'This Is Why You're Fat' - The Worst of the Worst Foods

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts)
Feb 12th 2009 12:00PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

I just got done looking at Fatty Food Hall of Shame This Is Why You're Fat, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry. What is it about humans that make us take our favorite bad-for-you foods -- fatty enough on their own -- and then mix them up with equally awful foods and then deep fry the whole thing? I just don't get it. (Though I'll admit that deep fried brownie looks interesting).

I don't know about you, but when I indulge, I usually have a good idea of what I'm getting into. Either I've read the label, checked the nutritional information, or at least have a good sense of how I'm going to make up for it tomorrow.

But what about indulgences that are nearly impossible for a layman to calculate, like a hamdog or a corn dog pizza? The calories and fat have to be astronomical, yet no information exists. Most of these dishes are made at mom-and-pop type restaurants, by street vendors or at home. Is ignorance an excuse? If you don't know you're downing 3,000 calories and 40 grams of fat, does it still count? The short answer is, yes. Of course.

I've never eaten a deep-fried candy bar, but I have my vices -- the French dip at our local diner, chocolate ice cream in the summer time and cake. Everyone indulges, but if you're going to stay fit and trim, you've got to be able to balance those moments by cutting back or working them off. Are the This is Why You're Fat foods so bad they make that nearly impossible? What do you think?

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Comments (9)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

shop-bright 2-12-2009 @ 12:09PM

Everything in moderation, you can eat what you want as long as you work out or are active in some way or other.

u262f 2-12-2009 @ 5:26PM

I completely agree. No single food by itself makes a vice. Gluttony is the vice.

Fanny 2-12-2009 @ 12:59PM

Fried brownies are amazing, so are fried oreos. I tried each just once. I also only had a small peice of brownie and only one fried oreo. These are not things I plan to ever eat often, they are a vacation treat.

As for moderation, even a deep fried oreo in moderation is too much really, but a treat once like a year, not so terrible. But the point is balance and mostly healthy and you'll be OK. Seems to me though if you don't know the calories and its sounds bad, then it probably is.

I did see a show with worst ever food, Fried Bacon. My 14yo daughter and I said we felt like just looking at someone eat was making us unhealthy. I don't think I could ever go that far, ewwww.

Mark 2-12-2009 @ 1:12PM

Salt, if I must name my biggest vice. I have to be careful not to lather everything with it. I have gotten better. But I also struggle with diary. Cheeses, cream sauces...love them dearly, but these days, they are only once every couple of months. I do have some occasional chocolate issues...but salt is probably what I crave most.

Cartman 2-12-2009 @ 1:39PM

Cheese! Alone, melted, blue, triple cream, hard, footy, mixed in... I could eat it as a meal for every meal.

evie 2-12-2009 @ 2:24PM

Pizza is my biggest food vice. I love it and cannot "just eat once slice" (advice I consider absurd). It's also virtually impossible to make a healthy version. So I try to keep it down to once every couple of months, and then not think too much about it. (Or write about it, like now.)

thegoddessanna 2-12-2009 @ 7:25PM

I can eat an entire container of frosted mini-wheats, if I'm not paying attention. I love crunchy things, and even though they're not terribly bad for you in moderation, they're not good to eat in large quantities!

Mmmm, crunchy and sweet!

Sense6126 3-13-2009 @ 3:55AM

baked goods... yum.

BJ 3-16-2009 @ 11:22AM

My biggest problem was reading the labels. I would calculate based on the "nutrition chart" how much fat and calories I could have. The more I read on the nutrition labels the more I wanted to know…what’s in the box? What are the ingredients that make this much fat or salt? So I started reading the ingredients and educating myself on the actual content of the food. This is about the time I had taken a nutrition course while attending culinary school. I was amazed by the stuff we call food and its effect on our body.
If you just look at products we have, you will discover lots of preservatives, sugars, chemical salts and fat (for flavor). How much of this was a “good thing”? I decided that if I wanted it, I would have to make it myself. I was determined not to use any more, boxes, bags, cans or jars. The more things I made, the fewer things I desired.
I went from refined sugar to raw and natural sugars. The nutrition chart does not give the whole story. If the FDA allowed hidden fats, what else were they hiding?
I reduced the amount of sugar and fats in my diet and as a result lost lots of weight. My cravings were gone and my diet improved.

This has been from following all the recommended suggestions we hear constantly…fresh fruit and vegetables and more whole grain products. It really works!!!