health

Western fast food tied to heart risks in Asia

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I have to say as an American, and especially coming from California the organic, vegan capitol of the world, why on Earth would they not try to concentrate on the healthier foods and focus on the worst part of the American cuisine. Personally, I hate junk food and was never raised to eat it. I like my once a week occasional fix, but the other 6 days, it's healthy food all the way. I'm all for FREE MARKET and multi international of foods, but at least export the QUALITY food companies and leave the crappy ones. Processed, high salt, high oil, disgusting. Instead of building more McDonald's and KFC's, how about more Subways or Soup Plantation shops, advocate healthy foods and NOT junk.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

bassfunk:

Yes, I have to say that although many many Americans are obese and the amount of junk food there is astounding, America (especially California and New York) really does have a lot of healthy food and they have more awareness of this than even the Japanese. A few years back, organic in Japan meant just have fewer pesticides (I've seen the labels myself!) and no-one here seems to have heard of trans-fat (good luck in trying to find Japanese cookies without shortening).

One thing I look forward to when going to places like California is the food. They have something for everyone, including vegetarians like me. I remember going to US on business last year and had lunch in a governmental building - it was out of this world - a huge salad bar suitable for vegetarians, and lots of stuff for all everyone - strangely enough this didn't please my Japanese colleague.

It really is a shame that people in the poorer countries associated meat (and dairy milk) with wealth - we'll see more deaths from heart attacks, diabetes, etc in China and other developing nations, that's for sure. People need education and they need to make sensible choices. It's ironic that some in the west are now doing the opposite and looking back at how we used to eat.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

I'm all for FREE MARKET and multi international of foods, but at least export the QUALITY food companies and leave the crappy ones.

You realize those two sentences contradict each other, don't you?

FREE MARKET - export things that have the biggest potential for profit

Non Free Market - Only expert chosen things based on anything OTHER than profit

But then again, it would be pretty hard for these huge, megaglobal corporations like Micky D's to export their wares if they didn't have an influence on local governments through crony capitalism, which is anything BUT free market.

Who knows what kind of food would be exported if it weren't for crony capitalism?

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Everybody in the medical world knows that high fat, high sugar, etc diets will lead to heart diseases like atherosclerosis. I wouldn't even recommend eating junk foods once a week etc, because that will just screw up your taste. Sugar is known to be addictive, so consuming too much sugar will just make you addicted to sugar.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Odegaard’s team found that Eastern fast foods, such as dim sum, noodles and dumplings, were not associated with more cases of type 2 diabetes and cardiac deaths.

That's a point that bears repeating, the processing of foods is one reason we are seeing a spike in diseases with the trigger happy additions of things such as unhealthy fats, sugars and preservatives etc. The above mentioned fast foods don't require industrial processing like a lot of the western fast food examples.

It really is a shame that people in the poorer countries associated meat (and dairy milk) with wealth - we'll see more deaths from heart attacks, diabetes, etc

There isn't anything inherently bad about eating meat, it's what industrializing meat production has done to meat that has made it the way it is.

We have canine teeth for a reason and I don't think their purpose is to grind micro greens and munch on nuts.

As for dairy, cultures have been drinking dairy milk since they could herd - again, blame the processing, not the product.

Don't even get me started on vegetarian items trying to pass themselves off as meat...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

When saying "maximizing profits" instead of "making as much profit as possible"....also mention that no profit is ever enough profit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

America exports coronary disease? China exports poisons? Are these the major providers? The average farmer or rancher can't complete so they are turning to genetic engineering. If you don't grow it, buyer beware. Capitalism means profit making, the rich gets richer (at our expense) and the poor gets poorer. If your spouse (husband or wife) isn't cooking, you aren't selective in what you eat, and don't exercise, no matter junk food or health food, you'll be using your hard earned cash for medical expenses. Any food in moderation should be nourishing. Vegans, vegetarians, health nuts, and others have their own theories, but genetics is the master of all.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Just lay off the junk food.

None of it's any good.

Get a cut of good meat, mince it yourself and make your own burgers.

Fresh vegetables, good bread (preferably home baked).

Incredible.

Nothing wrong with a burger. As long as you know what's gone into it.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Tokiyo:

As for dairy, cultures have been drinking dairy milk since they could herd - again, blame the processing, not the product.

