Do you look in other people's shopping carts...

[FitChick]

...as they are checking out to see what they eat? You know you do! If an obese person has ice cream, cake, cookies, marshmallows, soda, no vegetables, you know you think 'No wonder she is so fat!" But you don't always know what is really going on. I shop in three different stores every weekend -- supermarket, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

 

If you saw me at Whole Foods you'd think, 'How does she stay so thin eating cheese cake, pecan pie, mousse cake, gourmet chocolates' etc. because I go there mainly for treats.

 

If you saw me at the supermarket, you'd think 'She must be a vegetarian because she is thin.' I buy most of my produce there.

 

At Trader Joe's you'd think, 'She must work out.' I buy fish, eggs, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, Designer Whey and almond milk.

 

As for that obese person, I overheard the woman say to the checker (who knew her) "It figures the Scout leader would ask me to buy this stuff for Saturday now that I'm on a strict diet and can't eat it!"

 

To be fair, there are some obese people who do eat a lot of crap. I have a formerly fat friend who told me that she would shop twice -- once in the morning for all her "healthy" stuff and once late at night for ice cream, candy, soda, etc. so fewer people would 'know' why she was fat.

Edited June 15, 2013 by FitChick

[carhill]

We only have one store in our town, and I drive about 30 miles to get to a supermarket so I don't generally look into other people's carts as filling my voluminous list requires all my attention and usually an extra cart at check out. I would surmise others might think I'm buying for a family but in reality I'm just provisioning for a month. A lot of the folks around here are EBT/WIC so shopping carts can get quite interesting. One which stood out was completely full of corn. That was it; just corn. I'm more likely to notice the people who throw three or four things on the belt; essentially a meal or snack. I often wonder how they can afford to go to the store so often

[tbf]

When I go shopping, I'm on auto-pilot. Don't notice anything except for what I need to buy and if someone addresses me, respond. Other than that, I'm oblivious to my environment, too busy thinking about what else I need to accomplish, whether for family or work.

[johan]

I'm usually on the move. Shopping with the goal to not be shopping for long. I don't think too much about what other people are there to pick up. It isn't interesting to me. I will however check out certain shoppers.

[Els]

I REALLY doubt most other people are constantly on the lookout for people's sizes and trying to infer their diets from it, OP...

[Citizen Erased]

I'm too busy getting irritated at how stupid people are when they grocery shop to focus on what they're actually buying. Just get the hell out of my way.

[sweetjasmine]

When I go shopping, I'm on auto-pilot. Don't notice anything except for what I need to buy and if someone addresses me, respond. Other than that, I'm oblivious to my environment, too busy thinking about what else I need to accomplish, whether for family or work.

 

Same here. In the checkout line, I'm too busy either arranging my stuff on the conveyer belt so that it's bagged a certain way and easier to put away when I get home or crunching numbers in my head to estimate what the final cost will be or thinking about something else I have to do. Really couldn't care less about what other people are buying, as long as the line is moving. It's none of my business, anyway.

[johan]

If you saw me at Whole Foods you'd think, 'How does she stay so thin eating cheese cake, pecan pie, mousse cake, gourmet chocolates' etc. because I go there mainly for treats.

 

If you saw me at the supermarket, you'd think 'She must be a vegetarian because she is thin.' I buy most of my produce there.

 

At Trader Joe's you'd think, 'She must work out.' I buy fish, eggs, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, Designer Whey and almond milk.

 

Most people really wouldn't think about it at all. None of that would even cross their minds.

[EasyHeart]

...as they are checking out to see what they eat? You know you do!

HELL YES!! Apparently you and I are much better multitaskers than most of the other posters in this thread. . .

 

There are a lot of immigrants (Asian and Latin) that shop at my primary grocery store, and one of the things I've noticed is that their baskets tend to be filled with vegetables. For instance, I went shopping last night and the lady ahead of me in line had ~15 bags of produce, a bag of tortillas, and a big pork roast. All I could think about was "Yum! Invite me to dinner!" I wonder how long it takes to become Americanized and eat nothing but crap?

 

The store is also right by the UofM, so there are tons of college kids there. Most of them seem to subsist on frozen pizza and cookies, but occasionally I'll see one (usually girls) who have a basket full of fruits and veggies and rice and chicken. That makes me happy and I want to give them a hug and say, "You should thank your mom and dad for teaching you well!"

