McDonald's To Open 17-20 New Branches Nationwide

[NanaFoods]

Maybe the Thai government should think about this too.....a good step in the right direction:

Los Angeles City Council passes fast-food ban

Wed Jul 30, 2008

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to put a one-year ban on new fast-food restaurants in one of the city's poorest areas, marking the latest effort by a municipality to fight rising obesity rates.

If approved by the mayor, the ordinance would put a moratorium on construction of new fast-food outlets in a 32-square-mile (82-sq-km) area of Los Angeles. The measure could also be extended for a second year.

The change would affect about half a million Angelenos living in an area that supporters say already has about 400 fast-food eateries and few grocery stores or other outlets for fresh, healthy food.

The 13-0 vote came about a year after research found that roughly 30 percent of children living in the South Los Angeles, West Adams, Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park areas are obese compared to about 21 percent in the rest of the city.

The moratorium would also be accompanied by moves to encourage more grocery chains and fresh food stores to open for business, supporters said.

Fast-food chains opposed the measure, saying that their industry was being unfairly blamed for causing the childhood obesity epidemic.

"Obesity is principally related to what and how much a consumer eats, not where he eats," Andrew Puzder, Chief Executive of Carl's Jr parent CKE Restaurants Inc, said in a letter to Council President Eric Garcetti.

Andrew Casana, spokesman for the California Restaurant Association, said fast-food companies were working to block ordinance or to make amendments to it.

"We have not ruled out lawsuits," Casana said.

Several U.S. cities have adopted measures forcing the restaurant industry to adopt healthier standards. California banned the sale of soft drinks in middle and elementary schools in 2003 and a new law requires fast-food restaurants in New York to post calorie counts above the service counter.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/...200&sp=true

LaoPo

I don't think banning is the right approach.

We don't need a Nanny-State to tell us what we can or cannot eat.

Perhaps regulating nutritional standards for any food items marketed to children - and not just fast food restaurants.

I am not a big fan of McDonald's, but about 2 or 3 times per year, usually after a long trek in the forest or a sweltering sweaty-hot day, I need and enjoy the intense sodium injection provided by a Big Mac.

[Carib]

[Plus]

It was 17-20 in the paper edition, the mistake was only in the Internet filing.

[PoorSucker]

They are opening second one on beach road Chaweng here on Koh Samui, across street from Burger king.

[PoorSucker]

i miss taco bell actually.

i thought about opening a drive thru fast food restaurant.

then i realized everybody rides motorcycles lol

Well if you can talk on your phone while riding a motorbike, why not eat a big mac with the other hand.

[TAWP]

Throw away the burger and eat the box. You will never know the diiference !

I'm lovin' it

Box...do tell, how many years ago was it you ate there?

[Payboy]

1,720???

I seriously doubt McDonalds would be opening that many new branches in the whole world, let alone Thailand in only 6 months, not unless they're going to start putting one in each 7-11.

Typo George?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/31...ss_30079405.php

George, you should be working for the Nation. It's a typo but you don't question it even though it is obviously absurd. Try changing the topic heading to:

McDonald's To Open 17-20 New Branches Nationwide

You owe me a Big Mac

Hehe, I have changed the headline, but I thought it was fun. I owe u guys a burger.

will take flies with that....

[BSJ]

George: 1720 new branches nationwide in the second half

That would be 1720 more places I wont be eating! So the correct # was 17-20. Still to many!

I know the brainwashing attracts the kids, but how do the adult fall for it???

[poshthai]

I feel sick thinking of mcdonalds,kfc etc.so so greasy and fatty.

[barrysandal]

MCdonald's is closing down sown starbucks in the US with 1.49 coffee, maybe they have a master plan for Thai food courts so everywhere can be a hap hap happy place.

[beammeup]

Maybe the Thai government should think about this too.....a good step in the right direction:

Los Angeles City Council passes fast-food ban

Wed Jul 30, 2008

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to put a one-year ban on new fast-food restaurants in one of the city's poorest areas, marking the latest effort by a municipality to fight rising obesity rates.

