Thursday, January 29

I'm (Not) Lovin' It

Last weekend, astute littleplate reader Bruce Bottomley sent me a link to an article that was published January 25th in the New Zealand Herald. The article, entitled "Film records effects of eating only McDonald's for a month," chronicles the month that documentary director Morgan Spurlock spent eating Big Macs, Egg McMuffins and Filets-o-Fish. All in the name of art: his documentary about this experience was shown at Sundance this month.

Quote from Spurlock: "I got desperately ill. My face was splotchy and I had this huge gut, which I've never had in my life." Doctors said they were astounded at the decrease in liver function and the increase - by thirty-nine percent - in cholesterol that Spurlock suffered in thirty days.

The article in the Herald dovetailed perfectly with another dietary item of interest. The results of a recent study done by the Agricultural Research Service and Harvard University were published in this month's Pediatrics journal. The study found that almost one-third of American children aged four to nineteen eat fast food every day.

The study also found that when children ate fast food, they consumed more total calories, more fat, and more sugar. At the same time, those kids ate less fiber, less fruit, fewer non-starchy vegetables, and drank less milk.

I would like to find this information unbelievable, but unfortunately it isn't.

In an effort to find out the facts about what fast-food chains feel is a suitable kid's meal, I turned to their websites. A survey of three common chains delivered the following information:

1. If you must buy your child a kid's meal, go to Subway. Their "Kids' Pak" contains a small deli sandwich (turkey, turkey-based ham or roast beef, customized with your child's choice of vegetables and/or cheese), a Fruit Roll-Up, and Minute Maid 100% Juice Fruit Punch. Total calories, if you choose a turkey sandwich with no cheese or mayonnaise: 370. Total grams of fat: 4.5. Percentage of daily RDA of Vitamin C: 145%.

2. KFC came in second-best in my totally unscientific survey. Their "Laptop Pack" includes a choice of three kinds of chicken, a small side of your choice, a container of Mott's applesauce, and Fruit-by-the-Foot. If you go with the lowest-calorie option (drumstick and green beans), you wind up with a meal that contains about 410 calories and includes a serving of fruit and a serving of vegetables. It also has 9 grams of fat.

3. McDonald's "Happy Meal" is the least impressive, nutritionally speaking. If you get a hamburger, small fries and a Coke - the Happy Meal that packs the least punch calorie-wise - you've got 600 calories, 20 grams of fat and no fruits or vegetables.

All of the kids' meals are shockingly high in sodium, and none of the nutrition charts even list milk as an option. Additionally, the small drink at both KFC and McDonald's was about 12 ounces, or the size of a full can of soda. To add insult to injury, McDonald's also offers what they call a "Mighty Kid's Meal," which contains a double hamburger or cheeseburger and larger fries and drinks.

It amazes me that one-third of elementary school students eat fast food every day, since they are unable to get to a drive-through or purchase a meal without their parents' assistance. To me that seems rather short-sighted on the part of the parents. I went to an elementary school that had no cafeteria, and once a month we would get to order either Taco Bell (one taco, refried beans, milk) or pizza (two slices, milk). The other days, my mom packed my lunch (sandwich on wheat bread, apple or carrot sticks, juice, cookie). We had pizza for dinner if my parents were going out, and sometimes we went out for burgers, but I would bet that my mother cooked ninety percent of what we ate while working as a teacher, keeping house, and running herd on three kids.

It's no wonder to me why kids (and, let's face it, adults) are getting heavier, and why so many kids are so picky about what kind of nuggets they consume. What happened to dinnertime? Are we really so busy that we can't spend a half hour sauteing a chicken breast and tossing a salad? Is it because most grocery stores don't have a drive-through window? Or are Americans becoming even more stratified when it comes to food: are you either Alice Waters, Dr. Atkins or the Hamburglar?

I don't believe that McDonald's is the root of all evil, and I don't believe that any single corporation or industry is responsible for the fattening of America. But I do believe that parents need to take responsibility for what their kids consume, and spend the extra time required to make sure that their children eat a balanced diet. A Happy Meal once in a while is okay. Three hundred and sixty-five Happy Meals a year is not.

In the words of Morgan Spurlock (who surely will never eat at McDonald's again): "It was amazing, and really frightening."