Why do you eat fast food?

lubie76

Hi
Doing a final year project on the dangers of fast food. Could you please give me an idea of the reasons you eat fast food and if are you influenced by media advertising from different companies. Also what are your views on irish kids being second only to the US in tems of childhood obesity.
Much appreciated

monkeyfudge

I eat fast food for the very reason that it is fast.

I teach a lot of evening classes after work and I have very little time to grab something to eat... so I'll go to a fast food joint... I think it tastes awful, but it fills a gap.

Lust4Life

I love a Big Mac now and again.
Adverts don't sway me.
If fast food isn't a habit and good nutritionally balanced meals are served regularly at home, obesity should not be an issue.

azezil

monkeyfudge wrote:

I eat fast food for the very reason that it is fast.

Ditto, just too tired in the evening to bother cooking something and sandwich just doesn't cut it.

Nah advertising has no baring on my decision making process.

Also what are your views on irish kids being second only to the US in tems of childhood obesity.

Lazy fat bastards

byte

Like the other replies, I'd eat it because it's quick.

WRT branding, it doesn't affect me. I'd go to a local owned chippie over a global brand, as usually the food out of the local chippie is nicer and more filling!

As for obese kids, I suppose it's down to parents not cooking meals for their kids in favour of a trip to McD's as it may save them the hassle of cooking after a long day's work or whatever.

Sangre

because i'm hammered.

brianthebard

Avoid fast food whenever possible, think I've had it twice in the last six months (unfortunately that was both in the last fortnight!!)

Have you read fast food nation and fat land? Really good books that you should check out if you haven't already, will help your project no end.

Also, unless the figures have changed very recently Irish children aren't second to the US, Uk kids would be, and I'm still pretty sure that Ireland is a good few places down the list after that, but perhaps thats the population overall.

whiskeyman

Sangre wrote:

because i'm hammered.

Same here.
I'd never eat the stuff sober.
If hungry, I'd grab a sandwich or something healthy somewhere, but only as a stopgap before I could head home and cook a proper meal. Nowt better than a nice meal you've cooked yourself.
It's only really after a night out when the beer hunger hits that I'd wander into Burker King for an XL meal.
I hate McDs food, so wouldn't go there - advertising doesn't play a part.
I just love BK food after beers. Simple as really.

Wishbone Ash

Because I like it and because I can't cook. It's either fast food or a tin of beans/spagetti hoops/pineapple/stew etc.

Kwekubo

Because it's easier. But if I'm at work etc I usually find it's cheaper, healthier, tastier and only slightly more hassle to pick something up like a plain roll and a mix from the salad bar at Dunnes, and assemble it myself back at base.

Rb

I rarely eat fast food, even then its just if I'm in a rush or the grocery shopping hasn't been done.

deisemum

I have the occasional fast food meal because it's quick apart from the main Irish not so fast food outlet. I might take the children on occasion but it wouldn't be every week, usually as a treat on a Friday if they've got a friend round. They eat well (apart from one finiky eater) the rest of the time.

When we're not pushed for time I take them to one of their favourite restaurants that's child friendly.

Everything in moderation.

Regarding child obesity I don't think fast food in itself is to blame. It may certainly be a contributing factor but I think lack of exercise, snacking, too many ready meals, too much sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks, spending several hours per day watching tv or playing electronic games play a big part.

In many schools children aren't allowed run and have very little PE which can be hit and miss depending on their teacher. I don't think children have as much freedom compared to when I was a child. Children tend to be driven everywhere which I can understand.

I sometimes wonder if there's much nutritional value in a lot of food. A lot of food is quiet bland and tasteless compared to years ago. I think a lot of it has to do with being over processed and maybe people aren't getting the nutritional benefits that their bodies require and don't feel satisfied so keep picking.

