McDonalds's! YUCK!!!

Ok, I'm not usually one to defend the fast food places - particularly because we do not eat at them often. But, McDonald's does make some attempt to offer healthy alternatives. My kids, for instance, use to prefer apple slices to french fries. And they'll drink milk instead of the calorie-ridden soft drinks. We don't do kid meals anymore though. Waste of money.

Having said that, I was irritated at McDonalds last week. I took my kids there last week at the last minute. Long story short, I ended up taking an extra kid his sister fell ill at a sporting event. We had to go to another fun activity and rather than run home, we went to McDonalds for lunch. I ordered the food and then asked for 4 small sodas. The guy behind the counter told me that the larges were less expensive than the smalls. I said, can I pay for a large and get smalls? No, he said. But, I don't want my kids drinking huge masses of soda. We want smalls.

Long story short - I ended up paying more for SMALLS than LARGES. What is that? Does anyone really let their kids drink those huge freaking sodas?? Does ANYONE drink those huge freaking sodas? That's just a bad choice. I rarely let my kids even get soda. Since we were there on a rare ocassion, I figured they could have a treat. (And they were playing volleyball followed by a 3-hour activity based program so I knew they'd run it off.)

Come on - give me a break!!

Lee: Next time, don't question the lack of common sense, buy a large soda and ask for 4 small cups of water (free) and be done with it.

Was just doing the math right along with you 70's kid...McD's not so bad in comparison huh?

Totally agree 70's, and of course he listed the worst option, you swap the fries for fruit or something not salt coated and you could do far worse if you are on a budget or lack the free time to cook.

I can count on my ten fingers the number of times we went to McDonalds when I was a child. My mom preferred to cook and we just didn't go out to eat much. It was a rare, rare treat for us. Even now, we don't do alot of fast food. I don't prefer to cook - but I do!

Its less an issue of are they eating it everyday the idea is to get your kids in the habit of choosing the healthy options when eating out...If your kid is already a porkster doing so will help them to lose the weight (along with exercise) if not it will help them to be healthier as they grow up.

I don't think it's "crying wolf" when over a THIRD of American kids are obese or at risk for obesity. Something drastic needs to happen with these kids to get them back on track for healthy lives.

There are a substantial number of families who eat out multiple times each week. And sometimes, these awful meals look like the meals the kids have at home. I think the most powerful part of this article is the mention that having salty food reinforces a craving for salty food.

I wish this article mentioned the importance of good model behavior by parents. How can you expect your kids to order a good meal if you're not?

Agreed. When I was a child (hell, even now as an adult), dinners out only happened a few times a year, usually for birthdays. We were allowed to order whatever we wanted (assuming it wasn't too expensive) and didn't worry about the nutritional value because we went out so rarely. It was a treat that we really appreciated.

If meals out are an occasional treat (as they should be), you have nothing to worry about. But if you eat out all the time, then it's something to take into consideration.

My sister used to get fast food take out nearly daily. She, her husband, and my nephew were hugely overweight. When he was just ten, my nephew weighed more than me. She was always like "Oh, it's just baby fat!" I couldn't believe her stupidity. Fortunately he actually learned to eat better and now, at 18, is a normal weight. I really think that health and nutrition education (along with some name calling by his classmates, sadly) really helped him understand that his food choices were bad. And once he was old enough to make those decisions, he did.

It's sad really, to see that. The denial was incredible. The expense had to be HUGE to not have food in your fridge and be eating out for 1/2 to 1/3 of your meals. And she wasn't exactly flush with money either.

I haven't been to an Olive Garden since the 90's. There isn't one anywhere near me and we never go to one if we're traveling. But, man, they do have good breadsticks and salad dressing!

There are now. Give people a chance to wake up and catch up!! We had torrential weather where I live and lost electricity. So, I didn't even get a chance to read this article until now!

Whoa.... calm down there Beans..... I'm an RD so I get where you are coming from and agree that many Americans are in denial about their weight and health but life is about balance. I want to teach my kids about nutrition and to make the right choices but I also want them to learn about balance in their lives. I am fit and healthy yet once in a while I like to enjoy a dish such as Alfredo made with real cream and butter.

I am my kid's parent... I don't want the government declaring macaroni and cheese illegal. I'm not going to let them eat it everyday but it sure tastes good once in a while.

I don't agree, Beans. It's my opinion that it is far more important to teach your kids moderation rather than cut out all foods that are bad for you. I have 4 kids and each has his or her preferences regarding food - some more healthy than others. I've found that teaching them the importance of moderating intake of unhealthy foods - like soda, cookies and chips - is more effective than an all out ban. All but the 3 year old understand what foods are unhealthy and even the 9 year old pays attention to salt intake. For the most part, I allow them to make their own choices because I took the time to educate them. More often than not, they pass on the worst food choices.

