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Extra
Diet advice from McDonald's?
The fast-food behemoth is trying to turn around its image as purveyor of fatty, unhealthy food. Its anti-obesity campaign urges consumers to exercise and make better food choices.
By MSN Money staff and wire reports
McDonald's (MCD, news, msgs), the world's largest fast-food company, launched an anti-obesity education campaign that it said would promote the importance of exercise and a balanced lifestyle.
The company, whose Big Macs and super-sized french fries have drawn criticism for promoting obesity, said it was "committed to playing a responsible and active role" in solving the obesity problem in the United States. Some two-thirds of Americans are overweight.
McDonald's U.S. Marketing Director Alex Conti said the company was launching a new Web site to go along with its "Go Active" adult Happy Meals, which include a salad, bottled water and a pedometer to encourage walking. It will introduce "Go Active!" meals for grown-ups at its 13,500 U.S. restaurants May 6.
The Web site, filled with pictures of celebrity athletes including basketball star Yao Ming, allows users to create fitness plans and track workouts.
Goodbye to Super Size
Last month, McDonald's said it would phase out Super Size french fries and soft drinks --- eliminating the seven-ounce fries carton, its largest, and the 42-ounce drinks as an everyday offering.
The Super Size fries contain 610 calories, 29 grams of fat, 390 milligrams of sodium and 77 grams of carbohydrates, according to analysts. The company still will sell "large" fries, which are six ounces.
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McDonald's said it will also urge some 600,000 employees to get with the program. It's giving them pedometers and education materials to promote walking and well-being.
McDonalds says it serves about 46 million customers each day.
A big serving of bad publicity
The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, a coalition of health organizations, found that the original McDonald's burger, fries and 12-ounce Coca-Cola in the 1950s delivered 590 calories.
Today, an "extra value meal" including Super Size fries and 42-ounce Coke packs 1,550 calories.
The company's fast-food offerings have drawn increasing criticism and unwelcome publicity. Two lawsuits claiming McDonald's hid the health risks of eating Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets were thrown out in federal court in New York last year.
A documentary called "Super Size Me" reaped more unwanted publicity for McDonald's. The documentary, which chronicles the deterioration of filmmaker Morgan Spurlock's health during a monthlong experiment eating nothing but McDonald's food, won a directing prize at the Sundance Film Festival and is set for wide release this spring.
Over the past year, the McDonald's has introduced new salads and begun to offer a wider selection of yogurt, fruit, water and other healthier menu options. Today, Conti said McDonald's will add a "Fiesta" salad with ground beef to its line of entree-sized salads, which have helped boost McDonald's sales in recent months.
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