Chapter 10: Global Realization

Chapter 10
The author visited Plauen, Germany not only because he found it fascinating, but also because a McDonald's would be the first new building erected in Plauen since the coming of a new Germany. The author describes how he believes the old buildings have "real charm" and how the people are "unpretentious--and yet somehow cursed". Plauen was bombed and destroyed until a McDonalds restaurant came.

It is important to discuss overseas operations to show how many different kinds of people enjoy their food. There are about 17 thousand McDonalds restaurants in more than 120 foreign countires.

In foreign countries, most fast food advertising targets children because they have the "fewest attachments to tradition".(page 231)

A connection between obesity rate in America and the fast food industry involves people eating more meals outside the home. When they do this, they consume more calories, less fiber, and more fat. The prices of the fast food industry are low, and the servings are large. The servings being so large, such as, a 310 calorie 32-ounce Cokes or Super Size Fries (610 calories, 29 grams of fat), 3 times bigger than the original large, you can tell that just with one meal an American can add tons of calories to their diet. The more calories and fat an American consumes, the more weight they gain. The more weight they gain, the larger the number of obesity in America.

Obesity is a problem for American society as a whole because it affects the whole country and the view point of others on the country.