We American’s are a stubborn lot. Once we get comfortable with something, it takes a mighty force to get us to stop doing it. Want proof? Even though the Gulf Coast was hit with the biggest oil spill in US history over three months ago, we are still feeling the squeeze of our lingering recession, and gas is comfortably well over $3 in most parts of the country, large SUVs as a category are outpacing the growth of small cars.
Should we expect our obesity epedemic to be any better? Of course not. In fact, purveyors of our favorite unhealthy foods are doing just fine thank you. Witness Krispy Kreme’s recent financial results. Even though America’s favorite doughnut franchise took a beating during the heyday of the low-carb diet movement, they have been slowly working their way back into the fabric of our daily lives with 1st quarter profitability with earnings that nearly doubled.
McDonalds? Yep, they are up about $12 bucks over last year at this time. Showing a steady rise in stock price and profitability.
We know, Mickey D’s and Krispy Kreme aren’t exactly bellweather’s of our national health, but it certainly seems to indicate that fries and glazed rings aren’t exactly falling out of favor with many of us at this point. And that is pretty concerning. With the recession still lingering, cheap fast food like McDonalds would be expected to doing pretty well. It is hard to cook at home cheaper than you can get a meal at the Golden Arches. But, something like Krispy Kreme is less of a food stuff and more of a treat. To see them performing well in an era of tight wallets and purses and a near epidemic level of obesity just shows you how far we need to go in changing our eating habbits.