When President Obama first ran for office, he insisted that his candidacy would not even have been possible at any other time in history or anywhere else on earth. He banked on the possibility of the – until then – unthinkable. He knew that change, no matter how unlikely, would come if enough people believed in it, and he was right.
A similarly implausible event just happened a few days ago. On July 27, 2011, McDonald’s, the biggest fast food chain in the world, took out a full-page advertisement in the New York Times praising the virtues of cutting back on calories, fat and sodium for the benefit of its youngest customers.
“Happy Meals,” one of the most popular fast food items for kids, is getting a makeover. There will be smaller portions of French fries and some added fruit. The chicken nuggets will stay the same, but there will be a choice of low-fat milk as an alternative to the traditional soda drinks. As a result, calorie content will be reduced by 20 percent and sodium levels will be lowered by 15 to 23 percent in most meals by 2015.
While some health advocates dismiss these steps as a “sham” and too insignificant to make a dent in the fight against childhood obesity, others see it as an important move. “McDonalds’ is not giving the whole loaf, but it is giving a half or two thirds of a loaf,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
To be sure, McDonald’s has not exactly taken on a leadership role within the restaurant industry. In fact, the “Happy Meals” modifications look more like a delayed reaction. Burger King, IHOB and Denny’s, among others, have already announced plans to add healthier meals for kids to their standard menus as part of a voluntary program, called “Kids Live Well,” which was sponsored by the National Restaurant Association (NRA). It was widely noted in the press that McDonald’s did not take part in this initiative.
Still, the sheer fact that an industry giant like McDonald’s would concern itself with issues like calorie- or sodium content shows a major shift. There is no doubt that the company is also responding to upcoming regulations by the federal government that will require larger restaurant chains to post calorie counts and the likes on their menus. But that’s not the only reason.
If you pay closer attention to the ad in the New York Times, you get a better idea what drives the policy changes. There are slogans like “It started with you,” or “Changing. Together.™” And then, full disclosure: “The truth is, we’re always changing. Because our customers are always changing.” There you have it! In other words, it’s because of public demand – not because of government regulations, not because of scientifically proven facts, not because it’s the right thing to do – that McDonald’s et al. finally come around and acknowledge that their products are not as good as they could (and should) be.
The obesity rate in this country has reached proportions that begin to frighten significant parts of the population. Parents look at their children and realize that unhealthy eating habits are making them sick and may even cut their lives short. We are approaching a tipping point. McDonald’s has to act before its “Happy Meal” becomes a bad name.
Those who say that the industry must do more than simply worry about its image are right, of course. And tweaking the ingredients of their products a little bit here and there won’t make much of a difference. But this is only the beginning.
I remember TV ads for cigarettes (yes, they once existed) where actors dressed up as medical doctors discussed the “health benefits” of smoking lighter brands with their patients. One tobacco company claimed that its products were actually recommended by physicians. Today, it’s hard to imagine that stuff like this ever happened, but it did. Anti-smoking campaigns, legal actions and legislative measures eventually turned things around. Once the public caught on, smoking dropped by almost 60 percent in just two decades.
The fast food industry knows full well that it is on a similar path. The McDonald’s campaign sounds like the last hurrah at the end of a lost battle. It’s a small skirmish in the midst of a large-scale retreat.
Of course, there are differences between the tobacco- and the food industry. People can live without smoking but not without eating. But with heightened public awareness, the demand for food products that don’t make us sick will eventually become strong enough to force the industry’s hand. We may still have long ways to go, but change will come.
Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun.”
