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[Winterblink]

What the fuck? Takes me five minutes to make a really fucking great salad, complete with homemade dressing (olive oil, balsamic vin., etc.). Not enough time my ass. In the time it takes her to strap three kids into a car, drive to the nearest McDonald's and order something she could have fed all of her kids something won't guarantee a limited lifespan.

Damage is probably done anyway.

 

[maharg]

It's not as cheap as buying groceries and preparing food for yourself. Nor is it as healthy. The issue isn't the price of their food - it's that people are growing lazier over time.

You can have a 500 calorie meal at mcdonalds for $2-3 (using the value menu). That's pretty well aligned with cost per meal of grocery shopping, and takes less time by far. Of course, I see that you're talking about a diet based on $4/day for 2 people. That seems like it'd be way on the low side of what most people manage to achieve.

Of course, most people don't do that. Most people buy from the horribly overpriced normal combo menu.

 

[Tobor]

The ones I considered:

Fried Chicken/Fries
Burger/Fries
Red Beans rice/Sausage
Baked chicken (since it can be gotten in 'fast food time from grocery stores')
Average time TV dinners
Average time Pizza dinners

That's pretty much perfect. Your study sounds really impressive.

 

[Vinci]

You can have a 500 calorie meal at mcdonalds for $2-3 (using the value menu). That's pretty well aligned with cost per meal of grocery shopping, and takes less time by far.

Of course, most people don't do that. Most people buy from the horribly overpriced normal combo menu.

I'm expecting the latter point as well. And it's still bullshit to me, precisely for Winterblink's point. When it came down to it, my family ran the numbers and determined that, yes, we could spend ten minutes to fix a meal that was both healthy and remarkably inexpensive. That's the amount of time it would take us to go to McDonald's.

We existed for six months spending less than $40 a week on food. That takes discipline or it takes necessity. I'll never perceive that fast food is cost-effective for your lifestyle, particularly when your life is in the shitter.

If people are truly making the choice to go to McDonald's rather than making smart, informed decisions and put a miniscule amount of effort into preparing a meal, that's a damn shame and it's only going to compound their suffering.

EDIT, @ Phoenix: As contrary as I'm being, I'd really like to see your study at some point. Even if it simply confirms that the poor are needlessly hurting themselves even further.

 

[Phoenix]

That's pretty much perfect. Your study sounds really impressive.

Thanks. The one area that I couldn't get to but really did want to get to was the impact of family history on this behavior. Were there any norms of your parents/childhood family that made you more or less likely to consider fast food as a substitute. What I was really hoping to get to was a long term trend projection. Is this something that can be corrected with targeted education, and if so - who do you target.

What I can say is that it wasn't until I traveled to Brasil recently for class that I realized how much larger Americans are than many other populations. I knew we were larger than most in APAC, but when I saw that we were pretty much 2 sizes larger than the average Brasilian I was a tad bit confused and concerned.

Are American's really the fat asses of the planet?

 

[Winterblink]

I'm expecting the latter point as well. And it's still bullshit to me, precisely for Winterblink's point. When it came down to it, my family ran the numbers and determined that, yes, we could spend ten minutes to fix a meal that was both healthy and remarkably inexpensive. That's the amount of time it would take us to go to McDonald's.

Indeed. I used a salad as an example, but hell I've taken to making my own bread. Cheaper in the long run, better for you since you know what goes into it, and tastes a lot better than store-bought.

I've been puttering around in the IronGaf thread lately, submitted some stuff there. Made a Tandoori roasted vegetable salad (easily eaten as a meal). With only a couple of bell peppers, an onion, eggplant, zucchini, and a jar of curry paste I had enough food for four huge portions. AND enough unused vegetables for a heck of a grilled veggie pita the next day.