I don't see any problem in indulging once in awhile in decadent food choices, it's all about moderation.

I see where you guys are coming from.

Maybe I did come off a bit strong. I'm not saying ban ice cream and mac n cheese. What I AM saying is that any restaurant, or company that can create a meal that has 2200 calories and 3000mg of sodium, and then market it to children 1.) has no soul, and 2.) shouldn't be allowed to do it in the first place.

The phrase "Everything in moderation" might be true, but more often than not it's used as an excuse for people to do unhealthy things - like feed their kids the kind of food mentioned in this article - and declare them safe based on a strictly subjective set of criteria that they consider moderate.

2/3 of the people in this country are overweight, and half of them are obese. We're beyond pinning everything on the parents, and personal responsibility, and raising the "Moderation" flag. It's time to start setting tougher nutrition standards for ALL foods that these companies produce, and levying fines against companies that violate them. And No, I'm not saying that the government should be writing menus for people, but I am saying that they should start holding these companies accountable for producing food that is bad for people, often by their own admission.

Beans, I suppose I have some mixed feelings as well as you are right the statistics on weight are staggering and I agree advertising is a dirty game. But in so many ways people have let personal responsibility go and laws designed to protectus from advertisers and such evolve into laws protecting us from ourselves and ultimately curtailing our freedoms. That scares me. I have no idea how to encourage it on a large scale but people need to take responsibility for themselves - It may not be easy but if they don't, Big Brother will over time.

There's a difference between having the freedom to choose a sugar filled slurpee, and having that same slurpee shoved in your face repeatedly until you breakdown and drink it.

I can't think of the last time that I was in a restaurant and they decided what I was supposed to eat and forced me to eat it.

The only way to stop people from ordering the slurpee is to take it off the menu completely.

But then you're left with the question of who decides what you will be allowed to eat...and that opens up a whole new set of problems.

Education...not force...is the way to win this battle of the bulge.

Also, you're forgetting to take into account that these items wouldn't be on the menu if people didn't order them.

What I think Bean is saying is that it IS possible for the same menu items to be a little healthier....for instance the 600 cal grilled cheese - wth does it have to have 600 cal when no other grilled cheese does. Something like that does not belong on a children's menu. It isn't outlawing it.

It's not that someone is literally forcing a drink or food item down your throat but if there is constant advertising and special menu prices for combo meals and cool toys if you buy it...it becomes a type of brainwashing. Also, yes the items are only on the menu because people buy them but if there are no healthy choices on the menu what choice do you have but to order to high calorie fatty version? Yes you could make your meal at home but then the choice to go out is no longer an option. Food companies should make better choices.

beans - to a degree I agree with you! That commercial for corn syrup annoys me no end - because it says, "in moderation" but a typical "normal" American family doesn't cook from scratch and these days they throw corn syrup (don't even get me started on the salt thing) in EVERYTHING! I think the biggest issue in the fight for good nutrition (not obesity alone) is real food is just far too expensive and it's very time consuming to prepare food like that. In a way, I'm lucky in that I grew up on home cooked food with very little manufactured foods and I've passed that along to my own children. I'm also extremely lucky I have the time and the resources to be able to do it.

Beans, no one forces me to do anything.

I have had weight fluctuations my entire adult life. I finally got it under control when I learned to eat better and began to exercise. As a result, I don't eat at places where I can't get healthier choices that taste good. For instance, if we go to say, Applebees, I'll ask for steamed veggies instead of fries. If I want to splurge on a sandwich, I'll eat half of one.

But sometimes, this girlfriend wants to eat a big, fat burrito with sour cream. And when I do, I make sure to cut calories elsewhere or add an extra run in during the week.

Nobody eats perfectly. I just saw an interview with Jillian Michaels and she admitted that she ate ice cream for dinner the night before her interview. But, she's still fit and in great shape.

Nobody forces anyone to make decisions to eat like crap. Yes, marketing is a strong factor, but not strong enough that it will force anyone into obesity. And if we decide to go in and get rid of foods we deem "bad" it is NOT going to stop people from getting fat. People make choices, good or bad. And sadly, we all make bad choices sometimes. Those who make them often need to find their way somehow. But to blame fast food joints is not going to change people's eating habits.

