Comments on: Super-Sized Sandwiches Lead to Plus-Size Pants http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:52:11 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: David Gaines http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-7075 David Gaines Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:05:47 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-7075 I sympathize with DEB-Z and I point to her comments as the reason why I can't get anywhere around Washington, D.C. on time anymore because of all the accidents on our local highways and interstates. Having said that, I've always thought it was mighty strange that McDonald's doesn't have a counterpart to the BK Veggie. I'm a vegetarian and when I'm in a hurry (which is not 24 hours a day as seems to be the case with the rest of America) I'd like to be able to go through the Mickey D drive-through lane and grab a veggie burger and one of their salad shakes, or salads in a cup, or whatever they call them. I sympathize with DEB-Z and I point to her comments as the reason why I can’t get anywhere around Washington, D.C. on time anymore because of all the accidents on our local highways and interstates.

Having said that, I’ve always thought it was mighty strange that McDonald’s doesn’t have a counterpart to the BK Veggie. I’m a vegetarian and when I’m in a hurry (which is not 24 hours a day as seems to be the case with the rest of America) I’d like to be able to go through the Mickey D drive-through lane and grab a veggie burger and one of their salad shakes, or salads in a cup, or whatever they call them.

]]> By: DEB-Z http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-7006 DEB-Z Sat, 06 Oct 2007 03:16:54 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-7006 40 Years ago people walked to work a few miles from home, to the grocery store on the corner of the street, mothers and or grandmothers frequently cooked fresh veg in pans of boiling water! Walked to church/temple, and visit relatives living near by etc.... Now I am so tired and stressed out from working where most jobs, professions, and homes in the USA are not secure...my children are land I do take out at least 6 days out of 7...I have no time to cook... I am exhausted and everyone I know is the same way...more from jobs that are long distance...all the old jobs are sent out of the country and the new ones are not close by!!! Non professionals are taking over professional licensed jobs as well, I have noticed, as a trend. Hours of homework and sports, etc for the school children are leaving them exhausted... Stress hunger is how I look at it....only escape is to turn on the boob tube and watch the mindless shows...and who remembers if tonight was Burger King, Mc Donalds, DDonuts, KFChicken, Domino's Pizza, etc...after awhile they all taste alike... Then it is time for bed and the rat race again in the morning with take out coffee windows...Oh no forgot to do the laundry! We live in high anxiety and depressing times. People eat and crave carbs when stressed....Has nothing to do with McDonalds or Vegi Burgers...but with a world and country spinning out of control with few support systems....Unless you work for the government then just fly first class, get all of your benefits, and think that all the country is feasting on cake!!!! 40 Years ago people walked to work a few miles from home, to the grocery store on the corner of the street, mothers and or grandmothers frequently cooked fresh veg in pans of boiling water!
Walked to church/temple, and visit relatives living near by etc….
Now I am so tired and stressed out from working where most jobs, professions, and homes in the USA are not secure…my children are land I do take out at least 6 days out of 7…I have no time to cook…
I am exhausted and everyone I know is the same way…more from jobs that are long distance…all the old jobs are sent out of the country and the new ones are not close by!!! Non professionals are taking over professional licensed jobs as well, I have noticed, as a trend.
Hours of homework and sports, etc for the school children are leaving them exhausted…
Stress hunger is how I look at it….only escape is to turn on the boob tube and watch the mindless shows…and who remembers if tonight was Burger King, Mc Donalds, DDonuts, KFChicken, Domino’s Pizza, etc…after awhile they all taste alike…
Then it is time for bed and the rat race again in the morning with take out coffee windows…Oh no forgot to do the laundry! We live in high anxiety and depressing times. People eat and crave carbs when stressed….Has nothing to do with McDonalds or Vegi Burgers…but with a world and country spinning out of control with few
support systems….Unless you work for the government then just fly first class, get all of your benefits, and think that all the country is feasting on cake!!!!

]]> By: Chris Crass http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-6915 Chris Crass Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:42:44 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-6915 Who eats the most food? Fatties. How do you make the most money selling food? Make more fatties. Who eats the most food?
Fatties.
How do you make the most money selling food?
Make more fatties.

