McDonald’s and KFC Feed on the Poor Man, Are You Still ‘Lovin’ It’?

McDonald’s and KFC are comfortably established franchises in India, capable of creating much buzz with each new opening. While you may be happy to trod down their outlets as they become increasingly accessible, here’s a research that may not leave you happy, post reading it.

Mirror UK, carried out an investigation on these Fast Food giants in England, and revealed a shocking truth. It’s research showed that every four out of ten KFC and McDonalds outlets were built and operating profitably from areas of acute poverty and high deprivation.

According to the study, these giants strategically target such locations to set up shop. With the help of huge brand names and expensive ad campaigns, they offer cheapest fast food in the market, that sells most amongst the poor. Poor people have limited exposure, means and alternatives to choose from, and thus consume KFC and McD in massive quantities, fishing out the highest profits for these giants.

In their defence, the giants may claim bringing job opportunities in these backward areas, but this benefit can’t eliminate the bigger evil that lurks behind their spreading retail wings.

According to Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum, the food sold by KFC and McD is high in ingredients that excite the taste bud, and cause addiction – resulting in serious health damage.

In the wake of this revelation, we in India – a grappling economy with vast stretches of acute poverty – need to ask ourselves whether to let these retail giants not only drain our poor of their money, but more importantly their health. Should we let these giants break the very backbone of our people? That’s something new to munch on.