Honestly, eating at KFC is a status symbol to most Ghanaians

A status symbol is a perceived visible, external denotation of one's social position and perceived indicator of economic or social status.

The last time I visited KFC was in the year 2013 on a date that I felt obliged to impress and make a statement that ‘I was the men’.

It was a nice day out even though it did to make the relationship successful because love isn’t found in sliced fried yam and fried chicken in a nice box.

I chose KFC though because it represented a step-up for me and therefore placed me a in certain class: the class I wanted to be seen in.

On my regular days, I’d pick the local chop bar over fast foods if both will be served for free. However, when I have a point to prove, KFC speaks louder than Las Pamas chop bar.

For most Ghanaians’, going to eat at KFC isn’t the usual eating experience: it represents a special treat to the stomach and delight to the soul.

Social media in Ghana is dominated by images of beautiful young ladies and their dates at places like KFC, Barcelos, Pappy’s Pizza and what have you.

Comments to such posts are most likely to read as follows; Life is good, so you didn’t invite me, your money has come oo, you guys they chill, I envy you and more.

The long and short of most of the comments is that you are at a place that is a step-up from your daily routine.

This is why I find it quite hypocritical that people are condemning the New York Times publication which indicated that eating at KFC was indeed a status symbol for most Ghanaians.

Truth is: they could not have captured it any better than they did and it is not offensive.

Those attacking the publication are either out of touch with Ghana’s reality or plain hypocrites.

To many Ghanaians, eating at KFC and the likes is the result of planning and saving.

In the minds of many Ghanaians, picking a taxi, buying brand new clothes and shoes, using an Iphone, Macbook, traveling by air, using air condition, buying cloths from the boutique are all deemed as status symbol.

As a matter of fact, buy bottled water instead of sachet water is in the same bracket to many Ghanaians.

There are so many ordinary stuffs elsewhere that are deemed status symbol in this country.
The important issues raised in the articles that we should be concerned about is the supposed rise in obesity. Unless they calculated our heavily endowed women whose assets represents our taste as black men to be cases of obesity.

If not, then we need to look at how to deal with the issue of fast food and the effect of the burgeoning industry in the lives of people now and the long term.

Let us get serious for once and focus on the important issues of that publication and deal with it instead of fighting them over a description that is perfectly in synchrony with the mentality of most Ghanaians who patronise service of KFC and others.

How can we ensure that these fast food operators give the people of Ghana who are falling ever deeper in love with their products get healthy food that puts them at little to zero risk of getting sick? How can we ensure that KFC Ghana provides the same healthy food to consumers as compared to what they serve in other countries?

These are the issues we need to answer. As to whether eating at KFC is indeed a status symbol to most Ghanaians, it is not in doubt and I don’t want that to change.

We are better off seeing the fast food joints as places for occasional and special visitation than daily eating centres. This mentality alone will protect us against obesity and keep ‘Don’t Mind Your Wife Chop Bar’ in business.

Isaac Kyei Andoh