| Is eating at McDonald's the new path to | | | | substitution of 1% milk instead of a Coke, |
| weight loss? Can fast food burgers, fries and | | | | further cutting caloric intake by 50 calories |
| sodas fit into your diet and weight loss | | | | and boosting protein and calcium (comparison |
| program? For years, the answer has been a | | | | vs. small Coke Classic). |
| resounding NO. But lately, Wendy's, Burger | | | | |
| King and many other fast food chains have | | | | Upon request, Burger King now provides Mott's |
| made changes to help consumers stick to a | | | | Strawberry Flavored Applesauce in place of |
| healthy diet. | | | | french fries which will save you 270 calories |
| | | | and 18 grams of fat (comparison vs. medium |
| Why have fast food companies finally started | | | | fries). |
| to pay attention to healthier food choices? | | | | |
| Simply stated, because it's good for | | | | Wendy's will honor customer requests to |
| business. Americans are trying everything | | | | substitute mandarin oranges for french fries, |
| from the newest weight loss pill to Weight | | | | sparing you a belt-busting 360 calories and |
| Watchers to lose their extra fat, spending | | | | 21 grams of fat (comparison vs. medium |
| ".....more than $40 billion in 2004 on weight | | | | fries). |
| control pills, gym memberships, diet plans | | | | |
| and related foods, estimates Marketdata | | | | Not only are the fast food giants allowing |
| Enterprises, which studies the weight loss | | | | healthier substitutions, but they have also |
| industry" (Source: cnn.com; 1-14-2005). | | | | added a selection of fairly nutritious menu |
| Statistics from the Centers for Disease | | | | options. McDonald's new Fruit & Walnut Salad |
| Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 80 | | | | has only 310 calories and 13 grams of fat, |
| percent of overweight individuals and almost | | | | while their Fruit & Yogurt Parfait boasts 160 |
| 87 percent of obese individuals are trying to | | | | calories and 2 grams of fat. In some markets |
| lose or maintain their weight. | | | | Burger King is offering a Veggie Burger that |
| | | | has only 340 calories and 8 grams of fat when |
| Any fast foods company that's paying | | | | you order it without the mayonnaise. |
| attention to public sentiment and trends has | | | | |
| made changes to make their menu more | | | | Now McDonald's has given consumers looking |
| palatable to the health and fitness | | | | for fast weight loss another tool: easy to |
| enthusiast. McDonald's, long an industry | | | | read and easy to find nutritional labels. In |
| leader, has made tremendous strides in this | | | | the past, customers wanting to find nutrition |
| area culminating in their recent announcement | | | | facts on their fast food choices either had |
| that all fast food packaging will soon | | | | to search in the restaurant for a |
| include nutritional information. But have | | | | hard-to-find poster or go online. Now, in |
| they gone far enough? | | | | what is being called a 'bold move', |
| | | | McDonald's is planning to put these |
| -> Fast Food = Fat Food: | | | | nutritional facts right where they're easiest |
| | | | to find - on the product wrapper itself. |
| No matter how many healthy new products are | | | | "McDonald's Corp. customers will soon know |
| introduced onto the fast food menu boards, | | | | that the Big Mac they bought contains almost |
| the problem is that their core products are | | | | half their recommended daily fat intake just |
| high in fat and calories. Consider these | | | | by looking at the wrapper. In its latest |
| typical meals from McDonald's: | | | | measure to fend off critics that blame the |
| | | | world's largest restaurant company for |
| * Big Mac, Large Fries, Large Coca-Cola, Hot | | | | contributing to rising incidents of obesity |
| Fudge Sundae = 1,730 calories, 99% of daily | | | | and other health problems, McDonald's said it |
| fat, 108% of daily saturated fat, 86% of | | | | will start printing nutritional information |
| daily carbohydrates | | | | on the packaging of its food" (Source: |
| | | | cnn.com; 10-26-2005). |
| * Chicken Selects Breast Strips (5 pc), Large | | | | |
| Fries, Large Coke, McFlurry with M+M's | | | | McDonald's is to be commended for their |
| Candies (12 oz.) = 2,290 calories, 151% of | | | | efforts to educate their customers. This new |
