Some places won’t let you order a kids meal unless you have a kid with you.
Why would they care? Is the rule really enforced?
Absolutely they enforce it. To the point that they rather you leave the restaurant.
Some places they actually discount the kids meals. Places that don’t have this policy people would abuse it by only buying 2 or 3 kids meals since that is the best food to cost ratio.
What if you come with a kid and buy only discount kids meals? 😺
It goes something like this: https://youtu.be/kvxe-auK2sI
Twelve dallers? That’s a steal post-inflation.
I just fed myself and three kids on <$20, which was pretty cool.
When is the “post-inflation” going to happen? Haven’t seen any indication of inflation coming to an end in my lifetime.
Fuck yeah… Not really implying it’s over but there’s a huge spike from 2020 to 2022 but much less so from 2023 to (now) 2025.
Prices spiked from pre pandemic to post pandemic. Burgers from 8-10 dollars to 15 ish dollars. So like 50 percent. From two years ago to now… Idk. Burger spoked from 14 ish dollars tobamube 15-16. Ridiculous. But predictable/ reasonable (but actually inreasonabel).
That’s where I come from. Chime in from other countries other than my current state of mother fucking Georgia, USA…
Edit: happy to double check my math with sources when I’m sober again. Happy new year’s!
It’s always a good time to start Internet arguments when you’re drunk haha. Have a good new year’s eve!
Oh yes you, too!
Also, I googled when sober again.
So I guess I was referring to the “mountain” of inflation around 2022 that really made everything so expensive. And I notice now as well that inflation has stabilized at a higher rate then before. So to circle back… Yeah… Maybe calling it “post inflation” wasn’t quite spot on.
Anyway. Toodledoo!
Americans shop for calories per dollar.
Please don’t look at why they do that, we’re the best country ever!
lol, I better eat two hamburgers in one day to get the true american experience
I had two hamburgers today for lunch today. No big deal.
I’m up in Canada and since the start of the pandemic I’ve stopped going to fast food places. But after things got back to normal, I thought why should I go back to ordering food at McD’s … as I thought of it more, I realized it didn’t make any sense.
Fast food is basically unnutritious food made by underpaid workers who don’t like their work … the food doesn’t do me any good and its too expensive … I have to trust the underpaid employee didn’t mess up my order … I waste money by degrading my health only to spend more money to try to get back some good health
I realized it was cheaper in the long run of my life to not eat at these damned places.
Last year, I got to march, and realised I hadn’t had a McDonald’s in over 3 months.
So I decided to just stop going there.
I think it was all the price hikes: When it’s £7 for any half decent burger and fries, I might as well be spending a bit more and going to a local place.
Or getting something better than a burger!Or spending the same, and getting slightly better at Wendy’s.
mcdonalds is the literal worst burger option though
If you’re vegan this applies even more. From what I heard McD only has like 3 vegan options while, in comparison, Burger King had the whole menu available in a vegan form.
Oddly enough, asides from apple wedges and I think the side salad, the hot apple pie is technically vegan, not that I’d eat anything that came out of one of those kitchens.
The fries aren’t even vegan at McDonald’s, they use beef products as part of their flavoring
Yup, some Indians got pretty miffed about that: Maybe even angry.
Depends on the country to be clear, although it’s true in the US still for whatever reason.
Yeah, McDs sucks and I haven’t been in years, but I do go to fast good restaurants that have decent quality and pay workers reasonably, like In-N-Out, Five Guys, etc. We don’t go very often, maybe once or twice per month, so we’re happy paying a little more for better quality.
How’s the worker pay on Culver’s?
It’s bad. They’re also famous for using child labor. They actively recruit as young of children as legally allowed.
Ah. Damn.
Love Hank Green. :)
And yeah, as someone who tends to look at calories before ordering to get the best value per dollar (more calories per dollar), this makes complete sense to me. Also, I tend to eat out with my whole family (5 of us), so I think more in terms of the total bill than individual orders since we can share fries or whatever. But given Hank’s reaction, this apparently isn’t how most people approach it.