I don't know which country you're from, but dairy has NEVER played a part in traditional Chinese or Japanese cuisine. Have you never been to a Chinese restaurant and wondered why milk or cream are hardly ever used? And you may have noticed that milk is not used in traditional Japanese wagashi. This hogwash about milk being necessary for good health is a load of baloney - brought to you courtesy of the powerful dairy industries around the world. Yes, you need protein, but you can get it elsewhere. The Chinese have had low rates of osteoporosis and they hardly drank milk. In fact, a glass of hot soya milk is part of the traditional Chinese breakfast in many areas. It wasn't until both countries started opening themselves up to the west that dairy started making an appearance. Ever wondered why many blacks and Asians are lactose-intolerant? It ain't natural to have diarrhea.

We have canine teeth for a reason and I don't think their purpose is to grind micro greens and munch on nuts.

So we have canine, big deal. Guess what - our relatives, the gorillas, also have canines and guess what they eat....foliage and fruit...yeap, basically vegetarian.

Don't even get me started on vegetarian items trying to pass themselves off as meat...

Don't eat it then. It ain't just about mock meats. Ever tried South Indian vegetarian? Just real food.

Basically, I don't care what other people eat or drink, whether its milk from cows loaded up with hormones and antibiotics or sausages with god-knows what. You're free to do that. But spreading false information isn't doing anyone any good. I used to be a KFC Coca-Cola kid. Hell, I had to work at McD while I was a college student. But becoming a vegan was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not a choice everyone wants to make, but I find it ironic that some of people who have made rude comments to my face (including some relatives) basically have diabetes, high blood pressure, are overweight and have had heart by-passes.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Instead of building more McDonald's and KFC's, how about more Subways or Soup Plantation shops,

There is no difference, other brands of processed junk.

the worst part of the American cuisine.

No. The crisco and caro grand-mas can be worse.

noodles or dumplings, did not bear the same risk

They are still less processed ? eaten less casually ? or not served with a coke ? I wonder. I found the people in Singapore were eating junk incredibly fat and sweet beyond too sweet, in cheap eateries and in the street. But maybe only a minority of people eat fast-food all the time, and most others, mostly home made meals.

dairy has NEVER played a part in traditional Chinese or Japanese cuisine.

In some regions of China, dairy is staple food and that has been the case for 6000 years. They have butter makers that old in museums. And "traditional Chinese and Japanese" people before 1850, for the few that reached adult age, they measured 1 meter 20, they were scrawny, had bad teeth, bad eyes, bad health, they lived 35~45 year...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Pukey2:

Exactly, you don't know where I'm from. And I don't know where you are from but there are plenty of Asians that have no problem with dairy. I wasn't even referring to China and Japan. I must be so much unhealthier and disease ridden than I thought - guess that clean bill of health from the doctor means nothing now that I've seen the light on the internet.

Ah soymilk, soymilk, soymilk. Good stuff but hey, a fair bit of people have intolerance to soy as well.

So we have canine, big deal. Guess what - our relatives, the gorillas, also have canines and guess what they eat....foliage and fruit...yeap, basically vegetarian.

Basically but not completely. Gotta get that protein somewhere. If we are going to delve into primates let's take a look at chimpanzees, yup. omnivorous. And those gorilla canines have come to serve a different purpose and have thus remained.

Don't eat it then. It ain't just about mock meats. Ever tried South Indian vegetarian? Just real food.

I never said it was. I was making a point of the U.S, processing the hell out of beans to try to appease people jumping on the vegan/vegetarian bandwagon. Who knows what the hell goes into that stuff. Ever seen tofurkey? What makes you think I'd even touch that stuff. Vegans and Vegetarians arent the only people capable of making food decisions.

I've had plenty of "real food" and South Indian Vegetarian food, thank you very much. If I'm not mistaken, vegetarian cuisine aside, cultures in South Asia also use gasp the oh so deadly and bad for you dairy in their cooking.

Basically, I don't care what other people eat or drink, whether its milk from cows loaded up with hormones and antibiotics or sausages with god-knows what. You're free to do that. But spreading false information isn't doing anyone any good.

Obviously you do. Please tell me where I am spreading false information? Just because I eat meat and drink milk I'm somehow less enlightened and perpetuating lies? Cows have been domesticated for ages (hormone and antibiotic free! Shocker, I know.) - I was not specifically referring to the Chinese or the Japanese Culture - did you conveniently skim right over the whole Industrialization of food part which was the whole point of my comment. A large proportion of the world can metabolize lactose - including yes lots of those "blacks" and "Asians" you refer to. And lo- diarrhea they do not.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

McDonalds desirable from a cultural standpoint ... eerhh ... right ... personally i can't remind the last time i've actually eaten some of that sh**, if a friend wants to go there i'm not gonna go hippie on their ... eh, and i just tag along but i never order anything but a coke myself, i think it's disgusting, you dont even know what's in it .. on the point where its good for economy ? all money earned goes to the owners, not the country it's selling in

0 ( +2 / -2 )

tokiyo:

but there are plenty of Asians that have no problem with dairy. I wasn't even referring to China and Japan

And there are plenty who DO have a problem. And I'm just giving you big examples of where milk is not part of the culture.