Cost wise you can imagine it wasn't much, and admittedly it was just veggies, but the point is for someone like the woman in the news story it's totally contrary to her opinion that it takes a long time to make something that's healthy. It's also entirely possible she just doesn't like the taste of healthy food (some friends of mine hate salads, for instance), and if that's the case she's now set her kids on that very same path.

 

[Phoenix]

EDIT, @ Phoenix: As contrary as I'm being, I'd really like to see your study at some point. Even if it simply confirms that the poor are needlessly hurting themselves even further.

Sure. I'll find out how to link to the GA Tech archive and send you a URL. I keep meaning to do a study of the video game industry, but I keep getting distracted by stuff that really has more meaning

 

[Strike]

thisiswhyyourefat.com

 

[Choke on the Magic]

What the fuck? Takes me five minutes to make a really fucking great salad, complete with homemade dressing (olive oil, balsamic vin., etc.). Not enough time my ass. In the time it takes her to strap three kids into a car, drive to the nearest McDonald's and order something she could have fed all of her kids something won't guarantee a limited lifespan.

Damage is probably done anyway.

Wait so there's something I can eat that will make me immortal?

 

[Tobor]

Sure. I'll find out how to link to the GA Tech archive and send you a URL. I keep meaning to do a study of the video game industry, but I keep getting distracted by stuff that really has more meaning

If you find the link, shoot it my way as well, if you don't mind.

 

[Vinci]

It's also entirely possible she just doesn't like the taste of healthy food (some friends of mine hate salads, for instance), and if that's the case she's now set her kids on that very same path.

Which is sad. But hell, you don't even have to go vegetarian to prepare meals that are healthier than McDonald's.

 

[Diablohead]

She probably earns more money then I do with legit work, I hate it.

Also holy shit she is quite large.

 

[Forceatowulf]

You've got to be fucking kidding me. I love the rationale she has for what constitutes as "healthy". My grandparents use the same logic when eating junk food, you can't tell them shit. I don't even try anymore.

 

[Winterblink]

Which is sad. But hell, you don't even have to go vegetarian to prepare meals that are healthier than McDonald's.

Totally. Chicken fajitas are pretty reasonable calorie wise... shit most supermarkets sell the vegetables for fajitas in packages pre-sliced. Fajitas are pretty well balanced, and tasty as fuck.

 

[justjohn]

That picture of the woman's kids is probably the only reason you even made this thread. :lol

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Actually its quite comparable. I've did a study for school examining the price of preparing Subway and McDonalds in the same quantity for a 2 week period. When you take into account spoilage and time (opportunity cost), the cost of a McDonalds value mean and a $5 footlong is roughly the same and in some cases cheaper than preparing the exact same meals yourself.

Who spoils that much food? $5 doesn't get you much at McDonalds today. Say you could swing that for 3 meals a day. $15/day x 7 days, not including snacks, dessert, water, everything else you buy at a store. That's a $100 bucks. I can feed my family of 3 with that money. For an entire week. There is no way it's similar in price.

And just because a low cost meal has 500 calories doesn't mean it'll be filling. I think their milkshakes have 500 calories but that doesn't make it a meal. If you are only eating that, you would only hit 1500 calories per day. Gas 3x per day. Lack of full nutrition (vitamins). I would love to see an analysis of cost to grocery shopping vs fast food where they are equivalent.

 

[MoxManiac]

Also, if you cook meals sometimes you have leftovers that can be eaten the next day.

 

[Ela Hadrun]

at least those kids have each other.

they're way cuter than I thought they would be after seeing her picture. there is still hope for them

fake edit: in the states, you can't use food stamps to buy restaurant food, theoretically encouraging people to prepare healthier shit. is it different in the uk?

 

[Kreed]

:lol I can just imagine your thought process while you're reading the story:

justjohn: "How was this fat ugly woman able to have children? What guy in their right mind would sleep with..."

justjohn: "AH HA!"

 

[gofreak]

at least those kids have each other.

they're way cuter than I thought they would be after seeing her picture. there is still hope for them

fake edit: in the states, you can't use food stamps to buy restaurant food, theoretically encouraging people to prepare healthier shit. is it different in the uk?