I made a similar decision around 20 years ago.
As someone who usually eats just once a day (with some supplemental shakes on work days) I love American potions. One of the good things about this country.
The lack of veg is concerning though. It sucks that the alternative to fried potatoes is usually just a handful of leaves.
I just got a Carl’s Jr Star burger for $3 and it had tons of lettuce and tomato. Pretty fantastic and almost healthy (not really). Like a good American, I ate 2, so something like 1k calories.
A burger with high quality ingredients is not the worst thing you can eat. The worst part about it will be the saturated fat from the red meat.
Even if you do get vegetables they’re typically flavorless compared to what you can grow at home.
Yeah, because everyone has a yard and free time for gardening…
Between 1975 and 2016, the prevalence of obesity in Europe rose 138%, with a 21% rise between 2006 and 2016. The prevalence of overweight rose by 51% between 1975 and 2016, and by 8% between 2006 and 2016. It is expected that by 2030, over half of Europe will live with obesity – up to 89% in some countries. No Member State is on track to reach the target of halting the rise in obesity by 2025.
The proliferation of unhealthy eating is a big problem for most of Europe, too. They’re on the same path as the US for mostly the same reasons, just a few steps back.
That said, if I’m going to be fat, I’d rather it be because of schnitzel the size of a dinner plate or cacio e pepe over a Monster Burger.
That said, if I’m going to be fat, I’d rather it be because of schnitzel the size of a dinner plate or cacio e pepe over a Monster Burger.
Do you actually believe that these numbers are from common people eating quality food?
The access to fresher ingredients and healthier food cannot be understated. Food is so much more processed in the US, even if you’re mainly cooking at home. Even the “ingredients” you buy at grocery stores are more processed.
That’s not making people fat. People are fat because they eat to much and have sedentary lifestyles. Watch secret eaters on YT, it’s from the UK, but demonstrates how much snacking and sitting most people do.
Yes, being sedentary hurts you. My point wasn’t about weight loss, just that the quality of ingredients and food in Europe is leagues ahead of the US. It is much worse for you nutritionally to eat refined, processed grains than it is to eat whole grains. Not to mention the amount of fresh produce…
No. I think it’s for the reasons outlined or suggested in the link I included: increased cost of healthy ingredients, decreased accessibility to the same, people struggling to find time to eat well in the increasingly fast paced world, etc.
My mentioning my personal preference is mostly a concession to nuggets of truth in the 4chan post. It’s also true; there is nothing common about how I would prefer to consume quality food.
Yeah. Europe is only 10% behind the US in being overweight. 60% compared to 70%. Not much room to talk shit.
hey I’ve been waiting for you
American burgers are the king of all burgers, bottom line
That said 2 things I absolutely agree with:
A burger should be small enough to easily bite. It’s okay if you have to smoosh it down a bit with your hands to do so, but if I have squash it to shit or take it apart or cut it or eat it weird you’ve fucked up such a basic thing
If you already have ketchup, mustard, mayo, bbq, etc then why do I need “burger sauce”? Your burger sauce is probably just some variation on mayo and ketchup anyway. Thanks for making my burger a sloppy piece of shit akin to eating ribs
This poster speaks the truth.
Burger sauce can be pretty delicious
Ok, serious question, is American fast food different from European? I’ve been to our local McDonalds and the like and the food is fucking atrocious. Tasteless non-identifiable meat patty with some mayo, ketchup, “cheese” and a sorry excuse for a vegetable. I mean it’s just bad. Is American chain food better or are you just delusional?
I mean, I don’t know an american that would list any fast food as the place that serves the best/their favorite burger.
