I found chapter five, “homeostasis: temperature, thirst, hunger, and eating”, to be very interesting because it explains why people act the way they do towards food. According to Deckers (2010), people like things sweet and fat but not too sweet and not too fat. Not only do we have a “sweet tooth” we also have a “fat tooth.” He also said that as the size of food portions increase, the amount eaten increases correspondently. For example, a small fry at a fast food restaurant now looks like a medium and a medium looks like a large; and because this is what is being sold, people are consuming it without any care. As a result more people are becoming unhealthy and obese. I remember a video that I watched in the 12th grade that is related to this topic and I thought it would be a good idea to share it. It is called “Supersize me”
“Super Size Me” depicts how fast food/ fast food restaurants contribute to the increasing crisis of obesity, when one’s body mass index (BMI) equals or exceeds 30, facing America. The documentary is about Morgan Spurlock, he ate three meals a day, only from McDonalds, for thirty days. If the clerk asked him if he would like the meal super sized, he had to say yes. By the end of the thirty days, he had to eat everything on the menu at least once. Additionally, he was not allowed to exercise and had to limit his walking to less that 5,000 steps per day. Before he started, Spurlock was seen by a general practitioner, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist a nutritionist, and an exercise physiologist; all of which said his health was up to par and that he was in great shape. They also monitored him during the experiment to make sure he was not putting his health in danger. At the end of the documentary, Spurlock was in terrible condition. Along with being in pain, Spurlock was emotionally unstable. He encountered dysnea, developed hyperuricemia, had liver problems, sexual dysfunctions, became out of shape, and gained 24.5 pounds, a 13% BMI increase.
When I first watched the documentary it made me think twice about eating McDonalds and other unhealthy foods. I even vowed not to eat it again because of the negative affects it had on people. However, I continued to eat it because I figured I was fairly thin and needed to put on a few extra pounds. As I was watching the documentary for the second time, I started to contemplate whether McDonalds and other unhealthy foods were affecting my health and I came to the conclusion that they were. Since I have been in college, my health has been going downhill. Though the reason can be linked to anything, I thought it was mainly due to me not eating properly. I now know more than ever that not eating correctly can cause a lot of problems in the body and I definitely plan to start eating better.
References
Deckers, L. (2010). Motivation: biological, psychological, and environmental (3rd ed.). Boston, Mass.: Allyn & Bacon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Tv_mihMBA
I also watched this documentary when I was in high school. It is amazing that people consider fast food a part of their staple diet. I can understand having some every once in a awhile, but I mean you need to do so sparingly.
ReplyDeleteCollege is a rough time for people. College has defiantly made my health a little worse off and I am with you. I need to start eating healthier to maintain my safe homeostasis.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I too took a vow to never eat McDonalds again after I watched this video a few years ago. But of course I didn't stick to it. When my brother watched this video he was so disgusted that he completely stopped eating fast food all together. It is true about eating unhealthy in college. When I lived on campus I ate nothing but junk constantly, it was so unhealthy. So I changed but I cant resist eating fast food every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI love that you posted this. I have no idea how that person was able to eat that all day everyday for 30 days. Thats just insane and retarded. 24 pounds gained in a month is crazy alone. Thats about ~7 pounds a week.. thats ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine eating that much McDonalds! It's amazing he didn't become sick at even the thought of that place. However, I can relate to the part about you eat more when it's in front of you. Whenever I go out to a restaurant I feel so guilty leaving food on my plate - since I paid for it I might as well eat it! That's why if I do go through a drive-thru, I stick to the kid's meals!
ReplyDeleteEating fast food that often is beyond disgusting. I mean after you eat a meal from there, you'd have to drink about two to three bottles of water just to quench your thirst after all that salt! Yuck! I understand the idea of wanting to eat something "fatty" when hungry because your body is requiring some energy, however, there are other things your body needs as well. It is part instinct and part habit that leads us toward foods that are worse for us and larger in size than they should be. If only we can dispose of the fast food restaurants and that hazardous food they serve and toxins they release into our air and replace them with green healthy chains focused on smaller portions and smaller waistlines!!
ReplyDeleteThis documentary really opened my eyes the first time I watched it! I was surprised that man was alive after he went through with this fast food diet. There are probably people out there that eat fast food like Morgan did for this documentary and it's really a shame. There are so many other healthy options out there that are not only good for you but taste good too!
ReplyDeleteAbout 2 months ago, I started a diet, although I like to call it a lifestyle change. Being in college, I see so many of my friends that have gained a lot of weight since high school and I didn't want to be one of them. Since I joined the gym and started eating healthier foods, I have lost almost 20 pounds. For me, it's really all about being healthy and learning how to eat in moderation and exercise on a regular basis. I see many people in my family who are really overweight that now have health problems that could have been avoided had they lived a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives.
I remember this movie coming out but I never watched it but I have heard a lot of comments about it. I believe the reason also for people bcoming obses is bcause it is convienent food. Fast food appears to be pretty cheap at times when I get hungry and don't want to cook I often notice myself saying oh I can go to McDonalds, Wendys, etc. and get like a $4-$5 meal or something quick to grab. But people are not getting home cooked meals at home anymore but families are resorting to purchasing something that is fast and easy which are resulting in childhood and also adulthood obesity.
ReplyDelete