It is not only tobacco companies that target Asia for increased market share - profit - globalization - but the fast food bellwethers as well. This week McDonald's is promoting its introduction of four new burgers specifically for Japan. These burgers are named after states or cities in the USA and contain from 500+ to over 700 calories each. This is disturbing to me on several levels, not the least of which is the tendency for obesogenic environments to be located near McDonald's restaurants.
But even more disheartening because of something a good friend told me. She recently spent a year living in Japan and during that stay she called to tell me that the regular combo meals at fast food restaurants there were the size of American Happy Meals or kids meals. She notes that many Americans would order two or three meals for themselves. Well - that is no longer necessary.
Here is the website for McDonald's Japan - see those smiling Japanese faces? They should be warned.
Currently Japan has a longer life expectancy than the USA. They also have much lower rates of heart disease death. In Japan 14% of all death is from heart disease - in the US it is 21%.
However, here is the REAL difference. The most recent statistics for both countries (World Health Organization) have the percent of Japanese men who are obese at just below 3 and the percent of Japanese women who are obest at just over 3. Of course, the USA rate is well over 30% - add overweight and it is 66%. But that is okay, if Japan embraces the Idaho 2 with hashbrowns and bacon on the burger or the Texas 2 with chili, bacon AND extra bread they just might catch up.
No comments:
Post a Comment