When I visited US their mcdonalds burgers tasted ± the same as local (eastern europe), that is exactly as you described. What was different is million different options that they asked me and were somewhat aggressive with me being slow. 🫠 Drinks were enormous in size and super cold, air conditionioners set to something like 16 while its 30+ outside everywhere. 😄
It’s the gateway drug to insulin. Corn syrup infused fats, no vitamins or any other important stuff.
Wait until op discovers a hamburger with a glazed donut for a bun and the entire thing is deepfried.
I haven’t discovered this yet, praying 2025 won’t be my year 🙏🏼
Comes with a side of insulin I hope. $800 combo
served with a side drink of milkshake with double cream on it
Is it a five dollar shake?
Only with coupons
Haha. At this point a fast food shake probably costs $5.
I think you think you are joking but that is a real beverage option for said burger. They even add a stick of butter for extra fat content.
No I don’t, I have encountered many americans trying to convince me that this is a reasonable combo…
Wait till Americans discover deep-fried candy bars, the one area where the Europeans (well, Scots in particular) area ahead of Americans in deep-fried tech.
We’ve had that for nearly a century, it’s just state fair food because even Americans have standards.
Forcing Presidents to eat Iowa Goy Slop on national television like it’s a TLC reality TV show called “My 1000 lb Family” is a rite of passage in this country.
They didn’t give you a pack of cigarettes with your meal? How un-yurapeein!
that’s france and finland specifically not all of europe
dont stop them. it was a mistake to take care during the pandemic. let them eat a ton of fat a day, zip some raw milk with mountain dew - because that is how you solve a problem. you do not stop it.
look at world aid. tried to stop world hunger…and more people than ever die from hunger.
we proling a problem by trying to solve the impossible. there is no argument to convince imbeciles.
Guarantee it was a very reasonable burger and this person just wanted to bitch and moan
For an American, sure.
But basic cheeseburgers here are around the size of what you call sliders.
I’m currently vacationing in Japan and have slimmed down a lot in just a week of walking, eating smaller healthier meals, and taking the train everywhere. America has a truly fucked standard of living. I don’t want to go back to driving and eating shitty oversized unhealthy meals while also tipping.
Vacationing in Italy was the same - smaller, healthier meals, lots of walking - I felt great and didn’t have the shits once on a 2 week trip. It’s a daily thing at home.
What do you do if you have a bad knee or back?
you’ve “slimmed down a lot” in a week? did you also give birth this week? or is this a bias?
Depending on your starting state/condition, you could slim down a noticeable amount during a week, sure.
you could also just say random shit on the internet too, wonder which is more likely
look i think America is a torturous shit hole just like the rest of lemmy but the above point is just fucking stupid
It’s good to be skeptical but it’s kinda sad to see someone cry bullshit so easily. Just go be miserable somewhere else dude.
I’m not “crying bullshit”. I do believe that you are slimmer than you were when you left, probably with a lot less water weight – but how do those changes reflect Japanese lifestyle? I’m saying that you cannot take your experience on a vacation where you make drastic short-term lifestyle changes and draw conclusions from them
We know American lifestyles are unhealthy, and your experiences on vacation have nothing to add or subtract from that. It’d be as if someone came in here and said “I ate a sandwich in Vienna and got diarrhea, the Austrian lifestyle is disgusting!” like cool story and im happy for you but it’s really irrelevant. (just like our argument XD)
at its core, we have to acknowledge that there are serious challenges posed to our own bodies by modern society. people DO live sedentary lifestyles in asia. people DO end up eating only garbage when they’re overworked and don’t have accessible healthy food choices. obesity rates ARE increasing in countries like japan and korea. people DO develop eating disorders in these countries. i watched a professional dancer in seoul plummet into binge eating disorder as a response to the very lifestyle changes that we could be propping up in this thread. it’s so complicated, and one person’s vacation week does not really speak to the tenuous relationship 21st century humans have with food. many of the same challenges we face in the USA are happening in asia too, and in increasing amounts
No, they’re right, it’s extremely unrealistic to lose much weight in fat in one week. Even if you ate literally nothing and hiked up mountains 12 hours a day, which is obviously impossible, it’d be maximum like 10 pounds. Walking a bit and eating normally? No more than 2, that’s already extremely rapid weight loss.
