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