"April 15" fills many Americans with anxiety as tax returns become due (though this year Uncle Sam has given us until April 18). I recently remembered that April 15 has another grim association: the opening, 56 years ago, of Ray Kroc's first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Ill. (Now is as good a time as any to disclose that my organization has hauled Ronald McDonald to court to try to stop the predatory practice of using toys to lure children to disease-promoting Happy Meals.)
With the possible exception of Coca-Cola (itself a McDonald's menu mainstay), I can't think of another food company that has had such an enormous impact on the way we eat and the way we farm. Yes, thanks to McDonald's, one can eat out quite cheaply. And it's hard to be dismissive of that achievement in a time of high unemployment and high income disparity. But that low price obscures the financial toll exacted on Americans by McDonald's and McDonald's imitators in terms of the costs associated with treating obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. So in that way, fast food restaurants have been taxing us for the past half-century-plus: We now spend more than $270 billion each year on heart disease alone.
Of course, McDonald's isn't to blame for all diet-related disease. But consider the ways in which McDonald's has contributed to the homogenization of the American diet. Fatty, factory-farmed burgers on refined white bread, for instance, have become the omnipresent, default sandwich. McDonald's original little burger may have just started the world-wide arms race to build the biggest, baddest burgers. The Big Mac was bad enough, but it's the cultural grandfather of monstrosities like Hardee's 1,320-calorie Monster Thickburger.
Consider french fries. McDonald's fries are less harmful than they used to be, because the company has ditched partially hydrogenated frying oils, and beef tallow before that, in favor of trans-fat-free vegetable oil. But McDonald's may have just acclimated the whole country to consider a deep-fried, low-nutrient white potato as the default vegetable side dish. Equally important, I believe that McDonald's deserves a good share of the blame for the fact that many Americans consider high-calorie, low-nutrient sodas to be the default beverage. Before McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants, soft drinks were occasional treats. But with sugary soft drinks, usually Coke, being the default beverage sold with fast-food meals, kids grow up thinking that a meal without a soda is like an evening without television.
Billions of dollars of advertising over the years -- McDonald's spent $872 million in 2009 alone -- makes all of this seem normal. I don't think that McDonald's genius was in satisfying a demand for meals of burgers, fries, and Cokes. Its genius was creating that demand in the first place. And thus, the occasional treat or convenience is now a once-, twice-, or even a thrice-a-day indulgence. (Unguardedly using the language of street drug pushers, McDonald's actually refers to its best customers as "heavy users.")
It's a smaller point, but consider how McDonald's also has shaped where, and how quickly, we consume our food. Many years ago, it would have been considered bizarre, or at least impolite, to eat a meal while behind the wheel of a moving car. But the drive-through culture that McDonald's helped midwife made that dangerous practice commonplace.
In the 56 April 15ths that have passed by since Ray Kroc's dream became a reality, McDonald's has coarsened our palates, expanded our waistlines, clogged our arteries, and brainwashed our children with toy-based marketing. I hope that Food Day, the recently launched grassroots push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane manner, slowly begins to undo some of the damage fast food has done to our diets and our culture. The Food Day campaign culminates on October 24, and will publicize the message that "it's time to eat real" and will celebrate healthy, delicious, home-cooked meals. That's a message that should turn one clown's smile into a frown.
Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D., is executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and is the founder of Food Day.
Follow Michael F. Jacobson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CSPI
At first, Ray Kroc did not want to do it.
I agree that the industrial food system is a problem, but thus is more about people and their food choices. Also, look at all of the Denny's, diners, coney islands, country club brunches, etc. People eat a lot of rich, unhealthy food everywhere. I do myself, but try to keep it moderate, exercise, etc.
Otherwise, what do we demonize next?the Greek Omelette? Eggs Benedict? Fried chicken? Pizza? Alfredo sauce? Cheesecake?
Please show me the data to support this claim. Show me that a substantial number of Americans are doing what Morgan Spurlock did in Supersize Me. Tell me that the economic need for both parents to work and thus not have time to cook has nothing to do with the proliferation of fast food.
This is as bad as those commercials that told kids if they smoked pot they may be supporting terrorism. Despite some positive changes, most of the McDonald's menu is still unhealthy and is best avoided. Why when there's a point based in fact does someone feel a need for such sensationalism?
My dad for instance orders THREE sandwiches when he goes 2 1/4 pounders and a big mac (or is it the other way around?). He has pancretitis (which he insists isn't from his diet), heart issues (again, SOO not diet) and is very overweight (how he isn't obese, I don't know). I point out how it's all processed (whats so bad about processed food, he says?), its all white bread (whats so bad about that?) and potatoes (whats so bad about that?) he absolutely refuses to see what he's eating
Who the heck told him that it was sensible to eat three sandwiches of any kind in one meal. I don't care if they're McDonald's sandwiches or organic tofu on whole grain bread infused with fish oil, blueberry essence and homeopathic pixie dust, that's just plain gluttonous.
Once again, the issue here is severe lack of personal responsibility that no legislation in the world can solve.
McDonalds doesn't force "we" to eat there.
Why are they so prevalent?
Because "we" go there and spend our money.
This could go on and on.
How about "we" liberals open some competition with no take-out and all "healthy" foods according to liberal standards.
"We" ought to do very well.
Then "we" can post on this blog about our wonderful $9 watercress salads and $75 family meals.
Liquor stores are everywhere and medical marijuana 'clinics' are growing.
How about "we" save some of our outrage for them?
I'd be content if they just stopped salting everything to extremes. They truly act like they're feeding livestock in terms of the level of consideration that goes into their choice of ingredients. The fact is I can get a burrito the size of a football from Chipotle for $7 with tax and I don't need three glasses of water after I'm done to wash down the salt. Good food at reasonable prices is entirely possible, but the will is sorely lacking.
That's because McDONALDS became a minority investor in 1998 (majority by 2001) and 'taught' the company how to expand without sacrificing quality.
They sold their share in 2006 to concentrate on their core business (they sold a pizza chain & Boston Market, too). But don't cry for them; they put in $360 million & took out $1.5 BILLION!!
Oh...according to Mr. Jacobson's org, Center for 'Science' in the Public Interest...
"a Chipotle's burritos contain over 1,000 calories, which is nearly equivalent to two meals' worth of food.[49][50] MSNBC Health placed the burritos on their list of the "20 Worst Foods in America" because of their high caloric content and high sodium.[51] When a burrito with carnitas, rice, vegetables, cheese, guacamole, and salsa was compared with a typical Big Mac, the burrito had more fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, and sodium than the Big Mac, and the burrito had more protein and fiber.[52] "
What really matters is making the business work, and make as much profit as possible, regardless who gets affected with products made for sale. McDonald's is not forcing anyone to eat their products. People have a choice not to eat their garbage.
But the allure of inexpensive stomach fillers, and toys to appease the screaming children in the back of the car, and peace for a few minutes, while indulging in some dopamine producing eating... It's just heaven!
And at what cost...?
http://www.mccruelty.com/
Problem, at least here, is that a lot of lower income families eat there, or people on their way to work drive through there for a quick on the run breakfast.
Yes...they are mostly overweight. I am not being rude, their was data released last week on children's BMI.