Why is McDonald's so popular?

[EvaHara]

Not really an AIBU but posting here for traffic.

A new McDonald's is opening in my town centre and there are so many posts about it on local social media. The majority of people are delighted about it and as is often the case, shouting down those who are not and who have concerns about the increase in traffic, parking, rubbish etc in an already busy area.

There are lots of people already milling about outside it, looking in the windows, and it hasn't even opened yet. Will probably get shot down for saying this but said people were very overweight or obese, and in ubiquitous leggings or tracksuit bottoms.

Why do so many people want to eat McDonald's so often?

What is the obsession with it and other fast food?

IMO it's ok as an occasional treat, but surely not every day or thereabouts?

No food is “addictive”. It’s not crack. What a load of shit.

So you don’t believe that food addiction is a thing?

No. People may have difficulty denying themselves food or certain foods/types of food, but to call it an ‘addiction’ is wrong. It also diminishes the reality of genuine addiction to things like drugs and alcohol.

I know it’s a different context entirely, but I also reject any suggestion (almost always by men) of such a thing as sex addiction.

’Addiction’ is too easily thrown around.

The idea is becoming more popular, but how do you differentiate between greed, addiction, comfort eating, and eating disorders.

personally I think calling it an addiction removes personal responsibility. The it’s not my fault it’s an addiction thing . I can’t help it, I need to eat it as I’m addicted,

Urgh. You live near fat people who wear leggings? I’d move pronto, OP. How do you manage?

Because it tastes so good. Love a mcdonalds. I don't eat it every day though, who does?

@FinalCeleryScheme @Myblindsaredown have you looked into the actual science? Into how some people are genetically predisposed to obesity, how these people have increased insulin and leptin resistance when placed in an environment where the diet they have been encouraged (by faulty science) to eat is full of refined sugars and omega 6 fatty acids that in turn effect how the gut hormones signal to the body whether they need to eat or not? Not want to, but need to. How the body will do everything in its power (including lowering its BMR/energy expenditure to minimal levels) to return to its weight set point? How dieting drives the weight set point higher up out of fear of future famines (I.e diets). How this is ALL done subconsciously by the brain and the body?

How does ‘personal responsibility’ come into that? How is it not an addiction?

No, I haven’t. But there are plenty of medical people who won’t accept addiction as a term for bad eating. I assume they’ve looked into the science.

Ah, just like you’d assume they’d looked into the science behind the advice to lower fat intake and increase refined process foods 😊 make whatever assumptions you want, but the evidence is very clear. And it’s so easy for those who have never struggled with obesity as a disease, nor looked into the research, to make flippant comments about people just needing to be a bit less greedy.

I'm interested to read all the rational justifications; it's cheap, it's consistent, it's easy, I just like the taste ...

Hmm. Another possibility? Check out McDonald's advertising budget. Compare costs of ingredients, wages, overheads. Think.

Of course none of us is ever influenced by adverts. No, not at all. We all make choices based on reason and personal taste.

Strange, though, huh?

Addiction:
A chronic, compulsive, physiological or psychological need for a habit forming substance, behaviour or activity having harmful physical or social effects and typically forming well defined symptoms such as anxiety irritability tremorsor nausea upon abstinence.

Does it apply to food?
For me it definitely for certain foods. But I am getting better but do realise how easy it is to fall back down the black hole as it were. Been there many times.

Well, I never said anything about greed. I just don’t accept ‘addiction’ as a label for going to McDs (and lots of other places) or enjoying too much of a limited range of food.

Do you accept Morgan Spurlock’s anti-McDs evidence, BTW?

Fast food in general, often very tasty due to high fat, high sugar and high salt. Quick and effortless to buy and eat, usually soft texture that means it can be eaten fast to satisfy hunger quickly and/or if short on time. Famuliar taste thats assiciated for many with a treat/comfort. Used to be cheap, but not any more. McDonalds in particular I've no idea as I think the food tastes very bland and is by far the worst of the fast food options. I don't eat meat now, but when I did could never fathom why anyone would choose chicken from McDonalds over KFC, which at least had a distinct taste.

McDonalds is strictly for emergency rations only for me.

I also think some of the 'excitement' is a bit contrived "look at how hilariously unhealthy I am loving McDs" from the type of people who also like to boast about how many cocktails they had at brunch and how drunk they get on a school night. Because I struggle to see how anyone who's lived in the western world for the past 30 years would consider it anything unusual enough to jnspire excitement.

If you don’t accept it’s addiction but don’t think it’s greed either, then what do you think it is?

And it depends what you mean by his ‘evidence’. You mean that consuming an excessive amount of unhealthy food will make you gain weight and make you unhealthier? Yeah I accept that. I don’t think there are many people who would say that’s healthy.

I think it’s an unwise preference for McDs. Or KFC. Or Greggs. Or anything.

People who go to the same hotel in Benidorm every year aren’t addicted to Benidorm, they just like familiarity.

The Spurlock ‘evidence’ has been discredited.

I’m aware the evidence has been discredited. My point is that no one would argue it was a healthy lifestyle.

And what a ridiculous comparison to make. No one is arguing that their brain reacts to Benidorm in the same way that it reacts to cocaine and then changes its biological processes to try and get more Benidorm. But it literally does that for refined, highly processed food.

You evidently haven't been to the one in my area 😂