 

However, I have learned that it is apparently socially unacceptable to hug random college girls in the grocery store, so I've had to stop doing that. Who knew?

[TaraMaiden]

People at the low end of the payscale ARE fat.

because they buy the cheap carbohydrate-filled foods that they can afford to bulk on and kill the appetite. They also comfort-eat.

 

Chips, fries, cheap cuts of meat, tinned beans, cakes, sweet things (more often than not on special offer in supermarkets at ridiculously low prices), bread, pasta.... processed jars of sauce mixes, ready meals....

 

All this rubbish makes for larder-fillers and quick-fix meals.

 

Eating well, actually takes a certain amount of time, dedication, thought and investment.

 

It's so much easier to enjoy a portion of fries, than oven-roast vegetables.

[Art_Critic]

Only if they spend too much time picking out their cucumbers

 

Short answer.. no... I will notice the things someone buys when they put it on the belt in front of me though.

You can always tell the single people....

[Forever Learning]

This is a great thread FitChick!!

 

And YES, I WOULD think the things you listed if I looked in your cart! You nailed it, yes.

 

I don't always look at what's in people's carts (my mother would, she is the nosy type for sure who always would), but sometimes I do. That's been a more recent phenomenon for me.

 

I started to wonder what other people bought/ate, and match it up with their body size / shape / health appearance. I don't think I did that 10 years ago, though. Only in the past few years I'd reckon. Not prior to age 35 did I do this.

 

And, I am giggling because each poster's comments are so reflective of their individual personality. Especially Citizen Erased when she said:

 

"I'm too busy getting irritated at how stupid people are when they grocery shop to focus on what they're actually buying. Just get the hell out of my way." :laugh:

 

That is just hysterical to me! CE is such a pistol! I'd hate to be the Stupid Person /Chatty Cathy / Slow Poke in line in front of her! And I probably would be, since I am usually happily chatting with everyone within arms reach who seems even semi-chat worthy. Whether they like it or not!

 

However, I have learned that it is apparently socially unacceptable to hug random college girls in the grocery store, so I've had to stop doing that. Who knew?

 

You are just too funny You have such a cute sense of humor

 

Only if they spend too much time picking out their cucumbers

 

That would be me It's not easy picking out cucumbers when you know everyone is watching you Better to grab a few and have a look at them later in the cereal isle It's been a long time since I wishingly fondled cucumbers though

[Forever Learning]

I had a nutritionist that recommended this practice and I've done it ever since, only she had a rule that people under 50 didn't count because otherwise you couldn't see what lifelong habits of eating a certain way did.

It does line up most of the time.. .not always.. but most.

 

This is really clever insight. Love it!

[Mr Scorpio]

I dont go out of my way to look, but when standing in a checkout lane I'd rather look at someone elses cart than all the trashy magazines.

[Anela]

I'm too busy rushing, having already been told, jokingly, to "get in, get your sh*t, and get out," ad then more seriously: "we really need to be quick." Which I hate! I hate being rushed.

 

I've only ever looked at the contents of another cart, when someone accidentally walked off with mine. At Kriegers, a woman started to talk to us about the vegetables and how she cooked them. Her husband had this look on his face that said he wanted to be anywhere but there.

 

I leave my shopping cart somewhere and walk down the aisle, so that I'm not fighting to get around other people and their carts. In trying to get around them, I usually get my cart hung up on something, or am waiting for five minutes to get past. I give dad part of my list, to make things quicker (since he's already going to those areas in the store), and gives me a bit more time in the parts that I like. If someone gave this stuff any thought, when looking at me and my cart, they'd probably wonder why I'm not skinnier, since I have so many vegetables and fruits in there. Or assume I'm trying a three-day fast, and then going back to eating horribly.

 

When waiting in line, I flip through a magazine or read a book that I've brought with me, dreading what the cost will be of the food. It's even worse in a health food store, where it seems that you can just consider buying something, and have $20 added to your total. I have a love/hate relationship with those places, because I love to browse, but I can't afford most of it, so it's disheartening.

[HokeyReligions]

The only time I look is in line when the person in front is paying for everything with a WIC card or some other "government" entitlement card (i.e. my tax dollars) and wonder if they are leaches for life or are really struggling and trying to get off the nations teat and be independent.