| daily fat, 131% of daily saturated fat, 100% | | | | informative label goes a long way towards |
| of daily carbohydrates | | | | answering nutritional concerns. Expected to |
| | | | be in most stores by the end of 2006, the new |
| * Bacon Ranch Salad/Crispy Chicken, Newman's | | | | labels will include the amount of the |
| Ranch Dressing, Large Coke, McFlurry Oreo (12 | | | | nutrient (calories, fat, protein, etc.) and |
| oz.) = 1,390 calories, 73% of daily fat, 81% | | | | the percentage of the daily recommended |
| of daily saturated fat, 69% of daily | | | | intake, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. |
| carbohydrates | | | | |
| | | | -> Is It Enough? |
| (Source: mcdonalds.com) | | | | |
| | | | The fast food industry has heard the public |
| Some consumers, in an attempt to reduce the | | | | asking for healthier options and more |
| number of calories and fat they're eating, | | | | nutritional information, and they have |
| have opted for salads instead of traditional | | | | responded. But it is enough? |
| burgers and fries. Unfortunately, some fast | | | | |
| food salads are almost as bad for us as a Big | | | | McDonald's and others still sell high calorie |
| Mac. A California Cobb salad with Newman's | | | | and high fat products, and we shouldn't |
| Own Cobb Dressing from McDonald's, for | | | | expect those to disappear anytime soon. In |
| example, boasts 490 calories and 42% of your | | | | our free market, as long as there is a demand |
| daily fat. Compare that to a Big Mac, which | | | | there will be someone with a supply. "Data |
| has 560 calories and 47% of your recommended | | | | from USDA's food intake surveys show that the |
| daily fat. | | | | food-away-from-home sector provided 32 |
| | | | percent of total food energy consumption in |
| Although chastised in the movie 'SuperSize | | | | 1994-96, up from 18 percent in 1977-78. The |
| Me', McDonald's isn't alone in offering high | | | | data also suggest that, when eating out, |
| calories foods. The Original Whopper with | | | | people either eat more or eat higher calorie |
| Cheese from Burger King will cost you 800 | | | | foods-or both-and that this tendency appears |
| calories and 49 grams of fat. Make that a | | | | to be increasing" (Source: usda.gov). |
| Double Whopper with Cheese and you'll consume | | | | |
| an incredible 1,060 calories and 69 grams of | | | | Even with more information at their |
| fat. The Big Bacon Classic from Wendy's is | | | | fingertips, there is some doubt that |
| better with 580 calories and 29 grams of fat, | | | | consumers will actually use that information |
| while the Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger from | | | | to make healthier choices. Consider the |
| Jack In The Box is the highest on the list | | | | limited impact from warning labels on |
| with 1,094 calories and a tremendous 78 grams | | | | cigarettes and alcohol packaging; despite |
| of fat. | | | | such dire warnings, people still use these |
| | | | products. There is evidence that Americans |
| Clearly, high calorie fast food has become a | | | | will continue to eat what they want, no |
| problem. With approximately 65% of Americans | | | | matter how much information they have |
| classified as overweight, people are pointing | | | | available to them. "According to a 2000 Roper |
| fingers of blame. "In a lawsuit filed in | | | | Reports survey of a nationally representative |
| 2002, two Bronx teenagers accused McDonald's | | | | sample of 2,000 Americans 18 or older, the |
| of making them fat by serving them highly | | | | percentage of Americans who say they are |
| processed food that affected their health. A | | | | eating "pretty much whatever they want" was |
| judge tossed out the case a year later, but | | | | at an all-time high of 70 percent in 2000, up |
| an appeals court reinstated part of the suit | | | | from 58 percent in 1997" (Source: usda.gov). |
| earlier this year, according to published | | | | |
| reports." (Source: cnn.com; 10-20-2005). | | | | The question of 'is it enough' seems to be |
| | | | misdirected. Instead of asking the fast food |
| McDonald's isn't the only chain being accused | | | | industry to do more to educate the public and |
| of making people fat. "A New York City lawyer | | | | offer healthy options, perhaps what we as a |
| has filed suit against the four big fast-food | | | | country should do is ask ourselves if the |
