McDonald's Joins the Fight Against Obesity

Is McDonald's one of your favorite fast food joints? Well thanks to some changes, not only will you get tasty food, you get the same food with fewer calories and fat. 

McDonald's is improving kids and regular meals so everyone can benefit. They've launched the "Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices" in an effort to help consumers make better informed decisions.

McDonald's Happy Meals have fruits and dairy choices now.

Jan Fields, McDonald's USA president, announced long-term and immediate changes fast food chains will undergo as part of the "Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices".

Healthier Happy Meals will now include:

• An option for produce or low-fat dairy product (fat-free chocolate milk or 1 percent white milk)
• More choices for produce are being developed since apples are the only option currently available
• Both apples and a new smaller size French fries
• An estimated 20 percent reduction in calories and less fat

In addition to improving Happy Meals, McDonald’s is also committed to:

• Placing nutrition awareness information on packaging, merchandise, and more
• Developing a grass roots community nutrition awareness program for consumers
• Lowering added sugars, saturated fat and calories in varied portion sizes by 2020
• Reduce 15 percent of sodium across all national food menu items by 2015
• Most of McDonald's chicken items have already had a 10 percent reduction in sodium, and now Chicken McNuggets have less sodium
• Provide more accessible nutrition information including a mobile application for for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android users
• Nutrition information will also be available and frequently updated in-restaurant and on the website

These efforts are a great way to help in the nation’s fight against obesity because they will impact a broad range of both children and adults, says Adam Drewnowski, Ph.D., director at University of Washington Center for Obesity Research.