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You cannot generalize this. I don't know anyone who's into fast food and potato chips! Some people go through a phase of that in college, but in my observation, they get over it pretty quickly, and start enjoying ethnic food at real restaurants, and enjoy learning to cook their favorite dishes. Professionals who don't have time to cook or who take a night or two off from cooking per week buy prepared foods at grocery stores, a rotisserie chicken, that kind of thing (if they don't go out to a nice restaurant), not fast food.
I've noticed that the food industry definitely has been a bit sneakier the last 10 years or so, about developing drinks that are marketed as simple tea or coffee but contain hidden sugars and calories, though. (Starbuck's Frappucino, canned tea in the grocery aisle that's full of fruit juice) Reading the nutrition labels on products is essential. Sugar sells, so the industry won't stop pushing it in various forms unless forced to.
I know this comment is like a year old, but amen to that! I LONG ago got over my heavy fast food phase, and try to eat more interesting things than a typical fast food meal when possible. I only wish I was MUCH better at cooking my own food, so I wasn't so much at the mercy of at times overpaying for meals at restaurants. That's still something I'm badly trying to work on, to improve at doing myself.
I know this comment is like a year old, but amen to that! I LONG ago got over my heavy fast food phase, and try to eat more interesting things than a typical fast food meal when possible. I only wish I was MUCH better at cooking my own food, so I wasn't so much at the mercy of at times overpaying for meals at restaurants. That's still something I'm badly trying to work on, to improve at doing myself.
If college students can teach themselves to cook, you can. There are simple things you can do: burgers, baked chicken covered with chopped garlic in salad oil, fried or poached trout, salmon steamed in wrapped foil with a little water inside the foil, in the oven at baking temp. (takes about 5 minutes! Same with the chicken), a rotisserie chicken from the store, an omelet with lots of cheese, and a couple of veggies. Serve with a mixed salad full of a variety of greens & veggies + some brown rice and garbanzos. Make a simple oil & vinegar dressing, with chopped green onions marinating in the dressing.
Eating healthfully doesn't have to be time-consuming, difficult, or complicated. After you learn some basic things like this, you can start branching out, by checking out some ethnic cookbooks, or taking a cooking class: Chinese, Italian, Mexican, whatever.
I have to agree with this. I still think Americans are far heavier than Europeans are.
I do too. And places like Old Country buffet where people pay to eat awful food in unlimited quantities like pigs at a trough, are uniquely American. Even I’m embarrassed by it. I think if some parts of Europe are gaining its because of the fast food places we’ve introduced to them, and simply a modernizing world resulting in less exercise. We are still the King’s of fat though, and they still have far fewer morbidly obese than we do.
I was surprised to see Germans so far down on the list. In my travels, many are quite large folks who can put away heaping plates of food and staggering amounts of booze. Brits are slimmer but can still put away the drink. Alcohol is fattening and I’ve wondered how the English I’ve run across can stay on the small side while drinking the way they do. Americans just have an unhealthy diet, way too much junk and processed food.
I was surprised to see Germans so far down on the list. In my travels, many are quite large folks who can put away heaping plates of food and staggering amounts of booze. Brits are slimmer but can still put away the drink. Alcohol is fattening and I’ve wondered how the English I’ve run across can stay on the small side while drinking the way they do. Americans just have an unhealthy diet, way too much junk and processed food.
That’s the truth for sure. I weight train heavily so I’m “overweight” on the total joke of a scale BMI, but I’m under 15% body fat (5’10” 178, but 31 inch waist) and I quit drinking 2.5 years ago. Ever since then, I can eat whatever I want and not gain a pound. It’s amazing what a difference not drinking makes. I eat fast food now and then, I eat IHOP sometimes, BBQ food, burgers sometimes. Most of my diet is healthy, protein shakes and protein bars and low calorie frozen dinners, low sugar cereal, that kinda thing. But if I don’t eat some large unhealthy meals I actually start losing weight. It’s amazing, I can throw whatever I want at my body and never count calories but working out hard and not drinking alcohol means I never gain a pound. I’ve eaten an entire birthday cake almost by myself one week and ate out that week 5 times because of two birthdays and four birthday celebrations (friends and family dinners)... I lost a pound that week.
The true male privilege in this world is if you’re in great shape and muscular, you can eat whatever you want without a care in the world.
That’s the truth for sure. I weight train heavily so I’m “overweight” on the total joke of a scale BMI, but I’m under 15% body fat (5’10” 178, but 31 inch waist) and I quit drinking 2.5 years ago. Ever since then, I can eat whatever I want and not gain a pound. It’s amazing what a difference not drinking makes. I eat fast food now and then, I eat IHOP sometimes, BBQ food, burgers sometimes. Most of my diet is healthy, protein shakes and protein bars and low calorie frozen dinners, low sugar cereal, that kinda thing. But if I don’t eat some large unhealthy meals I actually start losing weight. It’s amazing, I can throw whatever I want at my body and never count calories but working out hard and not drinking alcohol means I never gain a pound. I’ve eaten an entire birthday cake almost by myself one week and ate out that week 5 times because of two birthdays and four birthday celebrations (friends and family dinners)... I lost a pound that week.
The true male privilege in this world is if you’re in great shape and muscular, you can eat whatever you want without a care in the world.
I was just about to write that all the women here hate you now, when I got to the last line, lol.
I do too. And places like Old Country buffet where people pay to eat awful food in unlimited quantities like pigs at a trough, are uniquely American.
No it isn't.
I've seen plenty of buffets in other parts of the world, usually Chinese or Indian. I've even seen some all-u-can-eat pizza buffets and Mexican food buffets. Sure there are healthy foods in India and China, but that isn't what you usually find in buffets. The Mexican buffets are probably the healthiest, usually lots of fruit and guisados so as long as you can resist the siren call of the tortilla lady you can do okay.
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That's still something I'm badly trying to work on, to improve at doing myself.
There are simple things you can do: burgers, baked chicken covered with chopped garlic in salad oil, fried or poached trout, salmon steamed in wrapped foil with a little water inside the foil, in the oven at baking temp. (takes about 5 minutes! Same with the chicken), a rotisserie chicken from the store, an omelet with lots of cheese, and a couple of veggies. Serve with a mixed salad full of a variety of greens & veggies + some brown rice and garbanzos. Make a simple oil & vinegar dressing, with chopped green onions marinating in the dressing.
