Revelations from the Chinese Buffet

[WHEELAX2]

Part 1:

Aside from Mexican Cuisine, Chinese food is probably one of the most popular food choices we Americans like to dine on.. and for 5.89 for a buffet, how can you go wrong??

Well, over the last couple of years, I have had some startling revelations while at these buffets... most recently, it dawned on me why we're all so FAT!...

My local Chinese hang out is ** ** (name edited to protect the innocent).. most weekdays, you will find one or two (or even more) tour busses filled with chinese tourists. The fat part of me gets a little bummed cause the lines may be a little longer, and I'm going to have to roll dodge the waitresses hustling about just to snag some beef and broc...

ok.. i'm about 6'5" and just tipped the scales at 251 lbs.. Yeah, i'm gaining a little weight in my old age, and I'm starting to wonder why.. sure my metabolism is slowing down, and my activity level has gone from sprinting for ground balls, to reaching to the coffee table for some cheese balls...

anyway, I digress.. I am always interested in other cultures, and why they seem to be lacking in the morbid obesity category.. In my travels to europe, mexico, and even Canada, I have noticed stark differences in overall body fat from our country to theirs.. so much so that I get a little disgusted watching people over here eat..

ok.. so the revelation I had.. What I noticed about these tourists from China as they were making their way through the buffet lines.. ::: it's simple. they eat next to nothing.. My flippin plate had like 10 different items piled as high as I could get them.. These visitors on the other hand, had very small portion sizes of one or two buffet items, and they rarely, if ever went up for seconds.. they also seemed to eat a lot slower..

God I feel fat.. oh yeah, where was I going with this??

[KnightsLAXDad]

It is a well known fact that North Americans are gettign fatter, Canadians included. There are some staggering statistics about child obesity, adult obesity, and not just chubby, "obese".

Now as a non-American travelling in the states, one thing jumps out at you as pretty much any restaurant portion in American restaurants is huge! Almost a perversion of more/bigger is better. People want "value" for their money and the industry replies with big plates, loads of fries, all-you-can-eat....The big problem with that is that most will clean off their plate, because it is there.

[WHEELAX2]

I often find myself eating after I already feel full, just cause there's food in front of me..

[roycegracie47]

I often find myself eating after I already feel full, just cause there's food in front of me..
Moving/paying rent has forced me to change my eating habits for the better. Little money means food (especially eating out) has to last longer so I have more leftovers to stretch my bidget out and start taking less in food wise. I've already noticed a difference in my waistline as a result. I like that being a miser now has a dietery incentive as well.

In college, my roomate sophmore year would finish what people didn't because he didn't beleive in food being thrown away by people who could afford it. Of course he was skinny as a rail it was a good way to work on portion control, taking only what you could finish (unless of course you happened to take something inedible).

[Frndlefire]

In college, my roomate sophmore year would finish what people didn't because he didn't beleive in food being thrown away by people who could afford it.
50% of all food produced in the US never gets eaten...it is just thrown away.

[roycegracie47]

50% of all food produced in the US never gets eaten...it is just thrown away.
Restraunts are the big culprits. Becuase of that silly "health code" whatever isn't touched it trashed, same for chains like Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme who throw out everything on the shelf after a 12 hour period to put out the "fresh" ones. Both Anarchists and Hobos will tell you the payoff for dumpster diving if you're ready to sink to rock bottom can be rather excellent, provided you don't mind wiping mystery juice off of your food and fighting off racoons.

[WestSideLa X eR]

Thats why programs like Food Gatherers is so important. So much food is wasted its sickening. I used to work at a korean restaurant, and if you've ever been to one you know you get a bunch of side dishes that come with the meal.

90% of the time, these side dishes aren't even touched. And we just dump it out. Huge waste of food.




The reason why chinese food is so fattening is because everything is deep fried. Its not quite as bad as french fries, but it is pretty bad. Deep frying is the worst cooking method healthwise.

[WHEELAX2]

Thats why programs like Food Gatherers is so important. So much food is wasted its sickening. I used to work at a korean restaurant, and if you've ever been to one you know you get a bunch of side dishes that come with the meal.

90% of the time, these side dishes aren't even touched. And we just dump it out. Huge waste of food.




The reason why chinese food is so fattening is because everything is deep fried. Its not quite as bad as french fries, but it is pretty bad. Deep frying is the worst cooking method healthwise.


I guess I am not so concerned with whether or not the food is good for u.. it's just that we Americans in general just eat too much at one time of any food..

[ljlax]

I often find myself eating after I already feel full, just cause there's food in front of me..
Yeah..
Doesn't everyone do that?

Americans are fat and we know it..so that's ok

I mean how many of us eat when we are bored?
Probably all of us..
fatttiess

Who doesn't eat way too much at an all-you-can-eat buffet?

Gosh...go play lacrosse..

Yeah sorry...pretty pointless post.

[stegmakk]

Restraunts are the big culprits.
Partially...and we as consumers are as well...
Think about it...
When you go for food...you want the best value for your $$$

When you go to a restaurant say the cost of an average meal is $13.00
You pay for it, and you know it is alot of food, and you either gorge yourself or you take some home for lunch the next day.
Of that $13, lets say it costs the restaurant $7.00 (food and labor...overhead and profit covered by margin)

So if the portion was smaller lets say in half...one might assume that the price would be half as well ($6.50) the cost and price will not go down by half as well. Maybe the cost will go down to $4.50. To keep the same margin, they would need to charge you about $8.40 and no one would pay that for a half size.

