You can't go a week lately without coming across some sort of news item kvetching about obesity, targeting fast food and sugary soft drinks as the evil culprits behind America's girth.
Well, it looks like the tide might be turning. According to today's Wall Street Journal, old-fashioned, calcium-rich milk is gaining in popularity at the nation's fast-food franchises:
In a mystery set at McDonald's and Wendy's restaurants, an outpouring of customers suddenly want more milk.
The fluid phenomenon is producing perhaps the most dramatic sales increase for any non-discounted item in fast-food history. At Wendy's International Inc., milk sales since July have risen 15-fold -- to more than a million units a week up from 65,000. At McDonald's Corp., milk sales since May have doubled.
For an industry that celebrates single-digit growth, these triple-digit-and-higher jumps seem almost miraculous. They're especially notable given that milk sales overall have been declining since the 1960s, and that Wendy's and McDonald's have offered milk for decades. Neither chain is discounting the beverage, or offering it for free. Indeed, in order for the current fast-food price of milk to be considered a bargain, grocery store milk prices would have to hit about $15 a gallon.
And, who woulda thunk that all it took was a little clever packaging to get fast-food lovers - kids especially - to say "Got Milk?":
The importance of plastic containers became clear about three years ago when Dairy Management Inc., a Rosemont, Ill., trade group representing the nation's dairy farmers, conducted a one-year study with the American School Foodservice Association. The findings from more than 100,000 elementary and secondary school students': kids consumed more milk when it was offered in plastic, single-serve containers, in different flavors and at colder temperatures.
The industry took those findings first to Wendy's, the nation's third-largest burger chain, then McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant chain. Both companies enlisted DMI's help in shaping their milk strategies.
Susie Golub of Chicago raves about the new easy-to-open milk jugs at McDonald's, saying the packaging has made milk more attractive to her 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter. She believes this will help her keep alive a streak of which she is proud - her boy never has had soda. "It's a slippery slope, once you let them have it," says Ms. Golub, who orders Happy Meals a couple times a week.
Hmmm. Wonder if I should begin investing in a dairy farm...Or, better yet, a plastic container factory...
Oh man, don't get me started on America's girth. AARRRRGHHHH. America's girth has put me in to a tail spin. Sure I could change, sure I could just find another pair of jeans to wear. When I start a rant on how the Levi Strauss Company ruined my life people walk the other direction. They believe me to be petty and a nut case. Yeah, that's true alright.
Well, apparently 7 months ago or so Levis changed the cut of their 501 to give the American public a skosh more room for their FAT ASSES. Plus they widened the leg so we could all be hip hop stars. Well for crissakes! I've had the same girth for over 15 years now and don't need a damn skosh more room. Plus I'm white and look like a damn Norwegian Axe Murderer. I don't NEED to look like some hip hop star. Don't need it, don't want it.
Other jeans don't fit me right. I like my old 501s.
So, I've been buying them off ebay. Doing fine that way I suppose.
Bought some 505 jeans to see if that worked. NO.
I'm in hell.
Feh, America's Girth can bite me.
Posted by: Dr. Biggles | September 22, 2004 at 11:12 PM