CerebralCortex

whiskeyman wrote:

Same here.
I'd never eat the stuff sober.
If hungry, I'd grab a sandwich or something healthy somewhere, but only as a stopgap before I could head home and cook a proper meal. Nowt better than a nice meal you've cooked yourself.
It's only really after a night out when the beer hunger hits that I'd wander into Burker King for an XL meal.
I hate McDs food, so wouldn't go there - advertising doesn't play a part.
I just love BK food after beers. Simple as really.

You'd be suprised how bad for you those sandwhiches are?

TerrorFirmer

CerebralCortex wrote:

You'd be suprised how bad for you those sandwhiches are?

They can be but still a sight better then the likes of McDonalds.

I eat it once every few weeks, it's nice and nothing wrong whatsoever with having it the odd time, as with most "bad" things.

Don't drink it when drunk either, I'm a sensible "pint of milk and packet of chicken" man after a club

chump

quick or hammered!

To be fair I wouldn't overconsume the stuff, so I've no problems enjoying them when I do. Twice a week isn't overconsumtion is it?

lubie76

chump wrote:

quick or hammered!

To be fair I wouldn't overconsume the stuff, so I've no problems enjoying them when I do. Twice a week isn't overconsumtion is it?

Twice a week is actually overconsuming Im afraid. A study conducted in the states over 15 years found that a group of people eating fast food two or more times a week had a substantial increase in obesity and diabetes type 2 compared to the same sized control group.

emeraldstar

i don't eat fast food...

i had a mcdonalds 2 months ago but before that it was about 5 years since i had one (that includes burger king, supermacs etc...)

don't really like it all that much...chocolate is my failing!!

nando

I don't think I have ever eaten fastfood because it is fast - there's always other options! I prob only eat it on average once every couple of months at most.

I only ever (rarely) buy milkshakes from McDonalds - used to eat their veggie burgers which I loved but unfortunatlely for some unknown reason they were discontinued.

Being hammered is the most common reason I end up eating fastfood - Abrakebabra usually! But I have to say, as bad as I know it is - nothing beats a bag of juicy salty chips with lots of vinegar from Beshoffs - NOTHING! I love salads etc but nothing tastes as good as a bag of chips...

Exit

Fast - Only when I'm out, and it's time for dinner. It'd be a toss-up between restaurant and fast food, and in that situation fast food would only win out if I didn't feel like doing the whole "wait for a seat/wait for waitress/wait between courses/wait to pay" thing

Advertising - Advertising has never made me differentiate between companies. I'll always choose McDonald's over Burger King but that's purely my tastes. The only time ads have ever worked on me, and it's only been 3-4 times, is when I'm sitting at home watching television and an ad will come on for... let's say Big Macs, and for some reason my taste buds will get going and I'll have an urge for a Big Mac. It's weird because I generally have the idea that advertising doesn't work for things like that (only works for brand awareness) but it's caught me out a few times.

Craving - This is the main reason why I'll eat fast food and I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned it. I should preface it by saying that I usually only eat fast food 1-2 times a week. I'll be at home and my girlfriend asks if I'm hungry and what would I like and sometimes I'll just have a huge craving for burger and fries. I'd also get the feeling for fish and chips from a chipper or a chinese takeaway, but since I've been living in a country without chippers and chinese food that doesn't taste like it does in Ireland it's only burger and fries that I get the cravings for. And it's weird because I know it's not good for you, I know that afterwards my stomach will probably be upset or I'll feel gassy or whatever, and yet I'll still eat it. It's like drinking where after a bad night, you'll swear off the drink, but you'll be at it again the next week.

Our man in Havana

Because I am a lazy ba$tard. Working the night shifts means that the only places open tend to be chippers etc. I know I should make sandwichs etc and take those to work but sheer laziness gets the best of me at times.

The Sweeper

I eat Indian takeaway about once a week, often from the same restaurant I'd go to to eat out. I don't count it as fast food. I eat McDonalds about three times a year. Each time it's a filet of fish, small fries and a diet coke, and it's invariably because I've reached London Waterloo at the end of a day where I've been busy enough to miss lunch, am so starving I'm wobbly, have at last 45 mins before I get in my front door and there's a big queue for the bagel shop.