Is it TRUE?

[kimmbo 0]

Im gonna have to check out Cost Plus World Market for Smarties... I got my nieces and nephews hooked on them while I was living in Canada...we did not bring enough with us when we moved.. *sigh*...my husbands favoUrite will always be Wunderbars...we stocked up on them at Costoc before we moved and he eats them sparingly...

others that he likes here in the states are PayDay, Watchmacallit (my all time fave), Nutrageous and 100 Grand...Ive heard that Longs Drugs sometimes sell Coffee Crisp and he did have a craving for one the other day..will have to check at Long's..

[DeadPoolX 9]

While I don't eat very many chocolate bars (or chocolate in general) nowdays, I can tell you all that Hershey's does have a "higher quality" line that goes beyond their standard fare. If you're merely looking at the chocolate bars you can pick up at Wal-Mart or CVS, then you're bound to run into some ####### candy. You can't realistically expect to get top-notch food at discount stores or pharmacies.

Now maybe one of the reasons I rarely come across problems regarding chocolate is because I don't milk chocolate. I detest it and I only ever eat dark chocolate. It seems to be far more difficult (but not impossible) to screw up the process of creating dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is also carried by companies that are generally considered to be "better" and even Hershey's has a line of chocolate that's "finer quality" as well.

The reason milk chocolate is more prolific is because it's less expensive to create (that's no surprise) and since it has a "sweeter" taste, children and many adults tend to prefer it over dark chocolate. Like dark chocolate, however, there are different types of milk chocolate. This accounts for why and how the "same" kind of chocolate could somehow taste different in the United States and Canada.

Oh and I know many of you seem to think HFCS is a "product of the devil" or some such nonsense, but it's really no cause for alarm. In fact, HFCS is fairly harmless. The problem with quite a few American food items is that they have both HFCS and sugar. If something has only HFCS or sugar, the results aren't that bad -- neither one is truly worse than the other. However, if both are present at the same time, the end result is twice as harmful as one of those alone and apparently, quite a few American products have both of them in it. This helps to account for the "obesity problem" in the United States (although overeating itself is still the main culprit).

Just so you all know, I didn't pull the above out of my rear-end. Try reading a book called "The Omnivore's Dilemma." The author talks extensively about this issue. Come to think of it, the author writes about a number of subjects that anyone living in the U.S. should probably know about, considering his books deals with food and we're putting that inside our bodies.

[Krikit 1,163]

I could be wrong, but some of the Hersheys stuff in Canada seems to be is better than it is here. When you can really tell the difference is when you get halloween choc bars in Canada - which they are obviously importing and the chocolate is so waxy compared to stuff made in Canada or Europe.

fixored

[Reba 2]

While I don't eat very many chocolate bars (or chocolate in general) nowdays, I can tell you all that Hershey's does have a "higher quality" line that goes beyond their standard fare. If you're merely looking at the chocolate bars you can pick up at Wal-Mart or CVS, then you're bound to run into some ####### candy. You can't realistically expect to get top-notch food at discount stores or pharmacies.

I'm well aware that Hershey's has a "higher quality" line of chocolate, I've tried it, and yes, it is readily available at Wal-Mart. However, I still prefer imported. Which is readily available at Aldi. A discount grocery chain.

[trailmix 77]

If you're merely looking at the chocolate bars you can pick up at Wal-Mart or CVS, then you're bound to run into some ####### candy. You can't realistically expect to get top-notch food at discount stores or pharmacies.

The reason milk chocolate is more prolific is because it's less expensive to create (that's no surprise) and since it has a "sweeter" taste, children and many adults tend to prefer it over dark chocolate. Like dark chocolate, however, there are different types of milk chocolate. This accounts for why and how the "same" kind of chocolate could somehow taste different in the United States and Canada.

Oh and I know many of you seem to think HFCS is a "product of the devil" or some such nonsense,

This helps to account for the "obesity problem" in the United States (although overeating itself is still the main culprit).

I am SURE that Walmart has some absolutely fine chocolate on their shelves.

As for milk chocolate being sweeter and cheaper to produce, this seems pretty obvious considering dark chocolate has a greater amount of cocoa added to it and one would imagine that cocoa is more expensive than say....milk or sugar. I also think we are all also aware that the manufacturing of several products in the U.S. and Canada and the ingredients therein are different.