If approved by the mayor, the ordinance would put a moratorium on construction of new fast-food outlets in a 32-square-mile (82-sq-km) area of Los Angeles. The measure could also be extended for a second year.

The change would affect about half a million Angelenos living in an area that supporters say already has about 400 fast-food eateries and few grocery stores or other outlets for fresh, healthy food.

The 13-0 vote came about a year after research found that roughly 30 percent of children living in the South Los Angeles, West Adams, Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park areas are obese compared to about 21 percent in the rest of the city.

The moratorium would also be accompanied by moves to encourage more grocery chains and fresh food stores to open for business, supporters said.

Fast-food chains opposed the measure, saying that their industry was being unfairly blamed for causing the childhood obesity epidemic.

"Obesity is principally related to what and how much a consumer eats, not where he eats," Andrew Puzder, Chief Executive of Carl's Jr parent CKE Restaurants Inc, said in a letter to Council President Eric Garcetti.

Andrew Casana, spokesman for the California Restaurant Association, said fast-food companies were working to block ordinance or to make amendments to it.

"We have not ruled out lawsuits," Casana said.

Several U.S. cities have adopted measures forcing the restaurant industry to adopt healthier standards. California banned the sale of soft drinks in middle and elementary schools in 2003 and a new law requires fast-food restaurants in New York to post calorie counts above the service counter.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/...200&sp=true

LaoPo

I don't think banning is the right approach.

We don't need a Nanny-State to tell us what we can or cannot eat.

Perhaps regulating nutritional standards for any food items marketed to children - and not just fast food restaurants.

I am not a big fan of McDonald's, but about 2 or 3 times per year, usually after a long trek in the forest or a sweltering sweaty-hot day, I need and enjoy the intense sodium injection provided by a Big Mac.

I agree I grew up with the choice of eating Mcdonalds or not, you guys sound like the Thai government ban this and censor that. Its the parents responsibility to teach there kids how to eat responsibly. I also crave a double big mac a couple times a year.

[Plus]

I'm becoming quite partial to their cheesy fries. KFC had them with popped rice a while ago but Mc's portions are larger and suit my taste better, and they are soaked in cheese sauce and you have to eat them with a fork. At KFC you had to dip them in a small bowl of souce, like with ketchup.

[pampal]

when will they start serving McNoodles?

[withnail]

So maybe Meadish_Sweetball or another farang who's mastered Thai can correct me ..

But does this "Rak Krai Hai Kin Pla", translate to: "(I) love those/someone who give (me) fish to eat"??

If so, interesting how that group/cuddly thing is always present in Thai consumerism - another example.

More like "If you love someone(krai) give them some fish to eat.

[mgjackson69]

i miss taco bell actually.

i thought about opening a drive thru fast food restaurant.

then i realized everybody rides motorcycles lol

How would that last factoid be a deterrent?

I think if you were to study the whole "fast-food drive-thru" phenomenon, you would find that most people are buying the food to take home, not to eat in their car, and are too damned lazy to walk inside.

Myself, I *never* use the drive-thrus...that used to drive my (now ex-)wife nuts. Usually it is faster to walk inside, even for a takeaway order. Plus, I figure if I am fixin' to pound down a bunch of fat and carbs, the least I can do is a preemptive strike by walking from/to my car.

I also very seldom eat in my car. That one drives the Thai relatives nuts, as I will not let them eat in my truck here...no food, no beer, no cola...water only. They can bring food along if they like, and they can ride in the bed if they want to eat it, or we can stop and eat.

I also miss Taco Bell, and Taco John's. Other than those two, I do not miss Western fast-food much.

[dkstoney]

You guys should spend a little time watching this video:

Supersize Me

Super Size Me is a 2004 documentary film written, produced, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day time period (February 2003) during which he subsists entirely on food and items purchased exclusively from McDonald's, and the film documents this lifestyle's drastic effects on Spurlock's physical and psychological well-being and explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. During the filming, Spurlock dined at McDonald's restaurants three times per day, sampling every item on the chain's menu at least once. He also super sized his meal every time he was asked. He consumed an average of 5,000 cal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment.