If we are going to delve into primates let's take a look at chimpanzees, yup. omnivorous.

Most of the chimpanzee’s diet is made up of fruit. But if you think that helps with your argument, then sure you're right. Yeah, you're right.

And those gorilla canines have come to serve a different purpose and have thus remained.

So why mention canines in the first place? It's not as if our canines are like those of dogs or lions.

Lactose intolerance is actually the norm for grown-up mammals since most lose their ability to process lactose. It's said to be a mutation which allowed some people to continue metabolizing lactose. But hey, you're free to have your own opinions and drink it if you want.

cos:

In some regions of China, dairy is staple food and that has been the case for 6000 years.

Yes, of course, if we're talking specifically about the Mongolians and Tibetans in China.

And "traditional Chinese and Japanese" people before 1850, for the few that reached adult age, they measured 1 meter 20, they were scrawny, had bad teeth, bad eyes, bad health, they lived 35~45 year...

So better health care, diet in general, advances in medicine, better toothpaste played no part, I'm sure. As for bad health, I think you'll find metabo is a modern disease.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

@Pukey2 At least we can agree that its not the food but the over processing that are causing these issues?

There are people who eat dairy and there are those who can't, there are people that eat meat and those that choose not to. neither of those in amongst themselves lead to things such as diabetes etc.

Anyhow, its thanks to modern advancement that we can be this picky about food.

We'll agree to disagree and leave at that.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In fact, the Singaporeans who ate Western fast food often were more likely to be younger, educated and physically active

Well THERE'S your smoking gun: Youth, education and physical activity are to blame.

--- Mayor McCheese

3 ( +3 / -0 )

A few years back, organic in Japan meant just have fewer pesticides (I've seen the labels myself!) and no-one here seems to have heard of trans-fat (good luck in trying to find Japanese cookies without shortening).

One thing I look forward to when going to places like California is the food. They have something for everyone, including vegetarians like me. I remember going to US on business last year and had lunch in a governmental building - it was out of this world - a huge salad bar suitable for vegetarians, and lots of stuff for all everyone - strangely enough this didn't please my Japanese colleague.

The problem is, is that Japan prides itself on having healthy food, to an extent that is true, but what often do Japanese do to get food to that level. Japan is a country that values traditions and aesthetics, the visual is so important to Japanese in their presentation of culinary and food in stores. Anyone every asking themselves why Japanese produce looks perfect, each and every time?! Fruit and Vegetables naturally are different from one another, or have blemishes. This is why I like organic. Many Japanese tell me, Japanese farmers don't use pesticides, so why then is everyone peeling apples, grapes and peaches?? This is not about bashing, this is about choice and proper food selection. Japan has a lot of junk food out there too. "Tempura, Ramen" love it, but calling it health food...or healthier food.... I can curtail my choices in the states to a science. I can choose non-fat or kosher or vegan. In Japan, finding !00% pure vegan is extremely challenging. I have ordered so called meatless dishes in Japan and there were tinny pieces of chopped ham in the food, but some people don't think it's meat. Japan CAN import many, many western health conscious style restaurants to Japan. Let's take McDonalds for a second: they have a skinless chicken sandwich, Japan could make that kind of sandwich, but they don't. They could use less salt on their burgers and fries, but often, they don't. I could go on and on, but I think Japan and other Asian countries are looking at the big bucks more than the health side or the product.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Thumbs down, really. So Anyone of you tell me where I am wrong, please, this should be good. Pukey2 and I made some valid points, instead of the thumbs down, tell us why.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Anyone of you tell me where I am wrong

You're turning the discussion into an out of topic ideological debate about veganism.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ok, so you can eat only vegetables?? Congratulations, my Indian friend just had his father die of a HEART ATTACK, and he and all of his Brahman family have only eaten vegetables for thousands of years, but hey, WE ALL WILL DIE on day sooner or later, so give me my tacos, burritos, and coca cola! ENJOY! If them Singaporeans can not handle a bit of Western food, I am sure those of us south of the border can!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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