Look at the fast food with their "go larges" and "supersizes". It is almost a win win situation except for our waistelines...
You do get more food and a better deal than if you got a large fry and another small fry. But think of that extra $ they charge...and what you actually get in return. Fries and soda, the two cheapest things for a fast food company. While their cost probably increases by a few cents, you are getting a good deal theoretically and large it thus increasing their profit.

It is alllll about the $$

[robi]

Yeah us asians usually don't tend to eat much, although that is now changing. We have a lot of obese kids in china now. Well, my dad explained it to me like this. Whatever you don't eat in a buffet will be eaten by a fat dude who eats 20 times more than you or something like that. So the buffet people are still making some dough.

[zak]

You know what soda is at the movies? A 50 cent bag of syrup, water, and a little tube that carbonates it all. Talk about huge profit margins.

I went to Japan a couple years ago. Whenever we ate at the hotel buffets, they freaked out and put sooo much more food then usual out. I mean yeah, 40 American teenagers can eat alot, but it was like warzone in that kitchen. The "large" sized sodas there are like the size of a cup of noodles. The only thing that there was lots of was rice.

[HdGLaxWarrior]

You know what soda is at the movies? A 50 cent bag of syrup, water, and a little tube that carbonates it all. Talk about huge profit margins.

Actually snow cones is the highest profit margin. Syrup, ice, water, and cups.

[zak]

Ah.... but how much do you pay for a snow cone? A large soda? And how many more people buy soda. They must make a lot of $ off soda.

[HdGLaxWarrior]

They make alot of money but they also have to pay people.

[goalieskcickay]

When I wnet to Costa Rica, we got this amazing chicken and rice, a large amount of rice and a good sized piece of chicken, and everyone got a drink. We had 13 people, and the combined meal cost a little less than 20 dollars. That's why Costa Rica is better than America, not everything is about the money. The same meal might cost 15 dollars apiece in America.

[atacklax]

Guys, there is a simple solution to obesity... Bite Your Nails! Whenever I get an urge to snack, I just whip out a finger and chew away. And it saves me the time and effort of nail clipping.
Anyways, a major rip off is popcorn. They buy the kernels crazy cheap, pop some, butter it up, and toss it in a bag. And look at the price.

EDIT: Oh yeah, you say we have good value meals here, I was in Amalfi (Small coastal town in Italy) and I decide to get some pizza. Find this awesome place where I get a massive pizza margarhita (sp) for 4.50 Euros. Great bargain. And delicious.

[GBaschski]

I consider myself a healthy athlete, though right now I'm in a bulking phase and therefore eating around 6-7 meals a day.
I, like many others, eat when I'm bored...but when there's nothing in the house to eat but junk food, I pop open a box of spaghetti and start gnawing on strands of dry spaghetti so that I'm at least eating something that isn't going to hurt my diet. Tasteless? Yes. But it keeps me occupied and keeps me from eating. So, try that method if you think you're eating too much.

[ljlax]

I'm prettty sure that most of us aren't the obese ones. I mean yes many football/lacrosse players (guys) are HUGE and have a lot of fat..in addition to muscle. But the real problem is kids sitting and eating and not playing sports or doing anything active besides xbox...

soo...I think we can eat as much as we want..

[Canadian Lax]

Theres to much fried food, ppl should just grill their meat much healtheir no oil needed. My family never fries our meat. Its either put in the oven or on one of those grilling machines, which also make all the greese/fat (sp?) run out, so its much healthier.

[HCrum05]

I know from personal experience that American's eat way too much. I've lost 90 pounds in the past year and am in the best shape of my life. All I did was stop eating so much, eat stuff a bit better for me, and get out and do stuff. ljlax is right about kids that sit around and do nothing. That's the worst. Also I cut out sodas which helps a lot more than you would think.

[Frndlefire]

I have a friend from Germany who noticed the same things everyone else is stating here when he first arrived for exchange. He thought everyone ate so much...by the time his year was up he had gotten in the same habits and gained a significant amount of weight.

[laxiceman]

Ah.... but how much do you pay for a snow cone? A large soda? And how many more people buy soda. They must make a lot of $ off soda.

At the 2 theaters in my town, it costs 5.50 for a large soda. Come on, what a waste of money, plus a good half of the cup is just ice.

[pantherLax]

America's the only country where there are more fat ppl than starving ppl...something like that, heard it when i watched the movie SuperSizeMe in health class. I havent aten fastfood since.

Oh, and as an asian, i wud like to say that the asian food at restaurants in America arent 'Real' Asian food. Chinese food isnt greasy, oily, and all deep fried; its only that way cause Americans like it that way, it makes more money.

[twin58]

Chinese tourists in Corning? For the...?

[roycegracie47]

Guys, there is a simple solution to obesity... Bite Your Nails! Whenever I get an urge to snack, I just whip out a finger and chew away. And it saves me the time and effort of nail clipping.
Anyways, a major rip off is popcorn. They buy the kernels crazy cheap, pop some, butter it up, and toss it in a bag. And look at the price.

EDIT: Oh yeah, you say we have good value meals here, I was in Amalfi (Small coastal town in Italy) and I decide to get some pizza. Find this awesome place where I get a massive pizza margarhita (sp) for 4.50 Euros. Great bargain. And delicious.

Like I said the best diet I've found is having bills to pay. I am able to set a side a minimum each month after rent, student loans and gas enough to make sure I have lunch and dinner 5 nights a week (mooching of Mom and Dad on weekends) all I have to do is lower my portion size and maximize my leftovers.

As for eating cheap around the world: many places change with the economy, but Thailand can still get you three hots and a cot on $5 a day.

[WHEELAX2]

Chinese tourists in Corning? For the...?


resteraunt I guess.. they probably have a map of where these joints are, and just travel the country patronizing them..

nah,... I have no Idea.. well it is a pretty big tourist area