Before launching this experiment, Spurlock, age 32 at the time the movie was filmed in 2003, ate a varied diet but always had vegan evening meals to appease his then-girlfriend (now wife), Alexandra, a vegan chef. Spurlock was healthy and slim, and stood 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall with a body weight of 185.5 lb (84.1 kg). After thirty days, he gained 24.5 lb (11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase, and his Body Mass Index rose from 23.2 (within the 'healthy' range of 19-25) to 27 ('overweight'). He also experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and liver damage. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight he gained.

[mgjackson69]

You guys should spend a little time watching this video:

Supersize Me

Super Size Me is a 2004 documentary film written, produced, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day time period (February 2003) during which he subsists entirely on food and items purchased exclusively from McDonald's, and the film documents this lifestyle's drastic effects on Spurlock's physical and psychological well-being and explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. During the filming, Spurlock dined at McDonald's restaurants three times per day, sampling every item on the chain's menu at least once. He also super sized his meal every time he was asked. He consumed an average of 5,000 cal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment.

Before launching this experiment, Spurlock, age 32 at the time the movie was filmed in 2003, ate a varied diet but always had vegan evening meals to appease his then-girlfriend (now wife), Alexandra, a vegan chef. Spurlock was healthy and slim, and stood 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall with a body weight of 185.5 lb (84.1 kg). After thirty days, he gained 24.5 lb (11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase, and his Body Mass Index rose from 23.2 (within the 'healthy' range of 19-25) to 27 ('overweight'). He also experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and liver damage. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight he gained.

Well, duh....he was consuming 5000 calories a day.

Of course it is unhealthy.

[dkstoney]

Just watch it.

[DeathbyDurian]

What they really need to open is a "Wendy's".....

[LaoPo]

Its the parents responsibility to teach there kids how to eat responsibly.

I agree and wrote so before. But how come that the US has so many obese people ?

I have traveled all over the world but the number of extremely fat people in the US is shocking, very shocking.

I took some friends to Disney in Florida and at a certain stage I said: "I know a special attraction" and sat down on a bench....... they said...what's up ?

I said just watch the people....

It's shocking to see young 12, 13 year old youngsters but also much younger at age 7, 8 or 9 hardly able to walk...SOOOO fat !

I took the park-train in Disney/LA and a friend and I were the only 2 passengers, apart from 1 guy....... I never saw a man like that one....I was afraid the train was going to fall over....he was HUGE...

You see extremely fat people everywhere in the US; in Europe you have to look for them. Of course many people in the EU are obese also, but not in the numbers and extreme as in the US.

So: parents' responsibility has a long way to go before they realize it's too late.

LaoPo

[mgjackson69]

Just watch it.

<after watching the movie>

Well, that was pretty disgusting.

However, the fact remains that he was consuming 2x the calories recommended for him to maintain his initial weight.

I think the film would have been more effective had he moderated his intake a bit...but then that would not have resulted in such dramatic results.

We are in agreement that fast food is not good...and McDonalds is probably the worst.

[Johpa]

So maybe Meadish_Sweetball or another farang who's mastered Thai can correct me ..

But does this "Rak Krai Hai Kin Pla", translate to: "(I) love those/someone who give (me) fish to eat"??

If so, interesting how that group/cuddly thing is always present in Thai consumerism - another example.

We should bring the question over to the Thai language forum for further deliberation, but I parse it as a play on the attributed words of Marie-Antoinette, and that is 'if you love someone, let them eat fish'.

[poshthai]

I was very shocked the first time i went to Florida.The amount of obese people was realy sickening,seen all that fat flopping about was disgusting.

[mgjackson69]

I was very shocked the first time i went to Florida.The amount of obese people was realy sickening,seen all that fat flopping about was disgusting.

Typically when I return to USA my port of entry is Chicago. When I am walking through O'Hare Airport and I see all those fat-assed farang women, that is when it hits me..."when can I get the hel_l out of here?"

