Counterpunch cites a horrific example of the mentality of consumers in the 'UK' involving a couple who held their wedding reception in a Macdonalds 'restaurant'...
<< In some cases, the consumption of fast food is the reverse status symbol, a culinary cult that gives the middle finger to the middle brows. Tories would rather not touch that blue collar base - burgers and kebabs, whatever is in them, means votes. Thus, a wedding couple - Steven and Emily Asher of Bristol - will fork out £150 for a wedding reception feast for 33 guests "in a roped-off area at the Cribbs Causeway restaurant." >>
Meanwhile, Counterpunch explains, "Brandon Lewis, high streets minister of the Cameron government, likes fast food. Or rather, he likes it for others and sees it as his duty to defend the liberty to consume it".
It reminds me of something else Counterpunch has shone light on lately, some goon-boss of some corporation or other who said: << It's a question of whether we should privatize the normal water supply for the population. And there are two different opinions on the matter. The one opinion, which I think is extreme, is represented by the NGOs [non-government organizations], who bang on declaring water a public right. .. That means that as a human being you should have a right to water. That's an extreme solution. And the other view says that water is a foodstuff like any other and like any other foodstuff it should have a market value. Personally I believe it's better to give foodstuff a value so that we're all aware that is has a price and that one should take specific measures for the part of the population that has no access to this water and there are many different possibilities there." >>
See: https://www.counterpunch.org/2014/04/25/fast-food-britain/ and perhaps: https://gut.bmj.com/content/63/1/5