Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil • Hacker News Board

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#31

Post by r00fus » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:30 AM UTC

sagivo wrote: post #28

In Israel fast food costs more than normal food. Vegetables are relatively cheep to the US ($3 for avocado??) And in general "fast" food is not a value people appreciate over "healthy". One of the ways to fight obesity is by taxation and lowering the costs of healthy food. When salad will cost less than a burger (and there's no economic reason it shouldn't) people will choose it.

Not sure where you're seeing the $3 avocados. Even in SV, it's like $1 per unless things have changed in the last several weeks.

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#32

Post by sagivo » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:32 AM UTC

r00fus wrote: post #31

sagivo wrote: post #28

In Israel fast food costs more than normal food. Vegetables are relatively cheep to the US ($3 for avocado??) And in general "fast" food is not a value people appreciate over "healthy". One of the ways to fight obesity is by taxation and lowering the costs of healthy food. When salad will cost less than a burger (and there's no economic reason it shouldn't) people will choose it.

Not sure where you're seeing the $3 avocados. Even in SV, it's like $1 per unless things have changed in the last several weeks.

NYC, and untill recently every whole foods store

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#33

Post by r00fus » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:32 AM UTC

candiodari wrote: post #27

Animats wrote: post #26

Japan seems to have fought this off. Japan has explicitly rejected "fat acceptance" as public policy. Under the 2008 "Metabo Law", everyone between 40 and 75 is weighed and measured annually and sent to counseling if overweight. Employers are involved and apply pressure to employees.

> Employers are involved and apply pressure to employees. That sounds like hell.

Japanese corporate culture is already like this, so it's likely just another pressure like going out nights for team drinks, etc.

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#34

Post by r00fus » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:34 AM UTC

sagivo wrote: post #32

r00fus wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure where you're seeing the $3 avocados. Even in SV, it's like $1 per unless things have changed in the last several weeks.

NYC, and untill recently every whole foods store

https://www.hassavocadoboard.com/retail/volume-and-price-dat...

This aligns with my recent shopping experience.

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#35

Post by wallace_f » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:35 AM UTC

sagivo wrote: post #28

In Israel fast food costs more than normal food. Vegetables are relatively cheep to the US ($3 for avocado??) And in general "fast" food is not a value people appreciate over "healthy". One of the ways to fight obesity is by taxation and lowering the costs of healthy food. When salad will cost less than a burger (and there's no economic reason it shouldn't) people will choose it.

We actually do the opposite in the US. Over 25 billion/year in farm subsidies (by contrast the ISS cost avg. ~9 billion/year b/w '98-'15), almost all of which goes to corporate farmers, especially corn.

This is why our markets are saturated with processed corn and corn syrup.

In other words the US gov spends ~3x the ISS cost to subsidize obesity so already-rich farmers can get richer (still not as egregious as banking is here, though).

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#36

Post by grecy » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:36 AM UTC

I saw McDonalds being built in dirt-street towns in Guatemala, I saw lines three blocks long at KFC in South America, and I've seen many Porsches and Ferrarris in the parking lots of American fast food joints in third world countries.

I am utterly shocked they have not moved into Africa yet.

I've just driven tens of thousands of miles through 17 countries without a single Mcdonalds. Between Morocco and South Africa, there were none [1]. I am shocked they are not in at least Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, etc.

I wonder if that's the longest distance in the world that can be driven without one. Or at least the most consecutive countries.

(checkout the map) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_McDonal...

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#37

Post by hkmurakami » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:38 AM UTC

candiodari wrote: post #27

Animats wrote: post #26

Japan seems to have fought this off. Japan has explicitly rejected "fat acceptance" as public policy. Under the 2008 "Metabo Law", everyone between 40 and 75 is weighed and measured annually and sent to counseling if overweight. Employers are involved and apply pressure to employees.

> Employers are involved and apply pressure to employees. That sounds like hell.

Eh, it wasn't too bad tbh, and my employer was one of the most traditionally run in the country.

Mostly the company handing out free step counters to those who wanted it. There might have been some very modest financial incentives given out as well.

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#38

Post by sagivo » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:41 AM UTC

r00fus wrote: post #34

sagivo wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NYC, and untill recently every whole foods store

https://www.hassavocadoboard.com/retail/volume-and-price-dat... This aligns with my recent shopping experience.

I think you're missing the point of vegetables being expensive in the US. If you think these prices are normal than allow me to disagree.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/business/amazon-whole-foo...

https://imgur.com/a/6yozr

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#39

Post by mwidell » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:42 AM UTC

grecy wrote: post #36

I saw McDonalds being built in dirt-street towns in Guatemala, I saw lines three blocks long at KFC in South America, and I've seen many Porsches and Ferrarris in the parking lots of American fast food joints in third world countries. I am utterly shocked they have not moved into Africa yet. I've just driven tens of thousands of miles through 17 countries without a single Mcdonalds. Between Morocco and South Africa,…

Someone did this research for the US: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6380...

Re: Western fast food companies are aggressively expanding in Brazil

#40

Post by ljf » Sun, Sep 17, 2017, 6:54 AM UTC

candiodari wrote: post #29

dasil003 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Brazilian-American who spent many years in both countries from the 1980s until today, you're misrepresenting things a bit. First of all, the juice concentrates are a newish thing, 20 years ago it was still common to make fruit juice from scratch at home every day. Also, farofa is fried (more like sauteed, it doesn't need that much oil) yucca flour, which is a world away from refined white flour. Growing up, lunc…

Fruit juice is pretty bad on the calories regardless of added sugar or not. I mean, the sugar doesn't help, and has other bad effects (teeth, most notably). But the issue with fruit juice is just how much fruit you need to make it. One glass of apple juice is 3-4 apples. An apple is 60-80 calories. That makes that glass about 300 calories, which is ridiculous. It's a bit less bad with orange juice, although like lemo…

Having a 300 calorie drink is of no issue if you have a long walk to school where you are physically active, to your manual job or your day spent looking after your family and manually cleaning and managing your home. 2000 calories is the recommended level for sedentary westerners.