Water weight on the other hand you can easily lose more than 5 pounds in a day.
I never said I lost weight, but I have slimmed down. What I’ve lost in water or fat weight I’ve gained in leg muscles. I’ve already been trying to lose weight for months through occassional dieting, using a treadmill daily, and lifting free weights. I’ve definitely lost arm muscle mass but I can now easily climb up several flights of stairs navigating subway platforms. It’s possible to change body composition over a week and a half if you’ve been priming for months. It’s okay if no one else believes me, after all this is the internet and anyone can lie. I’m satisfied with my own results and that’s all I need.
It’s being a cry bully to point out that it’s physically unlikely they lost any appreciable amount of weight in a week? Or do they just have a basic understanding of how the human body works and not want to play along with an unrealistic masturbatory ‘America bad’ fairy tale?
I’m all for believing BS stories on the Internet, but don’t get your panties in a wad when people point out parts that are entirely unrealistic. And I say that as someone who actually lost a large amount of weight in a comparatively short time.
It took months and it was still fast enough that those around me were worried for my health. There’s no way they lost anything meaningful in a week, especially when losing a large amount of water weight upfront and hitting an initial plateau is a known thing in the weight loss community.
hey, im not one to shoot down allies in an online argument, but last thing i wanna do is look like i’m defending the USA. america DOES suck. its lifestyle is horrible and there are minimal opportunities for adequate exercise or proper nutrition compared to japan. the point i’m making is that someone’s one-week vacation not going to reveal meaningful conclusions about those lifestyle differences. really I’m just defending basic research/statistical competency by calling out a stupid irrelevant comment that was probably just intended to shout out someone’s vacation online than to contribute to any discussion on cultural differences between nations
Are you not-so-subtly insinuating that I’m saying “random bullshit” on the Internet?
I’ve personally had periods in my life, too, where I’ve transformed my body significantly/noticeably within a timeframe of one week. It can happen.
A thing isn’t necessarily “fucking stupid” just because you don’t believe it (due to lack of knowledge), or you haven’t seen it (yet) (due to lack of life experience).
Maybe don’t react so strongly and you might have a more open mind in the future, and allow it to expand. 👍❤️
It’s not a bias it’s a fact. My shirts are way more loose on me and I’ve been walking an average of 15,000 steps a day. What’s it to you anyway? Are you upset someone’s making a valid criticism about American transportation and eating habits?
Because it’s a week lol you’re talking about losing water from sweating, stored sugars in muscles from exercising, and a teensy bit of fat loss. you haven’t “lost a lot” you’re just on vacation
what’s it to me? I like to tell people when they’re wrong in the internet. you said something stupid. hello.
lifestyle change and public transit are great but you’re just on vacation. and this is coming from someone who lived over a decade in the Americas and Asia both.
they could be in their in 20s
Your diet does make a real difference, more than you credit for in your reply. In university I had pizza almost every day for a month, I gained 15 lbs (7 kg) and had a way flabbier stomach. I stopped doing that and tried to eat healthier, incorporating salad with my meals, and in just about a week I started noticing it going away, and I was back to where I was before in 3 months.
It wouldn’t surprise me too much to see how a body would react noticeably to a drastic change from a sedentary, highly processed carbohydrate diet and lifestyle to an active, more balanced one. Everyone’s body is different of course so it won’t always be the case, but to me the OP’s claims seem far from impossible. Japan still has its share of oily foodstuff, but the average portion is tiny compared to the US.
I’m not saying it’s impossible, I’m saying their experiences on a one week vacation are irrelevant to the broader lifestyle differences between cultures. its like no one in here has taken a statistics course. it was just dumb to bring it up at all
Cool, all of that within a week?
