Take a look at those red and yellow scooters, if you will. They’ll be cruising through the streets of Melbourne in force before you know it.
We live in a society that struggles with weight.
Life is easier to promote as unhealthy; grab a burger rather than cook a meal, hit the calories rather than the gym, go for flavour as opposed to water. And there’s nothing wrong with that in the right mindset, but it needs balance.
Blending the vices with the healthy choices is essential to our culture in Western civilisation. We party hard, probably harder than most. We love our food and love a good promotion. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.
But now we have the confirmation of McDonald’s delivery, or McDelivery as coined by the fast food giants themselves. In a move that is set to generate increased sales, profits, advertisement and consumption, expect Hungry Jacks, KFC and Red Rooster to soon follow. A war in the kitchen will become a war on the roads.
I’m not concerned about the traffic situation. What concerns me is the ease in which the unhealthy can access options that will only further destroy their bodies. Sure there’s already pizza, but McDonald’s is the undisputed king of the fryers.
And it’s funny how all the spokespeople in this saga call McDonald’s a restaurant. That’s like calling a brothel a bar.
So we’re following the path of other nations. Will we next have the supersize option of a drink cup big enough to drown a cat?
11 million Aussies are overweight. That’s basically half of our population. Nearly 5 million are obese. Addiction is a word saved for smoking, drinking and other drugs; add it to fat foods.
So the addict can pick up the phone, dial the golden arches and have a paper bag of all things fried sent to their doorstep. The general requirement of getting take away food at the very least had a person drive to the base and pick up the meal. Now all that is needed is a working connection.
I’m not condemning the option of McDonald’s. Our generation love a burger after a long night drinking and dancing. That isn’t the demographic that creates the worry. The danger lies in adding more kilograms to the 16.5 that is the average amount people are overweight by.
The bottom line is that health takes hard work and being unhealthy is a simple, tasty and relaxing choice. You won’t see Subway start delivering, you won’t see the salad bar start delivering and you certainly won’t have juices driven to your doorstep, unless they come with a side of lard.
All cigarette packaging is now the same, to stop advertising the type. Alcohol is sold with signs of warning. McDonald’s is promoted as though by buying a cheap burger you’re making a stunning life choice.
In their Australian trial, the fast food company targeted certain areas; either they were on the poorer scale or had high obesity rates. They want success so the system can spread. And they are a profit-seeking company, so it’s the expectation that they will go after glory.
But at what cost to society? Is it not bad enough that there’s a take away shop on every corner in Melbourne?
And then there’s the minimum order of $25. Not just a couple of cheeseburgers, but enough food to satisfy a hungry town. So the person sits there, orders a large Big Mac meal, realises they need to spend another $15 and splurges on desserts, sides and a few extra delights for later?
The $5 delivery fee won’t create any hesitation.
‘We want to ensure all customers have accessibility to the product,” they say. Access should involve people making an effort, not warming the couch.
What does surprise many is that the company aren’t filling all media outlets with the new scheme. They’re allowing it to filter through, mostly from journalists like me who condemn it. Any publicity is good publicity, but I believe awareness is a coin with two sides.
One person in favour of the idea said it would save her petrol. Another said it is a cost-healthy option as she works late and has three kids to feed. The most interesting was the man who said he didn’t like the staff at his local McDonald’s so he appreciated the advancement.
All I can do is show the facts, express my opinion and let the big guns continue to shake society and mould culture. But as is said in another current advertisement, don’t go quietly.
Chris Sutton