If it's like here, Ireland, then they just get money. I don't think the UK has food stamps.

 

[maharg]

Who spoils that much food? $5 doesn't get you much at McDonalds today. Say you could swing that for 3 meals a day. $15/day x 7 days, not including snacks, dessert, water, everything else you buy at a store. That's a $100 bucks. I can feed my family of 3 with that money. For an entire week. There is no way it's similar in price.

And just because a low cost meal has 500 calories doesn't mean it'll be filling. I think their milkshakes have 500 calories but that doesn't make it a meal. If you are only eating that, you would only hit 1500 calories per day. Gas 3x per day. Lack of full nutrition (vitamins). I would love to see an analysis of cost to grocery shopping vs fast food where they are equivalent.

There's 400 calories in a double cheeseburger alone ($1 value menu item). Another 250 or so in a small fries (also a $1 value menu item). For $5 you could easily get up over 1000 calories. As for the milkshake, the small has 500, the large 1110 (which incidentally is probably the best food ever when you can't handle solids because you're sick).

I'm not saying a mcd's diet is a great thing to subject yourself to, but it certainly is possible to achieve caloric needs from it for relatively cheap (compared to other dine-out, zero-effort options). And they do fortify their food with vitamins relatively heavily. You certainly wouldn't get scurvy from it.

 

[speculawyer]

UK welfare pays for McDonalds? That is f'ed up.

 

[Ela Hadrun]

If it's like here, Ireland, then they just get money. I don't think the UK has food stamps.

I see.

Normally I don't agree with the gov't telling you how to spend your money, but if they're giving you money to buy food for kids, it's kind of useful to have some kind of system that makes it harder for you to spend it on drugs instead.

Because seriously, it's bad that this woman is feeding her kids McD's, but she could just be shooting up instead. She's not a very good parent but she's still being a parent.

 

[Fenderputty]

Why did I immediately know this was from the UK when I saw her photo?

I'm thinking it might be her hairstyle..she has that kind of hairstyle that seems to be popular among 'lady' chavs in the UK.

If I didn't read the story, I would have assumed Central United States. Something like Arkansas.

 

[Binabik15]

UK welfare pays for McDonalds? That is f'ed up.

No, that´s called "freedom". We do it the same here in Germany. Even unemployed people and people on welfare get the right to decide what they want instead of the government handing it out to them. They want to smoke ten packs of cigarettes a day? Okay, but they can´t afford proper food. They need to buy 500 porn dvds a month? Have fun in your four square metre room. You should try this freedom thing in America

Not joking, that´s one of the reasons my law profesor gave us and HE should know about this.

On the subject of cheap food, please. A kilo of (good) bread can cost you around two bucks and has enough calories for two people. Eat it for breakfat and lunch with lean ham and some salad and other vegatables for breakfast and dinner and you get your oh so needed calories and some actual nutrious food. Lunch could be pasta or potatos with tuna, chicken or something else. A 1 kg chicken is three bucks in my local store. Etc, etc.

Fast food is something you should "treat" yourself with every so often, because it´s tasty to many people. But it´s unhealthy, loaded with fat, salt, processed sugars (and apperently boudy fluids from bored teenager or under-tipped assholes. :lol). I think a single meal at McDonalds would pretty much fill up your recommended daily salt intake. Just because you need to fill up all those calories not to die (lol) McDoof isn´t the right choice. Especially not for children.

I find that many people, poor or wealthy, in Europe or America or Australia or wherever are really, really uninformed about what they should eat and how to prepare decent meals.

 

[daw840]

No, that´s called "freedom". We do it the same here in Germany. Even unemployed people and people on welfare get the right to decide what they want instead of the government handing it out to them. They want to smoke ten packs of cigarettes a day? Okay, but they can´t afford proper food. They need to buy 500 porn dvds a month? Have fun in your four square metre room. You should try this freedom thing in America

Then the government shouldn't be giving them money. They have the freedom to get a job, to better themselves, or to become a fat fucking pig and have the gov't step in and take the kids..

