Why Does Everybody Blame Fast Food When They Gain Weight?

[gregdavidson]

Sure, I put on a few pounds when I decide to eat Wendy's for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But it's not like they're forcing me to eat their food. And everybody knows how many calories are in a cheeseburger. If you don't, you can always ask for the nutritional facts. I don't understand how people can sue McDonald's for this reason.

[Mike]

I couldn't agree with you more. Weight problems aren't because of fast food. They're not because of fries, pizza, burgers, or anything else. They're because we eat them!

We're not robots, we're not slaves to advertising, and we aren't even forced to buy fast food because it's cheaper or more convenient than the alternative. Where I shop, I can make a big, hearty, filling, flavorful salad and have it for a lunch for two days in a row and it'll cost me less than a combo meal at one of the big fast food chains. Plus since I make it and it's ready for two lunches, that's far more convenient for me.

Education and proper decision making are the solutions to weight gain, not blaming fast food.

[treehuggertodd]

The only way that I'd accept blame is that these companies label certain things "healthy options" even though they just mean healthIER than the fries and cheeseburgers, etc. A salad with ground beef and taco chips is NOT a healthy option so they should stop telling people that.

[Tiff]

The only way that I'd accept blame is that these companies label certain things "healthy options" even though they just mean healthIER than the fries and cheeseburgers, etc. A salad with ground beef and taco chips is NOT a healthy option so they should stop telling people that.

That's a good point. There are a lot of bad options being hidden under "healthy" menus and listed as salads that appear healthy but that are drenched in sugar, salt, and fat. Even a really great garden salad can be turned into a disaster under the wrong creamy dressing, though, so it's up to us to make the right choices and inform ourselves, no matter what.

[tracy1976]

I think there is a huge lack of education out there when it comes to nutrition. It is really surprising what some people think is diet-friendly, healthy, or not so bad. So when fast food companies downplay the fact that they have a burger on their menu that has a full week's worth of fat, salt, and even sugar, people don't realize the size of the damage that they're doing.

The ads often suggest that you could eat there every day or that this is "normal" food. So it could be easy to think that if you had one meal there and eat healthy for the rest of the day you'll be fine, every day.

It's not the fast food restaurant's fault, but they sure don't help the matter of the lack of education.