Michelle Obama: McDonald's Happy Meal Changes Are Positive Step

WASHINGTON -- Michelle Obama says McDonald's decision to add apples to its Happy Meals is a positive step toward solving childhood obesity.

The first lady is heading a nationwide effort to reverse childhood obesity rates. She recently joined major retailers, including Wal-Mart, to announce plans to open or expand more than 1,500 stores over the next five years in areas without easy access to fresh produce.

McDonald's said Tuesday that it will make apples a standard item in its kids' meals. The company is also pledging to reduce sugars, saturated fats, sodium and calories in its menu items by 2020. Company officials said the changes are in response to consumer demand.

Mrs. Obama also lauded the world's largest burger chain for continuing to change its menu.

Comments

[marshallwyattearp]

04:15 PM on 08/14/2011

http://twiteacher.com/?p=797

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sawN7uJ8s8s

I wonder how much McDonald's had to give her...

[Christine Hanley LaFleur]

04:26 PM on 08/01/2011

Why doesn't Mrs. Obama stop telling us what to do. You don't need a medical degree to tell you that McDonald's is bad for you. Parents need to start raising their own children and the government needs to stop trying to take over. I know McDonald's is the one making the changes but they are being forced to. If Michelle has her say there will be no McDonald's by the time she leaves Washington. Of course we'll all be so poor that we won't even be able to eat there or anywhere. We'll be in soup and bread lines.

[phillica2]

11:23 PM on 08/06/2011

How about a Thank You. Because whether you like it or not children love their happy meals, the FLOTUS has said one of her weakness is Mcdonalds frech fries, we all love a burger every once in a while (Iam sorry if you do not) However the fact of the matter is we need healthier choices and that is what the FLOTUS has gotten big food companies to focus on the things this nation needs. Why dont you just say thank you.

[melissa anoymous]

10:20 PM on 07/31/2011

I'm not so worried about the fats as I am the parts,and chemicals that are used to make their products.I hope other options are available as well,I love fruits but can't do apples.They're squeaky and bother me.Doesn't matter because until they make everything will real,possibly organic,I don't want to eat there.Just hashbrowns,and yogurt.

[dmk68]

09:44 PM on 07/31/2011

I guess Ronald bucked up and made a donation to the 2012 campaign

[Elmo Nellie]

08:44 PM on 08/27/2011

Good chance of that. They did get the waiver from that disastrous health care bill. Geez.

[butchcliff]

06:51 AM on 07/30/2011

First Lady making an impact. Gettin er done

[Bryneen Gary]

10:29 AM on 07/29/2011

Excellent!
Go Michelle Obama

[noudidnt]

04:25 PM on 07/28/2011

To all of the fa t conservatives out there: Personal responsibility also requires that you pay for YOUR OWN health insurance so that when you have a h e art att ac k after eating your McD's YOU and YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY can pay for your care, not the taxpayers or the insured.

[InYourWorld]

05:29 PM on 07/29/2011

What about fat liberal? Are they to sue McDonalds?

[Stephen Stafford]

01:05 AM on 07/30/2011

Liberals are not allowed to be fat. There are standards.

Those things that appear to be lbs on your teevee are actually the weight of Republican talking points bouncing off. Some were defective and just glommed on to any surface they touched.

[Elmo Nellie]

08:47 PM on 08/27/2011

Mrs. O is a bit on the rotund side...or do your blinders stop you from seeing that?

[chip gilbert]

05:12 PM on 07/27/2011

This is bad decsion on Mcdonalds part.. Mrs Obama is pushing to take away the rights of us as adults to make the right or wrong chioces for our children. If my daughter does a good job in school or around the house, why cant she be able to have a full small french fry? Why cant she go to J.I.B and get a toy in her kids meal
This is not a decsion I want the Mrs Obama makeing for my child... This is my decsion to make as her father.
What the first lady should be doing is going after the budget for the schools and increaseing P.E. classes in schools. After school sports programs and the nations public parks that have been closed down..... Keep a kid active and they will stay fit. Keep a kid indoors and they will get fat.. French fries or not....

Mrs Obama needs to re think her attack and forget about french fries and toys. Focus on the real problem of lazy children and careless parents !!!!!!!!!.