| corporations, saying their fatty foods are | | | | information we have right now is enough. If |
| responsible for his client's obesity and | | | | we look for it, is there enough health, |
| related health problems. Samuel Hirsch filed | | | | fitness and nutritional information out there |
| his lawsuit Wednesday at a New York state | | | | to help us make the right dietary choices? As |
| court in the Bronx, alleging that McDonald's, | | | | uncomfortable as it may be for some, the |
| Burger King, Wendy's and KFC Corporation are | | | | answer to this question is probably yes. |
| irresponsible and deceptive in the posting of | | | | |
| their nutritional information, that they need | | | | -> The Overlooked Answer: |
| to offer healthier options on their menus, | | | | |
| and that they create a de facto addiction in | | | | All too often, when participating in a |
| their consumers" (Source: foxnews.com; | | | | discussion of diet and weight control, we |
| 7-24-2002). | | | | fail to mention the most obvious answer: |
| | | | exercise! Consistent exercise can balance out |
| The fast food industry initially responded by | | | | and make up for the occasional high calorie |
| arguing that customers have a choice of what | | | | fast food meal, while at the same time |
| to order when going to a restaurant. "It's | | | | providing countless other health benefits. |
| senseless, baseless and ridiculous," National | | | | |
| Restaurant Association spokeswoman Katharine | | | | Exercise is the only path to quick weight |
| Kim said. "There are choices in restaurants | | | | loss that virtually every doctor in the world |
| and people can make these choices, and | | | | agrees upon. Exercise is safe, effective, and |
| there's a little personal responsibility as | | | | brings many more benefits to our lives than |
| well." (Source: foxnews.com; 7-24-2002). | | | | nutrition labels ever will alone. Exercise is |
| | | | fun, invigorating, motivating and the single |
| Our elected officials seem to agree with that | | | | most powerful way to improve our life and |
| assessment. "The U.S. House of | | | | well-being. |
| Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that | | | | |
| would block lawsuits by people who blame | | | | Reaching your ideal weight via a healthy and |
| fast-food chains for their obesity. The | | | | active lifestyle has been found to lower |
| 'cheeseburger bill,' as it has been dubbed in | | | | health risks and medical problems in 90 |
| Congress, stems from class-action litigation | | | | percent of overweight patients. In addition |
| that accused McDonald's of causing obesity in | | | | to the exercise benefits listed above, fit |
| children" (Source: cnn.com; 10-20-2005). This | | | | people are eight times less likely to die |
| bill is not yet law, having passed the House | | | | from cancer than the unfit, and 53 percent |
| but not yet the Senate. In the last Congress | | | | less likely to die from other diseases. Fit |
| a similar bill passed the House, but the | | | | people are also eight times less likely to |
| Senate never acted on it. About 20 states | | | | die from heart disease. |
| have laws similar to the 'cheeseburger bill'. | | | | |
| | | | Yes, nutrition labels are important insofar |
| -> Fast Food Makes A Change: | | | | as we actually use them. But without a doubt, |
| | | | regular exercise is the most important piece |
| To their credit, McDonald's and some others | | | | of the puzzle and the best way to achieve |
| in the fast food industry have made changes | | | | rapid weight loss. Exercise is the safest way |
| to their menu making it easier for us to | | | | to achieve permanent fat loss, and when |
| stick to our diet program or weight loss | | | | combined with a sound diet and nutrition |
| plan. | | | | program the body is turned into a virtual |
| | | | fat-burning furnace! |
| McDonald's allows consumers to substitute | | | | |
| Apple Dippers with Caramel Dip for the french | | | | Consumers would be wise to use the new tools |
| fries in their meal, cutting calories from | | | | from the fast food industry. Order the |
| 350 to 100 and reducing fat from 16 grams all | | | | healthier items off the menu, pay attention |
| the way down to 1 gram (comparison vs. medium | | | | to the nutritional labels, and above all else |
| fries). McDonald's also allows a no-cost | | | | remember to participate in regular exercise. |