 

[levious]

WIC is a great program, got me through the first year of my first child, you're restricted on what groceries you can buy, plus formula I believe. Never got on food stamps although I think I could have qualified, probably just a stigma thing, but I didn't want to do that.


It really sucked having people behind you in line give you disparaging looks when you're paying with WIC though, some people are just a bit heartless.

 

[daw840]

WIC is a great program, got me through the first year of my first child, you're restricted on what groceries you can buy, plus formula I believe. Never got on food stamps although I think I could have qualified, probably just a stigma thing, but I didn't want to do that.


It really sucked having people behind you in line give you disparaging looks when you're paying with WIC though, some people are just a bit heartless.

Isn't WIC the same thing as food stamps?

 

[funkmastergeneral]

WIC is a great program, got me through the first year of my first child, you're restricted on what groceries you can buy, plus formula I believe. Never got on food stamps although I think I could have qualified, probably just a stigma thing, but I didn't want to do that.


It really sucked having people behind you in line give you disparaging looks when you're paying with WIC though, some people are just a bit heartless.

I actually had a co-worker the other day complaining about welfare moms and how they do nothing all day, and then she said she gets 200 dollars weekly for WIC. How is it different than food stamps?

 

[avatar299]

The Daily Mail (and other tabloids) are hell bent on discrediting social services/security and the public health system. I guess that beating the big mean European Union got a little tired.

Yeah dude, sure. LOL

It's a conspiracy

 

[zoku88]

Yeah dude, sure. LOL

It's a conspiracy

Dude... they're tabloids...

The just want to rile people up. That's how they get money.

 

[Binabik15]

Then the government shouldn't be giving them money. They have the freedom to get a job, to better themselves, or to become a fat fucking pig and have the gov't step in and take the kids..

You know, some people are fired from their jobs. Or ACTUALLY not able to work. It´s not like we just take it up the ass from system abusers, you know. And people HAVE to look for jobs if medically possible. But nice try.

And avatar299, please. Just please. We send you our conservatives, okay? Just give me your address, the Communist Commonwealth for the Greater Good of Lazy People of Europe would be grateful if you took them in.

 

[levious]

I actually had a co-worker the other day complaining about welfare moms and how they do nothing all day, and then she said she gets 200 dollars weekly for WIC. How is it different than food stamps?

ah, well like I hinted at, it's not usable for any food product. When I was on it, it was like a weekly food allowance for certain products, beans, rice, whole grain cereal or oatmeal, milk, formula, and cheese. Maybe bread, it's been over ten years. Plus it's only for the early years of a child's life, meant really to help out the nutritional intake of the child and mother during those important years.

 

[Dead Man Typing]

I actually had a co-worker the other day complaining about welfare moms and how they do nothing all day, and then she said she gets 200 dollars weekly for WIC. How is it different than food stamps?

That's probably the difference to her.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

Yeah dude, sure. LOL

It's a conspiracy

I don't see how anything he posted would have suggested a conspiracy.

 

[avatar299]

Dude... they're tabloids...

The just want to rile people up. That's how they get money.

If the story is real than it's real. This would have pissed people regardless of who published it.

 

[Prine]

And I can't get laid

give her a call

 

[Doubledex]

Who in the world would bang this...... oh, I see...

 

[daw840]

You know, some people are fired from their jobs. Or ACTUALLY not able to work. It´s not like we just take it up the ass from system abusers, you know. And people HAVE to look for jobs if medically possible. But nice try.

And avatar299, please. Just please. We send you our conservatives, okay? Just give me your address, the Communist Commonwealth for the Greater Good of Lazy People of Europe would be grateful if you took them in.