I personally don't think HFCS is a product of the devil - I do know however that pretty much every product I have purchased here that contains sugar and/or HFCS is hugely over-sweetened. Is this because of HFCS - probably not, is this a problem in the food chain - I would say so. The fact that even something which should, generally, be good for you, like cereal, in this country is so over-sweetened as to be almost inedible.

How do you know that over eating is the main culprit regarding the obesity 'problem' in the U.S.? The fact that an entire nation is affected would seem to me to indicate a much bigger problem - see paragraph above.

Edited June 8, 2008 by trailmix

[KarenCee 3]

Y'know...one of the drawbacks to living rurally is the lack of quality food shopping. If we want to go to a supercentre (like WalMart) we have to travel 30 - 45 minutes. If we want to go warehouse shopping (Sams or Costco) we have to travel 45-60 minutes. We have a supermarket chain close by...Ingles. Not my most favourite place to shop, but it IS close.

*sigh* Country life does have its drawbacks...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Ingles isn't bad though - their house brands are actually quite good. I spread my shopping around between Aldi's, Ingles, Kroger's and Costco. If I have a lot to do and only a short time, then I'll use Walmart too. It was at the Ingles in Locust Grove that I actually found crumpets in their freezer section - and bought 10 packages! Hehehe, Now they are in MY freezer:-).

I love dark chocolate and prefer the European dark chocolate to what I have found here in the States. That being said, the good quality Hershey's dark isn't bad nor is the Dove dark. I agree, though, most chocolate here is far too sweet and not nearly chocolate-y enough - they might just as well rename it 'dark brown sugar'.

Edited June 8, 2008 by Kathryn41

[KarenCee 3]

Ingles isn't bad though - their house brands are actually quite good. I spread my shopping around between Aldi's, Ingles, Kroger's and Costco. If I have a lot to do and only a short time, then I'll use Walmart too. It was at the Ingles in Locust Grove that I actually found crumpets in their freezer section - and bought 10 packages! Hehehe, Now they are in MY freezer:-).

I love dark chocolate and prefer the European dark chocolate to what I have found here in the States. That being said, the good quality Hershey's dark isn't bad nor is the Dove dark. I agree, though, most chocolate here is far too sweet and not nearly chocolate-y enough - they might just as well rename it 'dark brown sugar'.

We have tried the house brands too, and find them good. Kroger's is a good 35 minutes away and I do love shopping there as well. I wish there was more variety out here though, and closer. I've been to the Ingles in Locust Grove before...I think what you find varies from Ingles to Ingles...I've seen things at the LG Ingles that we haven't found up here...like the crumpets.

I am quite fond of the Lindt chocolates...and they are found at Walmart. OOOO LA LA...those chocolate truffles are heaven in your mouth, especially when they get just a tad warm and when you pop one in your mouth...all that warm chocolate liquid...mmmm! Then one day I went to the Mall of Georgia....Oh my goodness...I found the Lindt store. I was in choccie heaven!

[Krikit 1,163]

OMG, Lindt chocolates are to DIE for!

[DeadPoolX 9]

How do you know that over eating is the main culprit regarding the obesity 'problem' in the U.S.? The fact that an entire nation is affected would seem to me to indicate a much bigger problem - see paragraph above.

That's simple -- the United States is obsessed with "supersizing" meal portions at cheaper prices. While this seems like a good economic solution for those on a budget, it can -- and often does -- amount to children and adults eating far too much. Buffets have also become extremely prolific across the American landscape, which are quite inexpensive to eat at and offer patrons as much as their stomachs can handle.

While everyone has different meal requirements (some people need to eat more than others and men generally have larger appetites than women), there's very little reason for people to stuff themselves silly. Filling your stomach up to the point where you have to "waddle" out of the restaurant is ridiculous.

To make matters worse, people are eating very unhealthy food as well. Studies have shown that one out of three American children eats fast food every single day. Fast food in moderation is fine (just as anything else), but when it becomes an everyday habit, health problems are bound to occur. Health professionals point towards this and overeating as some of the reasons why Type-II Diabetes (previous called "Adult Onset Diabetes") has been showing up so often now in children, when it used to primarily attack adults.

If you don't believe me, compare the portions served up in the United States versus those in Canada. My wife was amazed at how large the meal and drink sizes are here when she last visited. She admitted some chain restaurants in Canada tend to offer up large amounts of food, but that's generally to cover up the fact the quality of their meals are subpar. Most places, she said (including coffee shops), had smaller sizes than their American counterparts.