[makestotalsense]

06:39 PM on 07/27/2011

What an absolutely silly comment.

[kareemachan]

02:20 PM on 07/30/2011

Baka comment, dude. McDonald's made the decision; Ms. Obama just lauded it.

[Karl Wilder]

02:06 PM on 07/27/2011

This is like saying we are reducing the amount of rat poison in poison. Garbage is garbage. A chemical coated apple with a HFCS dipping sauce is not healthy. The first lady should be ashamed of herself.

[santafesam]

11:34 AM on 07/27/2011

Wonder what kind of chemical crap they have to spray on those apples to keep them fresh?

[Elmo Nellie]

08:49 PM on 08/27/2011

Alar? Oh, no...that was what the liberals were saying was going to kill us in the '80's. Every few years, the libs trott out a new doom and gloom. Tiresome.

[ArtsyJane]

09:37 AM on 07/27/2011

Of course, the problem is much vaster than this one chain (though it is a flagship chain for processed fast-food). The problem is the food itself, whether you buy it a fast-food chain or in the grocery store. It's all processed, pre-packaged, full of toxins, hormones and anti-biotics, it has been dripped of all valuable nutrients and filled with empty calories.

If the Government wants to do something to help this obseity epidemic that's taken over America, the first thing they need to do is cut all Governmental subsidies to the Agri-business and maze farmers, subsidies, by the way, that were put in place by Nixon in the early 70s in order to buy the farmers' vote. Of course, that's never going to happen, as no Government is going to risk encurring the wrath of the Agri-business and the resulting hike in food prices.

So there it is: America has cheap and crappy food for everyone to enjoy, get fat and die early.

[ArtsyJane]

09:26 AM on 07/27/2011

Reduce sugar, salt and calories by 2020???? WTF??? Why not reduce those tomorrow? Why is it going to take 9 years to reduce salt, sugar and calories??

[slocomgp]

09:32 AM on 07/27/2011

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they are waiting on the development of some new sugary chemicals that are worse than sugar. Most likely they are using more high fructose corn syrup the last decades anyway, its in everything and its not good.

[ontariogirl]

09:26 AM on 07/27/2011

Oh please.......McDonald's and healthy food don't belong in the same sentence.
Apple dippers.....how about just buying an apple.

[mombabytiger]

09:18 AM on 07/27/2011

Apples have been a choice in a Happy Meal for a long time.

[francesca40]

10:27 AM on 07/27/2011

To mombabytiger:
This not too with-it woman must think we are all as thick as she is. Sheesh.

[Morena]

04:50 PM on 08/05/2011

"...pledging to reduce sugars, saturated fats, sodium and calories..."

Who's talking about apples?

[Morena]

04:49 PM on 08/05/2011

"The company is also pledging to reduce sugars, saturated fats, sodium and calories.."

[jbacen]

09:09 AM on 07/27/2011

Here are some fun fast food facts courtesy of our friends at ForensicScienceTechnician.org:

• An average person’s yearly fast food intake will contain 12 pubic hairs. High fiber!
• In order to copy the flavor of a strawberry, fast food corporations mix up to 50 distinct chemicals like ethyl acetate, phenythyl alcohol, rose, and solvent.
• Grilled chicken sandwiches and salads at many fast food joints often contain beef or beef products.
• Propylene Glycerol (used for car antifreeze) keeps your salad crispy.
• It takes the equivalent of an uninterrupted seven-hour walk to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fries, and Big Mac.

It's gonna take more than a few slices of apples.
http://jeffbacen.com

[ArtsyJane]

09:28 AM on 07/27/2011

Well, I guess it's a start. It's a taste thing- if children start adding fruits and vegetables to their meals their taste palate will change overtime and they will be more likely to chose to eat fruits and vegetables rather than processed fast foods.

[jbacen]

10:10 AM on 07/27/2011

Artsy, you're right about it being a start. It's just that baby steps are so frustrating considering the mountain ahead. Read the recently released report from the RWJ Foundation and Trust for America's Health. I'll reserve comment and let those facts speak for themselves.
There's a link to the report on this page (upper right) http://healthyamericans.org/report/88/
You can also get it off of my page: http://jeffbacen.com