There is no chance there is a visible change from a week of eating salads, no matter how fast your metabolism is.
I can lose 10lbs in 3 days of i quit drinking beer. 10 lbs is definitely noticeable. It’s definitely not a real change, just not being super bloated, but noticeable.
You’re drinking over 11k calories a day in beer?
An average male adult will burn round about 2000kcal/day, which comes down to 2kg of fat per week (that’s 4.4 lbs in freedom units). To burn through 10 punds in three days, you’d have to finish an Ironman every day. And all that’s assuming that your calorie intake is zero, nada, niente. So if you’re loosing 10 pounds in three days, you are either an exceptional athlete or you’re just peeing a lot. That’s also the problem with all these “loose 10kg in 2 weeks” diets: What you’re loosing is water, not fat. And as soon as you end the diet it’s a matter of days to regain that weight .
If you look at yourself regularly and pay attention you can see your body change pretty rapidly. I’ve specifically watched my body bulking up on its own before burning those stored calories to build muscle and there’s a clear cycle of noticing a bit more pudge a few days before I suddenly make a big jump in cycling distance or how much I can lift (and the pudge also goes away at the same time)
Not. In. A. Week.
People will argue about anything on the internet, just like lying.
Because it’s a week lol you’re talking about losing water from sweating, stored sugars in muscles from exercising, and a teensy bit of fat loss.
Yes, and that is visibly noticeable on many people.
When I switch from bulk to cut the cut starts to take effect like almost immediately, and I slim down significantly within a few days. I know it’s mostly glycogen and water, but it physically looks very different after the water wooshes out of your body and your muscles become more visible.
(Also, it’s not exactly sweat, it’s that higher glycogen levels are bound to water molecules, which get released and can actually be used by the body or discarded as excess as the body seeks an equilibrium.)
Yes, and that is visibly noticeable on many people.
it’s not about whether its noticeable. it’s about whether or not it’s attributable to lifestyle differences between cultures or if a person is just being extra active on vacation and wanted to talk about their vacation online
Somewhat unrelated but I 100% thought your uname said “TapewormTraveler” and thought “well this guy would know a thing or two about travel and weight loss” before my brain corrected it. I need coffee lol.
Would someone do that? Just go on the internet and tell lies??
I walk an average of 15k steps on a slow day. Before I got promoted out of the shipping dept I used to do 30k/day before I left work, then still had to run errands and do things, now it’s usually more like 10k-15k at work (and some bodyweight squats while I stand at my desk because why not) and go do things. All of this (and here’s the part that will shock you) was in America. You don’t have to be in Japan to walk, even if you don’t walk for work there’s always “exercising.”
Basically you’re saying “usually at home I’m sedentary as fuck but since here I’m a gawking tourist I’ve been doing a modicum of cardio, and it has affected me exactly as expected, but instead of give myself credit for the work I did and realizing I could take this lesson back home I’m going to turn it into some weird contest and continue to blame my environment.”
It is possible to eat healthy here too, though that is admittedly harder especially if you’re dead set on not cooking, yet there are healthy to go options if you know where to look still. Buy a used bike and eat healthy at home, you don’t have to have cool foreign shit to look at while you do it, there’s probably a nice park or trail nearby you can have cool local nature to look at too. Or travel a lot and use that as an excuse if you’re privileged enough, whatever, but make no mistake you don’t have to.
You can lose 5 pounds in a week if you’re under 50 and healthy. This would cause clothes to loosen up on you.
I spent a month there at 19 and had to buy a belt a week and a half in
Story checks out to me
Erhm well back in the day fat people were the peak of social hierarchy because they had enough money to buy enough food to be fat, therefore spending $12 on a burger to get fat makes me mega rich
Make this into a greentext, you will earn so many likes
It’s the other way around now, normal people can only afford the ultra-processed slop and nutrient-defficient fruits & veg.