[KarenCee 3]

How do you know that over eating is the main culprit regarding the obesity 'problem' in the U.S.? The fact that an entire nation is affected would seem to me to indicate a much bigger problem - see paragraph above.

That's simple -- the United States is obsessed with "supersizing" meal portions at cheaper prices. While this seems like a good economic solution for those on a budget, it can -- and often does -- amount to children and adults eating far too much. Buffets have also become extremely prolific across the American landscape, which are quite inexpensive to eat at and offer patrons as much as their stomachs can handle.

While everyone has different meal requirements (some people need to eat more than others and men generally have larger appetites than women), there's very little reason for people to stuff themselves silly. Filling your stomach up to the point where you have to "waddle" out of the restaurant is ridiculous.

To make matters worse, people are eating very unhealthy food as well. Studies have shown that one out of three American children eats fast food every single day. Fast food in moderation is fine (just as anything else), but when it becomes an everyday habit, health problems are bound to occur. Health professionals point towards this and overeating as some of the reasons why Type-II Diabetes (previous called "Adult Onset Diabetes") has been showing up so often now in children, when it used to primarily attack adults.

If you don't believe me, compare the portions served up in the United States versus those in Canada. My wife was amazed at how large the meal and drink sizes are here when she last visited. She admitted some chain restaurants in Canada tend to offer up large amounts of food, but that's generally to cover up the fact the quality of their meals are subpar. Most places, she said (including coffee shops), had smaller sizes than their American counterparts.

Not every child though...and thank the gods my child isn't one of them. I watch her diet like a freaking hawk. I have to...she has epilepsy. She's skin and bones. I am overweight, but it's surely not from overeating. I dislike eating so much I feel that I need to "waddle" out of the restaurant. I can go to a buffet and eat a normal meal. I don't go back for seconds...or thirds. I am overweight because I have PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. Ever hear of it? It has totally screwed up my endocrine system. My T2 Diabetes is a result of part genetics and this bloody disease. And no, I'm not using my health as an excuse. Anyone that knows me and has witnessed me eating will tell you that I do NOT overeat. At times my husband tries to get me to eat more. I watch my diet not only because of my weight, but because of the diabetes. When we do eat fast food, it makes me feel sick afterwards so I tend to not want fast food much at all.

Statistics like this don't always show the small margin of people who have other issues that cause weight gain like mine. Overweight people also get judged pretty harsh these days...the old adage "just push away from the table" doesn't fit the norm for all overweights....not anymore.

I'm not trying to sound crabby...just wanted to put out another viewpoint from someone that this generalisation doesn't fit.

[DeadPoolX 9]

How do you know that over eating is the main culprit regarding the obesity 'problem' in the U.S.? The fact that an entire nation is affected would seem to me to indicate a much bigger problem - see paragraph above.

That's simple -- the United States is obsessed with "supersizing" meal portions at cheaper prices. While this seems like a good economic solution for those on a budget, it can -- and often does -- amount to children and adults eating far too much. Buffets have also become extremely prolific across the American landscape, which are quite inexpensive to eat at and offer patrons as much as their stomachs can handle.

While everyone has different meal requirements (some people need to eat more than others and men generally have larger appetites than women), there's very little reason for people to stuff themselves silly. Filling your stomach up to the point where you have to "waddle" out of the restaurant is ridiculous.

To make matters worse, people are eating very unhealthy food as well. Studies have shown that one out of three American children eats fast food every single day. Fast food in moderation is fine (just as anything else), but when it becomes an everyday habit, health problems are bound to occur. Health professionals point towards this and overeating as some of the reasons why Type-II Diabetes (previous called "Adult Onset Diabetes") has been showing up so often now in children, when it used to primarily attack adults.

If you don't believe me, compare the portions served up in the United States versus those in Canada. My wife was amazed at how large the meal and drink sizes are here when she last visited. She admitted some chain restaurants in Canada tend to offer up large amounts of food, but that's generally to cover up the fact the quality of their meals are subpar. Most places, she said (including coffee shops), had smaller sizes than their American counterparts.