Michelle-2034881,

Really!? You think that the McNugget happy meal is pretty healthy over all because you get it with milk and apple dippers? And you feed this to your kid one to two times a week? That's like eating a Snickers bar and washing it down with a Diet Coke and thinking that it balances out. Adding apples and milk to the McNuggets does not negate the fact that those 4 McNuggets have 190 calories, 100 of which are from fat for a total of 12g of fat, 30mg of cholesterol and a whopping 400mg of sodium.

190 calories is hardly something to get worked up about. A glass of orange juice has 190 calories and you will definitely need to eat something after that to feel full. I know that the cholesterol, sodium and fat is not great, but 190 calories and protein to boot certainly beats the kid who's eating 3 candy bars (600 calories that will leave you hungry in a few hours) and washing it down with a can of soda.

Actually, at age 2, children require a higher amount of fat than older children or adults.

Those nuggets are made up of chicken waste left over after they're done removing cuts that are profitable from the carcass. Those chickens are fed diets that are genetically modified, and fed so much so quickly that their legs cannot even support their weight. They live in conditions that are beyond disgusting, and are pumped full of antibiotics to the point that the farmers who raise them are, or are becoming, antibiotic resistant.

Now tell me, how does that qualify as "pretty healthy over all"? It doesn't. Our food industry is deplorable because we've become lazy gluttons. And don't assume I'm saying I'm somehow better, because I'm not, but I've begun educating myself about what food I put on my table for my family. I tell the same things to my own parents and siblings to make them understand that the choices they make are doing them a huge disservice.

Now that half of the repliers have indirectly called you a bad mother, relax Michelle. Our boy at nothing but chicken fingers and McNuggets for about 4 years whenever we went out, and was picky about eating veggies. He's 13 now and his diet is the typical eat everything-in-sight style of every teenage boy, but is still skinny because he sees what we think about when we cook and order food, and eats a fairly well balanced diet.

It is difficult finding low salt or low fat options in restaurants and grocery stores, but you're right, it is up to the parents.

My daughter will be 2 next month and she's never once ate anything from McDonald's, or any restaurant for that matter. I have always prepared all of her meals, including the baby food she ate as an infant. I am sorry, but you are misinformed, as that happy meal is not healthy for your growing 2 year old. It's way over-processed; is too high in fat and in salt...and those nuggets that you get that they call 'chicken' is hardly chicken.

Yes, young children, especially babies, need more fat than an adult, but they need good, healthy, brain-feeding fats. These good fats or oils are non-saturated, both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. These good fats come from olive oil, flax oil, nuts, avocados, fish, etc.

There is absolutely nothing healthy or nutritious that comes out of McDonald's. Nothing in parenthood is easy, why should feeding your children be otherwise? Feeding your kids should involve time, research and effort. You are paving the roads that they will follow in every area of life, including their health. Think, please!

Hey - your sarcasm is dripping from my screen... darn you! ROFL

Did you know that it costs about 5 cents for soda from a fountain? And what do they charge you, the consumer? I used to work in restaurants and they'd push that fact over and over. They make more money on soda than just about anything else . . .especially if it's not in a to go cup. (Those cost about ten cents or less each.)

Not all the restaurants in this article were fast food joints . . .

Not all the restaurants in this article were fast food joints . .

I agree with you Beans. I am really against the government being in my business constantly, but I also think that children are some of the weakest, defenseless members of society and need to be protected. There are plenty of parents out there who don't even teach their children to read or write; let alone how to make healthy choices. It's a shame. There are groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (http://cspinet.org/nah/index.htm), that lobby the government (and therefore do not accept any government funding) to crack down on the FDA and the food choices that are being allowed in the U.S. This extends beyond restaurants. People who think that the produce they are eating from the grocery store is healthy need to do a little research too. I think it is just as unhealthy to eat peaches and grapes doused in high levels of pesticides as it is to eat a Happy Meal. Really, our own government needs to step up and start taking responsibility for the poor food choices they have allowed into our culture. Parents also need to take responsibility, but it is harder for those that lack the education and/or means to provide for their families to make a "wise" decision and buy the $3.00 jug of 100% juice instead of the $1.00 2-liter of Pepsi. There is definitely something wrong with our food system. If you can afford it, buy organic and support local farmers. Most people can't afford it though...

So? What if they do?

I've also found that engaging your kids in the cooking process helps. I allow my kids to help me cook and they usually want to try whatever it is we make.

My brother-in-law lives with his parents (my in-laws) and his kids. My mother in law routinely cooks fairly healthy foods. Then she prepares her grandkids (niece and nephew) a totally separate meal that is usually frozen and high in fat (chicken nuggets mostly, but she'll throw in hot dogs and other fatty foods.) Then she'll give them treats high in fat to celebrate the fact that they've eaten anything. Oh, and did I mention they have dessert for lunch AND dinner? Usually multiple cookies after a grilled cheese and soda and cakes and ice cream for dinner.

