A recent report in The Wall Street Journal revealed that more than 550 health professionals and organizations have signed a letter to McDonald’s Corporation asking them to quit marketing their Happy Meals to children and to retire their mascot, Ronald McDonald. Supposedly this letter was printed in six metropolitan newspapers across the country on Wednesday, May 18.
While I am a public health professional and concerned about the high obesity rates – especially among children, I question whether this is a suitable approach to building a healthier nation. Is it really McDonald’s responsibility to feed our children low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar, and low-calorie foods? Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Whatever happened to parenting that involves appropriately feeding their children healthy and nutritious foods? Whatever happened to families teaching our children that food fuels our bodies and that it is important to select healthy options?
While it is truly not their responsibility, McDonald’s Corporation has gone above and beyond to offer healthy alternatives to the greasy hamburger and overly salted French fries commonly ordered at the chain. In McDonald’s defense of marketing to children, let’s take a look at the child’s menu options. The traditional “Happy Meal” comes with one of the following main protein sources: hamburger, cheeseburger or chicken nuggets. After the main dish selection, the options become rather interesting: you have a choice of fries or apple slices. Parents who are mindful of their child’s health will ensure they select the apple slices (or order it for them). Furthermore, the drink is not a sugary soda, but either low-fat milk or apple juice. Total caloric intake: 250 for the hamburger, 100 for the milk, and 105 calories for the apple w/dip for a total of 455 calories (take off 70 calories if no dip is consumed with the apples). In fact, a nonscientific survey of several of my peers who have young children indicated that their child prefers the healthy alternatives at McDonald’s. Perhaps my friends understand the concept of personal responsibility and instilling healthy behaviors to their children.
In addition to the Happy Meal, McDonald’s has many other healthy alternatives for adults as well. For example, they now offer oatmeal, a food choice that wouldn’t have been seen in the store even five years ago. They also have some of the best salads that fast-food chains offer, including the Asian chicken salad, grilled chicken salad, and side salad. Yes, many of the salads are topped with fried chicken, which is not the healthiest selection; however, my point is that there are options besides ordering high-fat foods. Furthermore, they even have a snack-size fruit and walnut salad.
At McDonald’s competition – Burger King, Wendy’s and Taco Bell – there are few, if any, options for children. Burger King does have apple slices, but doesn’t market them as part of their kid’s meals like McDonald’s has been doing. Burger King also only serves 3 different salads, unlike McDonald’s selection of 10. Wendy’s also has a limited menu for the health-conscious diner. Included on what they coin as their nutritious offerings are apple slices, four salad choices, a plain baked potato and a small chili. Taco Bell has no low-fat food choices as all of their salads are served in deep-fried taco shells, and they offer no fruit option. Probably the healthiest thing on the menu is the salsa...if eaten by itself!
The list of fast food restaurants seems endless, but the choice to dine at any of them comes down to personal responsibility. Although I seem to be defending it with great force in this column, I confess that I’m not a huge fan of McDonald’s and generally do not eat there...but that’s my personal choice. If I were taken to there, though, I know I would at least be able to find something relatively low-fat to eat.
According to the Wall Street Journal article I mentioned earlier, fast food restaurants as well as other food makers are routinely attacked for marketing to children. In response, federal standards have been posted by the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These guidelines suggest (not require) that marketers push their healthier items to limit children’s attraction to high-fat, high-sodium, high-sugar, and high-caloric foods.
Still, is it really the government’s responsibility to tell your child what to eat? I don’t think so. It comes down to parents teaching their children, it comes down to personal responsibility for your own health and the health of your family. If you choose to go to McDonald’s, that’s fine. Eat what you wish...but don’t blame the restaurant for your poor health because no one held a gun to your head for you to eat a Quarter Pounder with cheese for a whopping 740 calories, 42 grams of fat, and 1380 mg of sodium topped off with a side of fries (380 calories) and chased down by a large cola (210 calories).
References:
Burger King. (2011). Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://www.bk.com.
Jargon, J. (2011). McDonald’s under pressure to fire Ronald. Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576329610340358394.html
McDonald’s Corporation. (2011). Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.html
Taco Bell. (2011). Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http://www.tacobell.com/.
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