As U.K. Slumps, Fast Food Business Booms

(CBS)  The report highlights a risk from low-cost food high in salt, sugar and fat - and predicts the economic meltdown will make it worse, CBS News correspondent Richard Roth reports.

"It's cheap, it's plentiful, it's cheap, it's easy," one man said.

Another person commented: "So in your face, you can't avoid it."

In Britain's slumping economy, the fast-food business is booming.

McDonalds there just had its best year ever. KFC's profits rose 14 percent. And Dominoes earnings are up even more.

Following an American trend, fast-food giants have promised healthier options. But what's most popular is still a burger and fries or a bucket of chicken.

The British call it "cheep and cheerful."

"There is a sort of way it tends to relieve stress because you are going out and not spending much money but you'll be in company and you're enjoying the occasion," said Dr. David Haslam.

With one in four adults in England dangerously overweight - and nearly one in five children overweight - the country is catching up to America.

---

Read more about the study.
Read about how the American diet is influencing urban China.

---

The government is campaigning against an epidemic of obesity.

The country is even planning to lease or give away land to a list of would-be gardeners, on the theory it won't kill them to grow their own food.

[km264]

I don't know when the last time these people ordered a pizza but it is definitely not cheap. That was the main thing my husband and I cut out was fast food stops. They got to be way too expensive. Now we both take out lunch to work and we have definitely saved money.

[ghalie123]

Fast foods are cheap?

As of today, in the Glasgow, top most expensive city and shopping heaven in Scotland, as I was told,

- a 2-piece Colonel KFC meal costs as much as GBP 3.29.

If I cook at home,

- a pack of raw chicken (3 pieces of drumsticks, 5 pieces of breasts) costs only GBP 3.50 in Tesco.

If my cooking is as good as KFC, I can make 4 set of equivalent meals with the same price in KFC.

Something wrong is in this article. Fast foods are not cheap. They are also fattening too.

The only reason Fast Food booms is that they are cheaper than proper restaurants around which may cost at least ~GBP9 for just a main course. Adding that up with starter, dessert, drink and tips, you can easily spend not less than GBP 22 per person for a meal.

[GODSnLIBERALS]

So funny to read looney bins like GODSnLIBERALS. They just have to inject their divisive hate, even in a conversation about food. Luckily, they help give us a true picture of the reactionary religious right. Thanks, moron.
Posted by reimer211 at 7:48 AM : Feb 28, 2009
+ report abuse + permalink

******liberals saving obese people is spreading hate??? more like insecurity..

[reimer211]

So funny to read looney bins like GODSnLIBERALS. They just have to inject their divisive hate, even in a conversation about food. Luckily, they help give us a true picture of the reactionary religious right. Thanks, moron.

[GODSnLIBERALS]

what is wrong with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple??

oh well at least this would guarrantee that liberals would something to save in about a few years

[mdalerwill]

This is strange to me. Granted, when I lived in the UK, fast food places were everywhere. I can remember standing on a street in a London shopping district right in front of a McD's, looking up the street and seeing another McD's sign, and looking down the street and seeing ANOTHER McD's sign. However, fast food there was different. A burger was smaller, and KFC was nowhere near as greasy. But what I really don't get is how it could be cheaper. I was buying cans of tomato soup for the equivalent of 12 cents. A high-quality loaf of bread was 25 cents. The only stuff that was expensive was processed food and junk food. That was 10 years ago, but how much could basic food items have increased???

[sharedthough]

I don't see anything wrong with eating at a fast-food restaurant a few times a week: As long as you don't eat too many calories altogether, and include some balance of healthy foods in your diet, and exercise quite a bit, then what's wrong with going to McDonald's (or Burger King, whatever) for a few of your meals each week? Give people a break!

[rf35]

I don't get it. I cut down on eating fast food because it was sucking my wallet dry. Now I'm ending up with money left over each month. I don't know if I'm eating that much healthier, but I'm certainly eating cheaper. I'm losing weight, too. I'll still go out once in a while, but never more than once a week and even then, not always for fast food. Does Indian food count as "fast food" since it goes through my system like a bullet train?

[sockpuppet4]

...but they still have bloody fish and chips right?