Exporting Obesity

Good news for sick little Chinese kids, Kentucky Fried Chicken has a
cure. After years of contributing to America’s obesity problem, Yum
Brands the company that owns KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut has set
their sites on China.

Over the last decade KFC and Pizza Hut have opened over 2,300
locations in China. Roughly one every day. And with 1.3 billion mouths
to feed, KFC expects to eventually open up 20 thousand new locations.

For years, Americans have literally been eating themselves to death.
Obesity is currently the number one cause for heart disease, high blood
pressure, and colon cancer.

But with the U.S. fast food market saturated and more consumers
focused on healthy living, fast food companies are turning to emerging
markets like China to expand their profits.

Over the next twenty years, the exportation of America’s obesity is
expected to translate into a boom for pharmaceutical companies such as
Merck and Pfizer who are quietly projecting that the boom in fast food
will lead to a greater demand for their heart disease and high blood
pressure medications.

China might have given us lead toys and poisoned dog food, but we’re
going to get them fat, and hook them on drugs. I love capitalism.