Thursday, April 15, 2004

Because McMarketing Vetoed "Nag Meals"



Would You Like McGuilt With That?


In keeping with the post-Atkins PC universe, McDonalds has just announced their new adult Happy Meals, featuring salad, bottled water, pedometer and a little bit of advice: Walk more. Ready, set...

1. Is it possible for a fast food company to remake their image so drastically?
2. How long would it take, really, for the idea of healthy living to be synonymous with McDonalds?
3. Is this coming too late to matter? What makes McDonalds think they can actually steal tummies from the Subway next door?
4. What's happy about salads, water, and advice?

Also, just so we won't covet our kid's lunches, in June [McDonalds] will roll out healthier choices in its Happy Meals for kids nationwide, such as the option to substitute apple slices and juice for fries and a soft drink.

Seriously, though, there's no worry that McD's is truly selling out:

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, credited McDonald's with taking "some small steps in the right direction" Thursday but said they don't go nearly far enough.

"If McDonald's wanted to improve the public's health, in addition to providing the salads and bottled water, it could stop using partially hydrogenated oils in its fries, which contain trans fats and are a powerful promoter of heart disease," he said. "They also could lower the fat content of their burgers, use lowfat cheese, provide more baked food instead of fried food and lower the sodium content of their foods."

Exactly. Here's hoping the trend towards providing all choices for all people busts McDonalds, Microsoft, and the rest of them long before the fiberburger ever rears its ugly, inevitable, tasteless head. Viva la carbs!

posted by boyhowdy | 7:29 PM |

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