Not every child though...and thank the gods my child isn't one of them. I watch her diet like a freaking hawk. I have to...she has epilepsy. She's skin and bones. I am overweight, but it's surely not from overeating. I dislike eating so much I feel that I need to "waddle" out of the restaurant. I can go to a buffet and eat a normal meal. I don't go back for seconds...or thirds. I am overweight because I have PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. Ever hear of it? It has totally screwed up my endocrine system. My T2 Diabetes is a result of part genetics and this bloody disease. And no, I'm not using my health as an excuse. Anyone that knows me and has witnessed me eating will tell you that I do NOT overeat. At times my husband tries to get me to eat more. I watch my diet not only because of my weight, but because of the diabetes. When we do eat fast food, it makes me feel sick afterwards so I tend to not want fast food much at all.

Statistics like this don't always show the small margin of people who have other issues that cause weight gain like mine. Overweight people also get judged pretty harsh these days...the old adage "just push away from the table" doesn't fit the norm for all overweights....not anymore.

I'm not trying to sound crabby...just wanted to put out another viewpoint from someone that this generalisation doesn't fit.

I'm sorry if I sounded overly critical before or like I was lumping everyone who was overweight into one category. I realize that not everyone who has weight issues is that way due to overeating. I've had to fight the "battle of the bulge" my whole life as someone with hypothyroidism. In short, that means my thyroid gland doesn't work as well as it should and -- among other details -- makes it difficult for me shed excess pounds while enabling me to put on weight much easier than the so-called "average" person as well. So believe me when I say that I know there are numerous medical causes for weight gain.

However, these issues are in the minority. Most people who are overweight are such due to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise. In the past two years, I've lost about 80 pounds and if someone such as myself (with the aforementioned hypothyroidism) can do it by concentrating on a proper diet and getting in some good exercise, then I'm sure quite a few people who lack my problem could achieve even greater success.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I really agree about the portion size - back home I would order a large Tim Horton's coffee and here, that is the same size as the Dunkin Donut's medium. There are a plethora of all you can eat buffets here - (we do indulge once in a while) - and 90% of the people we see there are truly obese, their plates loaded ski high with all sorts of deep fried unidentifiable things - and who knows how many of these platefuls they have already eaten. Portion size, overeating and the wrong foods are definitely the main culprit here - but I firmly believe that the unnecessary addition of HFCS where it is not needed provides a lot of extra unnecessary calories. Cream, tomato soup, bread - none of these things need HFCS, yet you have to read the labels carefully to find these products without it.

And I'll back up Karen - she isn't a big eater at all. Whenever we have had meals together she has always had a reasonably sized meal and left something on the plate:-). I am pretty sure I ate more than she did, although I think we both did go back for select seconds at The Blue Willow Inn, hehehehe.

Edited June 8, 2008 by Kathryn41

[F1Belle 0]

Ingles isn't bad though - their house brands are actually quite good. I spread my shopping around between Aldi's, Ingles, Kroger's and Costco. If I have a lot to do and only a short time, then I'll use Walmart too. It was at the Ingles in Locust Grove that I actually found crumpets in their freezer section - and bought 10 packages! Hehehe, Now they are in MY freezer:-).

I love dark chocolate and prefer the European dark chocolate to what I have found here in the States. That being said, the good quality Hershey's dark isn't bad nor is the Dove dark. I agree, though, most chocolate here is far too sweet and not nearly chocolate-y enough - they might just as well rename it 'dark brown sugar'.

I have found crumpets in the majority of the Atlanta area Publix stores.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Ingles isn't bad though - their house brands are actually quite good. I spread my shopping around between Aldi's, Ingles, Kroger's and Costco. If I have a lot to do and only a short time, then I'll use Walmart too. It was at the Ingles in Locust Grove that I actually found crumpets in their freezer section - and bought 10 packages! Hehehe, Now they are in MY freezer:-).

I love dark chocolate and prefer the European dark chocolate to what I have found here in the States. That being said, the good quality Hershey's dark isn't bad nor is the Dove dark. I agree, though, most chocolate here is far too sweet and not nearly chocolate-y enough - they might just as well rename it 'dark brown sugar'.

I have found crumpets in the majority of the Atlanta area Publix stores.

Thanks, good to know. Next time I make it into Atlanta proper, I will stop in at a Publix. I know that the ones here in Stockbridge/Morrow/McDonough/Forest Park area that I have been in don't carry them. Ah, crumpets! hehehe, or I may just drive to Locust Grove again - it's closer than Atlanta and I can take back roads there and back and not have to worry about I-75 traffic;-). Again, thank you.