight.

But it's not only how much Americans are consuming that raises alarms, but also what they're consuming. Some food scientists have zeroed in on fructose, which makes up just over half of the corn sweetener, saying the way it metabolizes in the body may lead to weight gain.

Not so Sweet

A 2002 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that fructose depressed the production of two hormones, insulin and leptin, which help regulate the appetite. For people consuming diets high in fructose, this could "increase the likelihood of weight gain." The scientists stated that a considerable amount of research still needs to be done to completely appreciate the effect of fructose in the American diet.

Another concern is that fructose prompts the liver to build triglycerides. Higher-than-normal levels of this fat put you at greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, found that men who ate a high fructose diet over a period of six weeks elevated their triglyceride levels by 32 percent. There was no significant effect shown on women in the study who had the same diet.

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) says there is no connection between high fructose corn syrup and obesity and recently launched a website to get its word out.

The group says it is scientifically inaccurate to apply results of studies on pure fructose to high fructose corn syrup since the corn sweetener is only about half fructose (and about half glucose).

"Obesity is caused by too many calories and not enough physical activity—not fructose, sucrose, soft drinks or any single food," the association says.

No matter who wins the argument over corn syrup, one thing is certain: It's wise to cut down on the amount of refined sugar and processed foods we eat and include more fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains in our diet.

 

Is anybody reading Fast Food Nation right now? Its basically a much more detailed version of the movie Supersize me.

As to kids eating fast food. I'm only going to let my kid/s eat fast food once a month or less. Yeah it might taste good but the **** in there is so bad for you.

 

Not quite true. The food is worse today. Lower quality meat, more refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup (if memory serves Coke started this trend by using it in 1980), etc. That, combined with the lack of activity compared to previous generations causes the problem.

I actually never ate and never liked McDonalds growing up. No clue why. My parents fed me tons of fast food, but McDonalds was always "bad". I am strange, though, and changed my eating habits in college. When most people get bad habits, I stopped eating fast food, stopped consuming soft drinks, etc. Odd.

 

15 months? He probably can't speak and certainly isn't the advertisers' target demographic...Wait until he's 4 or 5.

Can't blame McDonalds. I think comparing McDonalds to smoking is sort of ridiculous. Eating McDonalds in moderation(Which supersize me guy certainly did not do) will not lead to one's death. Smoking in moderation will.

Reasons for childhood obesity - unhealthy food, unhealthy portions(Biggest cause), and lack of exercise. Schools encourage obesity by providing all of the above...nasty, greasy food served at fast food prices, then followed by no mandatory exercise in most states.

 

researcher: Jimmy, which burger tastes better? Burger #1 or Burger #2?

test subject #47: "Hey lets go ride bikes!"

 

1st. Tobacco goes after kids
2nd. McDonalds goes after kids
3rd. US Army goes after kids

And thats America