McDonald's finally facing the fat and shaping up

The following editorial appeared in the

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Thursday, March 4

Despite what some cynics may say, last Tuesday’s decision by McDonald’s to phase out Supersizing isn’t just another empty-calorie advertising gimmick. Even dietitians and other health advocates, who by nature are skeptical of the fast-food industry, admit that this move can help in the battle against obesity.

It was the Illinois-based McDonald’s Corp. that helped launch the giant-size fast-food serving trend. In apparent response to justifiable concern about obesity, the world’s largest restaurant chain said the option to Super Size drinks and fries will be phased out by 2005.

The move comes just before an award-winning documentary called “Super Size Me” is to open in movie theaters. It’s a film that details the deterioration of a filmmaker’s health after a month-long experiment eating nothing but McDonald’s food. The McDonald’s spokesman said the phase out of Super Size servings had nothing do with the film. The “driving force here was menu simplification,” he said.

Whatever the reasons, the move is a step forward. McDonald’s has been under fire as the leader of an industry that has made overeating cheap and convenient, a phenomenon that parallels the growth in obesity in America. The increase in portion sizes has contributed to America’s collective weight problem.

Yes, we think people still need to take personal responsibility for what they eat. But attempts by McDonald’s and other companies to offer smaller portions and more healthful alternatives can go a long way toward improving the American diet. And while we recognize people have a choice about what they put in their bodies, only a fool would deny that the millions of dollars spent each year on advertising and promotions makes not a whit of difference in what people eat. In some cases, it’s actually cheaper to buy more fast food than less. Don’t tell us that’s not part of a corporate strategy.

Although the decision by McDonald’s was applauded, some experts still were leery. While McDonald’s already has made some changes—offering a line of premium salads last year, for instance—the company has yet to reduce trans fatty acids in its french fries. It pledged to do that a year ago.

But things are changing for the better. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told us last July that when he called in representatives of the fast food, restaurant and soft-drink industries to make his case about offering more healthful choices, they pledged to do what they could. So for the moment, we’ll take the latest announcement from McDonald’s officials as a sign that they’re serious.