Was McDonald’s transition away from huge portions of fat-filled
foods and toxic sugary drinks short-lived? It appears so, for just
fifteen months after the food chain stopped offering “super-sized”
portions of fries and drinks, its Chicago-area restaurants are selling
extra-large sodas again.
According to a spokeswoman, however, the Chicago Co-Op is running
a local promotion (scheduled to last through the month of July)
in which customers who purchase a Big Mac and fries get a free,
42-ounce beverage. This is not super-sizing, she added.
But a promise is a promise.
Promotion or not, eliminating 42-ounce drinks was a crucial component
of McDonald’s highly advertised March 2004 rollback of super-sizing.
(The company represented the move as an effort to simplify its menu,
though it’s likely critics’ claims that McDonald’s
contributed to the nation’s obesity epidemic played a role
in the decision.)
Despite McDonald’s previous steps
to establish a healthier image by introducing:
- Salad entrées
- Fruit and milk options for Happy Meals
… critics are outraged by the company’s return to super-sizing,
claiming they’re back to their old tricks again. And here’s
a health-buster: The 42-ounce non-diet Coca-Cola weighs in at 410
calories, a shade more than 20 percent of the daily average adult
caloric intake for men and almost a third of a woman's typical intake.
Yikes!
Red
Streak June 20, 2005