]]> By: Pollack in Idaho http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-6912 Pollack in Idaho Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:11:38 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-6912 Too many calories/too little activity are the two most direct causes of American obesity, but I think that there are deeper reasons, underlying these two. Eating is one of the easiest ways to fight depression, boredom, anxiety, and other forms of psychological distress. Americans are fat, because they eat too much; but they eat too much, because they are deeply unhappy, and for good reasons. When people are forced to exist in a way profoundly insulting to human intelligence, aspirations, and common sense, unhappiness is a natural and unavoidable outcome. In Soviet Union, the outlet was provided by vodka (food was unappetizing, and often hard to come by); in America, it is Big Mac. It would seem to me, that American society has become more unhappy in last several decades, and the expanding waistlines are result of self-medication with food. To change it, would require a substantial revision of attitudes to life and injection of a good dose of reality into societal discourse. Is it possible? Well, things change. As a young person, living in Poland, I was often told that it is pointless to struggle against communism. The question for me was not whether it was pointless or not, but rather - what else to do? When people are busy living, they don't get obese. Too many calories/too little activity are the two most direct causes of American obesity, but I think that there are deeper reasons, underlying these two. Eating is one of the easiest ways to fight depression, boredom, anxiety, and other forms of psychological distress. Americans are fat, because they eat too much; but they eat too much, because they are deeply unhappy, and for good reasons. When people are forced to exist in a way profoundly insulting to human intelligence, aspirations, and common sense, unhappiness is a natural and unavoidable outcome. In Soviet Union, the outlet was provided by vodka (food was unappetizing, and often hard to come by); in America, it is Big Mac. It would seem to me, that American society has become more unhappy in last several decades, and the expanding waistlines are result of self-medication with food. To change it, would require a substantial revision of attitudes to life and injection of a good dose of reality into societal discourse. Is it possible? Well, things change. As a young person, living in Poland, I was often told that it is pointless to struggle against communism. The question for me was not whether it was pointless or not, but rather – what else to do? When people are busy living, they don’t get obese.

]]> By: Michael Kenny http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-6896 Michael Kenny Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:41:13 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/super-sized-sandwiches-lead-to-plus-size-pants/#comment-6896 I think that obesity in America has far more to do with how Americans eat than what they eat. Big Macs are fine as long as you don't eat them all the time! That, indeed, can be said of almost any food or drink. The problem is the "stuff your face and run" mentality which underlies American eating. Instead of viewing meals are an esential part of human existence, it is seen as a chore, a waste of time, something to be got out of the way as quickly as possible. Fast food and its misuse are part of the American "work until you drop" mentality. Here in Europe, we have all these American food chains but we don't have the same obesity problem. Except, recently, in Britain, which has slavishly copied the American lifestyle since the Thatcher era. The problem is thus not MacDonalds, it is the American lifestyle. Man works to live, he does not live to work, said Pope John Paul II. When Americans learn to live in accordance with the natural order of the world all the natural functions, including eating, will fall into their proper place. Attacking the visible symptoms of the problem won't solve the problem. I think that obesity in America has far more to do with how Americans eat than what they eat. Big Macs are fine as long as you don’t eat them all the time! That, indeed, can be said of almost any food or drink. The problem is the “stuff your face and run” mentality which underlies American eating. Instead of viewing meals are an esential part of human existence, it is seen as a chore, a waste of time, something to be got out of the way as quickly as possible. Fast food and its misuse are part of the American “work until you drop” mentality. Here in Europe, we have all these American food chains but we don’t have the same obesity problem. Except, recently, in Britain, which has slavishly copied the American lifestyle since the Thatcher era. The problem is thus not MacDonalds, it is the American lifestyle.

Man works to live, he does not live to work, said Pope John Paul II. When Americans learn to live in accordance with the natural order of the world all the natural functions, including eating, will fall into their proper place. Attacking the visible symptoms of the problem won’t solve the problem.

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