[Eddie Edirol]

I had to develop a habit of looking in peoples carts to replace the habit of grabbing random asses in the supermarket.

 

The only time I notice whats in peoples carts is when I see a butterball eating something horrible. Then they take the empty bag and get it scanned.

Im thinking "You couldnt even wait to get home, you have to engorge yourself with sweets over the cart???".

 

Then I get too deep into it, I start thinking about the psychological questions that I could ask them, to find out why they let themselves go.

 

 

• Are you completely against exercise?
  
• Did you get left for a younger woman and gave up on trying to look good for yourself?
  
• Did you only look good to get praise from other people?
  
• Are you still with your husband and is he fat too?
  
• Did you deliberately make him fat to ensure he didnt leave you when you got fat?
  
• Did you get fat after having kids?
  
• Do you cook fatty foods, and were you raised that way?
  
• Are all of your friends fat as well..and if so, do they all lie to each other about how they look good?
  
• Do you actually have a medical condition, or is that just an excuse?
  
• Did you not know how to land the man you want and thats why you couldnt start over post obesity?
  

 

Come to think of it, I need to be more social with people of my own ilk so I dont think about these things.

[ltjg45]

The only time I look is in line when the person in front is paying for everything with a WIC card or some other "government" entitlement card (i.e. my tax dollars) and wonder if they are leaches for life or are really struggling and trying to get off the nations teat and be independent.

 

This is why I try not to eat as much anymore. Nowadays, my diet is basically a lot of Special K cereal (I don't remember the kind that I eat a lot of anymore) with milk and as many bananas as I can find.

 

Outside of some Gatorade, it's basically water since my teeth is going through pain just by brushing my teeth and rinsing it with mouthwash.

[Anela]

The only time I look is in line when the person in front is paying for everything with a WIC card or some other "government" entitlement card (i.e. my tax dollars) and wonder if they are leaches for life or are really struggling and trying to get off the nations teat and be independent.

 

A member of my family has her disability money sent to her own bank account... I'm happy to know that people won't be judging her in this way. It's hard enough for her to get out to the store (and I used to be the same way).

 

You would see reallyhealthy food in her cart. She has so much discipline. I, on the other hand, will have a slice of cheesecake, once in a while.

[Woggle]

I don't concern myself with what other people are buying.

 

As for myself I only eat sweets while out. I never bring them in the house so while I do scratch that itch sometimes it isn't a habit.

[Taramere]

I live in Scotland. If I were going to tut tut every time I saw somebody unloading a trolley full of sh*te onto the conveyer belt, I'd wear a hole through the roof of my mouth before long. Anyway, sometimes I buy sh*te too, though generally my trolley probably has more healthy stuff in it than a lot of the other shoppers going around.

 

If I'm feeling a bit on edge, I might sneak a peek in other trolleys to see what the enemy's fuelling up on, but mostly I'm not interested.

[ScreamingTrees]

Not really. I'd sooner be staring at a hot girl's ass or something, women my age seem to love wearing yoga pants, and I love it too.. I don't care what others buy. Seems to be a lot of unhealthy ****, anyway. They probably look at mine and say "he's so young and thin, why is he so concerned about eating healthy??"

 

It's really so that I don't look like I haven't taken care of myself over the last 20+ years or so like the majority of shoppers at my local supermarket.

[Mr Scorpio]

Not really. I'd sooner be staring at a hot girl's ass or something, women my age seem to love wearing yoga pants, and I love it too..

 

It's a hell of a fad, ain't it?

[sweetjasmine]

HELL YES!! Apparently you and I are much better multitaskers than most of the other posters in this thread. . .

 

Nah, it's not about multitasking. I just (a) don't care what kind of ice cream and tampons the lady in front of me is buying and (b) find it pretty rude to be so nosy and judgmental. I don't check out what underwear people are buying when I'm at Victoria's Secret, either.

[Art_Critic]

A million years ago I used to have to buy 10-12 bottles of mineral oil (intestinal lubricant) about every 3-4 months, we used the oil for something in the photographic, scanning field.

We literally used to buy out the drug store of all their inventory down the street and I used to get a coworker to help me as they didn't have it in the case or any buggies...

 

The looks we used to get from the checkout lady and customers was absolutely hilarious..we even used to throw in the odd joke.. "we are stocking up for a partying weekend"..