[geriatrickid]

Opening McDonalds outlets is not what Thailand needs. Unless this is just another step to making Thailand more like home complete with morbid obesity. Woohoo, greasy fried burgers served with greasy fried potatos with sugar laden water. Nutrition to die for.

[PeaceBlondie]

Hamburgers are not the anti-Christ. Of course, if all Indians and Chinese ate ten hamburgers per week, the world would self-destruct. Ain't going to happen. Mass merchandising and fast food are kind of identified with that true Demon, the Beezelbub called the USA.

A hamburger set has protein, bread, lettuce, onion, tomato catsup, mustard, potatoes. Nearly a balanced meal. If Thai kids get fat, that is the fault of Thai parents. The fast food chains have been working on a healthier menu. If you want to save the world, go free Burma or feed Africa.

[geriatrickid]

A hamburger set has protein, bread, lettuce, onion, tomato catsup, mustard, potatoes. Nearly a balanced meal. If Thai kids get fat, that is the fault of Thai parents. The fast food chains have been working on a healthier menu. If you want to save the world, go free Burma or feed Africa.

Aww c'mon how can you compare a real meal as you describe with what the industrial burger chain provides? IF

-your meat was not the cheapest fatest cut ground up but was instead lean beef,

- meat was grilled, so excess fat could drip off and not fried in beef fat,

-your bread was not bleached, but had the natural grain components left in it,

- your vegetables were grown with having natural vitamin content as important rather than its ability to keep shelf life,

-tomato catsup, was real Ketchup mostly derived from real tomatos and not red coloured corn syrup and water ,

- the potatos were not fried in beef fat and oil high in saturated and trans fats,

I would agree with you.

Unfortunately, this burger chain doesn't deliver on the healthy aspect of a well made burger. As McD is a public company and operates in Thailand with Thai franchisees, this is a local issue.

For a Texan PB, you should know the difference between quality beef and frozen patties of left over dairy herds that are past their factory function.

I am so not inviting myself over to your crib for dinner.

[TAWP]

Just watch it.

<after watching the movie>

Well, that was pretty disgusting.

However, the fact remains that he was consuming 2x the calories recommended for him to maintain his initial weight.

I think the film would have been more effective had he moderated his intake a bit...but then that would not have resulted in such dramatic results.

We are in agreement that fast food is not good...and McDonalds is probably the worst.

Half the point is that people eat until they are full, not until their calorie intake is satisfied.

Another is that the size of the portions has gone up rapidly in the US the last 50 years. Are people trying to say they use more calories, sitting on their asses in offices than their parents did with out-door labour?

[astral]

The expansion and marketing plans follow doubledigit sales growth for McDonald's during the first half, while the rest of the quickservicerestaurant market experienced flat growth.

More like FAT growth.

This is another nail in the coffin of healthy food in Thailand.

[JoeInSurin]

You guys should spend a little time watching this video:

Supersize Me

Super Size Me is a 2004 documentary film written, produced, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day time period (February 2003) during which he subsists entirely on food and items purchased exclusively from McDonald's, and the film documents this lifestyle's drastic effects on Spurlock's physical and psychological well-being and explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. During the filming, Spurlock dined at McDonald's restaurants three times per day, sampling every item on the chain's menu at least once. He also super sized his meal every time he was asked. He consumed an average of 5,000 cal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment.

Before launching this experiment, Spurlock, age 32 at the time the movie was filmed in 2003, ate a varied diet but always had vegan evening meals to appease his then-girlfriend (now wife), Alexandra, a vegan chef. Spurlock was healthy and slim, and stood 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall with a body weight of 185.5 lb (84.1 kg). After thirty days, he gained 24.5 lb (11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase, and his Body Mass Index rose from 23.2 (within the 'healthy' range of 19-25) to 27 ('overweight'). He also experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and liver damage. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight he gained.

And you should check out this video. It's all in the choices you make when you get to the counter. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,369487,00.html