Friday, May 19, 2006

In Praise Of Golden Arches or You Deserve A Bust Today... No Really, Today

I've never been a big customer of McDonalds. Sure, I like visiting here and there once in a blue moon. Yes, there is something unholy about the smell of their french fries that can make any mammal drool. Of course I'm still upset that they got rid of their ham, egg and cheese breakfast bagel but I've learned to deal with the loss. The last time I was there, I tried out their new premium spicy chicken sandwich. It currently is the most spicy one out there (just beating out Wendy's) but the chicken breast is so thin that it seems crunchy.

Of course, I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of breasts and not just chicken. I remember growing up where girls were hitting puberty at 15 (Treasa had trouble finding bras) and yes, I would notice. Over the years this age has been getting younger and younger with even a condition called precocious puberty affecting children as young as... 5. I've heard rumors and reports over the years linking childhood obesity and early puberty on McDonalds consumption and the beef and chicken producers' use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Other reports have dismissed it and said that occassional meals at McDonalds will not cause any problems with your health.

Why do I mention this now? Well, a new report finds that many Chinese undergarment manufacturers are producing less of the A-cup bras they are used to and are even seeing a sales boom of C's, D's and E's for women under the age of 20. Many scientists believe that the lack of a nutrition in the average Chinese diet in the past hampered their ummm... growth. The average chest circumference of a Chinese woman increased 1cm since 1990 according to The Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology. McDonalds opened their first stores in China in 1990. As of 2004 the city of Shanghai had 66 stores and over 600 in the country (with 100 more planned to open annually over then next few years.)

8 comments:

LoraLoo said...

That's just scary. Age 5? Thank God fast food isn't anywhere near a regular part of our diet. Then again - if you buy chicken breasts and red meat at the grocery store...

Bar L. said...

Interesting. I've always wanted to ask a breast question, maybe this is my big chance....no never mind.

Lily said...

I'm sure well see the makers of breast implants begin to lobby for the removal of antibiotics and growth hormones in food.

Lucy Stern said...

Hummmm...Never thought that growth hormones in food could effect a person like that. If you think about it, why wouldn't it?

Ken said...

Very interesting observation. I guess I have a hard time making the connection from MickeyDees to Chinese Bra Sizes. Unless you kill the food you eat today, I'd be hard pressed to buy into that. Then again in China, the chances they killed their own food are pretty high. I wonder if there is any data on their weight as well?

Unknown said...

Its good to see that you are keeping abreast of the situation Martin. I always knew that they were called Mickey Ds for some reason...

Fred said...

Hey Martin -- just catching up with your posts. I loved The Shaping Of Las Vegas. Very well done.

Martin said...

I don't know if I believe the correlation but I do wonder about the diet of the Chinese and what vitamins (or fats) they may have been lacking. But when I was first reading about this, I was thinking... "White rice isn't exactly high in any nutrients." Then again, I'm really picky and living there, I'd hope that they're orange chicken is as good as Panda Express'. As with Ken, I'd like to see a weight study but I'm a simple man and am just happy to hear that boobies are getting bigger.