Oh boo-fucking-hoo. If the government is supporting your family on fucking food stamps, welfare, whatever, they should be able to dictate what you do and don't buy with said money. End of story. I don't want my fucking tax dollars going to 60" plasma screens, cigarettes, and booze.

 

[Alpha_eX]

The media have really taken this story for a run, the kids diet includes mc donnalds and wotsits but isn't full of it, sounds like she sometimes has mc donnalds and gives them some of her chips.

The paper that got hold of this story just blew it way out of proportion.

 

[vas_a_morir]

The media have really taken this story for a run, the kids diet includes mc donnalds and wotsits but isn't full of it, sounds like she sometimes has mc donnalds and gives them some of her chips.

The paper that got hold of this story just blew it way out of proportion.

I buy a hamburger sandwich with a human dollar at mc donnalds.
Why are you spelling McDonald's like that?

 

[avatar299]

You know, some people are fired from their jobs. Or ACTUALLY not able to work. It´s not like we just take it up the ass from system abusers, you know. And people HAVE to look for jobs if medically possible. But nice try.

And avatar299, please. Just please. We send you our conservatives, okay? Just give me your address, the Communist Commonwealth for the Greater Good of Lazy People of Europe would be grateful if you took them in.

:lol

 

[Night_Trekker]

How's that not lazy? I've said, and this is true, that it's less costly and healthier to fix your own food as opposed to go to McDonald's and have them prepare it for you. If laziness isn't the issue, what is? I could see if you were just that swamped, but she doesn't even have a job.

In fairness to the mother, everything is exhausting when you're overweight.

Who in the world would bang this...... oh, I see...

That is so wrong :lol

 

[Binabik15]

Oh boo-fucking-hoo. If the government is supporting your family on fucking food stamps, welfare, whatever, they should be able to dictate what you do and don't buy with said money. End of story. I don't want my fucking tax dollars going to 60" plasma screens, cigarettes, and booze.

No to big government! Only if I want it to intervene! How practical.

Free market! But let the government decide what poor people buy! Let´s create a plan what should and should not be produced for the poor! Huzzah! Free market!

Things aren´t as black or white like your "60" plasma screen!" example. Just because we don´t hand out food stamps and take "the poor" by their hands doesn´t mean that we let them hoard plasma tvs and Gucchi bling bling.

Relax. None of your tax dollars will ever go to an unemployed German. I won´t argue any further with you, we were both raised in diffrent systems I´d say and nobody will change his perception of right or wrong.

 

[Ela Hadrun]

In fairness to the mother, everything is exhausting when you're overweight.



That is so wrong :lol

Well, everything probably IS exhausting when you're a single parent of toddler triplets.

Honestly, she would probably be hard-pressed to find a job that would pay her more than childcare would cost.

I really don't think she's doing such a bad job. That's probably cause I've worked with so many children taken away from their parents by the state, tho. My perspective is a little different.

As far as the "freedom to spend your money" thing, I don't think food stamps is so terrible. If you're sending someone money to buy food for their kids, it's almost the same as sending them a big old package of government food, right? I'm not against people receiving other benefits, but I think it's helpful to have specific food money. It also makes it easier to send people more money because it's specifically for food, and when someone stands up to oppose them with the Willie Horton idea, you can just point to this being spent on buying little Timmy bananas or whatever and it's much harder to strike down.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

According to Chris Rock...........

 

[Jill Sandwich]

Where's the baby daddy?

 

[Funky Papa]

If the story is real than it's real. This would have pissed people regardless of who published it.

I guess you don't know much about British tabloids. They are constantly looking for stories like this one in order to discredit welfare programmes and sell papers with outrageous covers. It's their latest schtick. Not so long ago, the EU and the dangers of the metric system were all the rage.

Wait long enough, and you'll see them changing the subjet en masse towards something else (although given the economic downturn, I bet the current "welfare mom" theme is going sell pretty well for a long time).