In the last decade,
people have been bombarded with statistics about increases in obesity in both
children and adults. In earlier years, the premature data on obesity made this
epidemic seemly unrealistic for many parents and children who live the United
States. As these statistics have steadily increased, so has the awareness of
this epidemic through shows and documentaries. Specifically, the statistics
about obesity and how fast food perpetuates obesity was revealed through the
documentary Super Size Me. This
documentary was released in early 2004 and later spread throughout classrooms in
the United States. Morgan Spurlock, the
main character and director, went to McDonald's in the United States and consumed
only McDonald's for 30 days. This documentary showed the raw effects of fast
food and how it can physically, mentally, and behaviorally affect the average person.
Although Super Size Me raised awareness to both
parents and children in the United States about chain restaurants such as
McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King many of these same people face a new
challenge. Chipotle, one of the fastest growing fast food chains, is just as trendy
as McDonald’s was in the early 2000s. This restaurant is popular among both
adults and young adults, but the nutritional facts and quality of the food seems
to be extremely deceptive. According to
the New York Times, the typical Chipotle order contains about 1,070 calories.
This average constitutes for close to half of one person’s recommended
calories. Although there are options that are fall under this caloric value,
25-50% of the meals contain between 855-1070 calories because of meat and
additional toppings. Additionally many of the more popular dishes contain high
levels of sodium, especially their salsas.
While it seems as if
more people are aware of the consequence regarding McDonald’s many do not
recognize the same dangers in over consuming other chain fast food restaurants
such as Chipotle and Qdoba. Raising awareness to the caloric value of all fast
food restaurant dishes can help to contribute to a greater awareness of
unhealthy food.
Do you think that
restaurants such as Chipotle are healthier than other fast food restaurants?
What constitutes “healthy food” for you? How popular is Chipotle on the campus of the University of Michigan? http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/02/17/upshot/what-do-people-actually-order-at-chipotle.html?abt=0002&abg=1
Candice,
ReplyDeleteWOW! This article definitely threw me for a loop as I honestly didn't believe it at first! As a vegetarian I found it hilarious that my caloric intake would reach anywhere near that of a carnivore, but after investigating using Chipotle's nutrition calculator, I found that my typical burrito bowl with sofritas and guac is 1350 calories and over the recommended daily intake of sodium!? Chipotle is one of the most popular restaurants on this campus, yet everything is so unhealthy! I had to trade out all of the really good condiments, guac, sour cream, and white rice, for healthier options such as solely brown rice and salsa in order to make my bowl healthier. I will definitely not make the same order at Chipotle ever again!
I was shocked reading the average calories for a meal at Chipotle. That's more than half the recommended calories for one day! Chipotle is one of my favorite restaurants and I guess I was foolish to believe that I was eating healthy by choosing chipotle of the more traditional fast food drive thru. Chipotle is put on a pedestal for being healthy and delicious. Next time I go to Chipotle I'll have to choose something with fewer calories. Even though meals from Chipotle still contain the high amount of calories, I believe that their meats are of better quality than that of McDonalds. So it could still be considered a better option in this aspect. I wonder if the obsession will one day die down from Chipotle. I feel people rarely go to McDonalds anymore so many the same will one day happen for restaurants such as Chipotle and Qudoba.
ReplyDeleteCandice,
ReplyDeleteChipotle is probably one of the best places to eat at the University of Michigan and it is also one of my favorite places to eat. I go there pretty often, but this article made me second guess about the way I think about Chipotle. After reading your article, I began to wonder how many calories my burrito is usually when I go to Chipotle. I went to Chipotle’s nutrition information page and found out that my burrito is usually around 1085 calories!!! At first, I was shocked to learn this because I always had thought that Chipotle was healthier than most fast food places since they use very fresh organic materials to make their meals. In the future, I will definitely watch what I eat next time I go to Chipotle and perhaps choose healthier options for my burrito so I don’t end up eating 1085 calories in one sitting.