On a recent visit I saw my nephew eat a hot dog, Pringles, and a sugary juice for lunch. He followed that delight with SIX oreos, TWO rice krispie treats, and FOUR Twizzlers. I was actually sick to my stomach about it - in more ways that one. It upsets me so much to see parents allow that.

As a result, they are little fatties and have SERIOUS pooping issues - as in they almost never do. And they celebrate the fact that they poop with treats. Did I mention they're 10 and 12 now? Yeah. It's so sad it makes me crazy. But, if I say anything, I'm just the bad guy who wants to cause trouble. Don't I know how difficult the divorce has been on them? Don't I know how hard their lives are? Yeah. I'm the problem . . . .

In general, a plate of all beige food isn't good for you. Sure, brown rice is beige, and it is good for you, but just a plate of rice is hardly nutritious. What they're getting at is lack of variety -- lots of colors on a plate is a good indication of variety or that fruits and vegetables are present.

I never noticed the beige thing until I watched Jamie Oliver's tv show. He was in the kitchen of an obese family and put all the food they eat on the table. Cereal, frozen pizza, cookies, crackers, chips, and whatnot, and he asked them to look at the color of the food on the table - it was all brown. Really surprised me - I never noticed that before, but it was true.

There's a book I really love called Hungry Planet, and it's basically photographs of families around the world and all the food they eat in a week (or a month, I forget which). The families in poorer nations had very colorful (and very delicious looking!) tables of food - lots of fresh veggies and fruits. The more industrialized the country, the more "beige" the food became (inside the obnoxiously-colored packaging). I really recommend that book - it opened my eyes quite a bit.

Wow! If beige foods are bad for me, should I stop baking my pork chops, chicken, and pork tenderloins? I never use extra fat and they come out beige. That's very sad to learn that those baked foods are bad . . . NOT!

Neil - does my husband count? It's his favorite meal out and he kind of acts like a child sometimes. Despite that, I love him, because I probably do, too . . . .

OK, but WHY. It's because healthy food is too expensive.

Rice and Red Beans with Onions
1 onion, 1 can of beans, 2 bags of rice. $5 at most and feeds four.

4 Fast-Food meals at least $10 +tax depending on the state. Assuming the dollar menu.

Is the issue that healthy food costs too much, or that the poor are just lacking in education?

Some of the problem is availability, not price (although the price of fresh produce is part of the problem as well). There are fewer grocery stores in the lower economic areas. Transportation to a well-stocked store is limited or time consuming. The issue has many facets.

When my dad had his heart attack my mom used to complain about how expensive healthy foods cost. She actually always prepared food herself and always, always had at least two veggies anyway. She does like her butter though. That might have been an issue . . .

I live in the midwest and I noticed the last two years the prices for fresh veggies at these markets is absolutely ridiculously expensive. I'm dumbfounded that the veggies from 10 miles or less are more expensive than the ones I buy at Walmart . . I guess it's tough all over.

The problem is that the least healthy food industries are the most heavily subsidized by the government - e.g., corn, beef, etc. - allowing them to provide their products at much cheaper prices than their healthier, non-subsidized counterparts - such as vegetables. You'll find that corn byproducts are in many, if not most, of your cheap, processed food products.

The sad reality for many families is that making chicken soup from scratch, with fresh vegetables, is an unaffordable luxury (of money and time) when they could buy a pack of Top Ramen for only $0.20 and make it in less than 5 minutes.

Gary - I think you're sort of making a point, albeit a little extreme. I think, though, that obese children are coming from homes that have some real issues. My nephew was morbidly obese for much of his childhood. At one point (age 10) he weighed more than I did. It used to drive me nuts and, being very passionate and knowing how bad it is, I used to incessently bother my sister about it. When he was at my home, I'd cook creatively and healthy and he LOVED my cooking. We don't do much dessert here, because I could eat a cake or a pint of ice cream but don't want to so why tempt myself? He never asked for more food or snuck food or overate or ate really poorly. But, as soon as my sister would come and take him home, he'd be back to the crap food.

She is an idiot with a ton of problems. She finally divorced my brother-in-law and he got custody. Today, my nephew is of normal weight and doing really well. She sucked as a parent, but not because she let him overeat. She let him overeat because it was "easy" for her to stick him in front of the tv with snacks so she could live her life. Sad, but true.

BTW, I don't speak with her anymore. She had too much drama and I could not take her anymore.