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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - Behind fast food restaurants 'Nutrition' claims
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Back to school is certainly a time for change for children. I can see that my kids are definitely working through some adjustments right now. Some of that's waiting for baby to come, of course, but the stress level has certainly gone up with the return to school.
We're working through it all, and making sure the kids know to talk to us when something's bothering them. They don't do that much yet, but the sooner we can get the idea across, the better.
I must admit, a drive through restaurant with toilet facilities and a kids play area is really convenient. With the kids nagging to head to McDonalds for the latest toy available in a Mc Happy Meal, a Mc Café, Lighter meals and the Heart Foundation tick, heading to McDonald's does seem like a safe option, right? Really, there is something very wrong behind their representative Ronald McDonald and personally, I wouldn't trust my health or nutrition to a clown! So does McDonald's 'nutritious' food really measure up to their claims?
These are some of the claims McDonalds makes about their 'nutritious' foods: Lighter Choices menu - less than 10grams of fat First Restaurant chain to introduce nutritional information on packaging and to be approved for the heart foundation tick. 100% Australian Beef Happy Meals containing past - designed with the aid of dieticians
I have always thought McDonalds to have an excellent marketing team; they are always a step ahead of the rest when it comes to trends in the market place. Their word choices for marketing are very clever! Yes, their beef is 100% Australian, yes, there is less than 10g of fat in their lighter choice menus and yes, some meals have been approved for the Heart Foundation's Tick, so what! While their statements are true, they have nothing to do with making a food source healthy.
Unfortunately the real underlying problems to our increasing rates of degenerative diseases come from a much deeper level than the fat content. While many meals have reduced fat, the real nasties lie in the sugar, refined carbohydrates, wheat/gluten, preservatives/chemicals/additives, quality of the foods source and the process it undergoes before reaching your mouth.
While the heart tick does account for a lower level of saturated fats and salt, it does not take these other important factors into consideration. The meat on your Big Mac may well be 100% Australian Beef, however, once again that does not mean it is healthy. From my agricultural background and connections within the industry, I know for a fact that besides McDonald's meat being 100% Australian Beef, it is also sourced from the scrapes that everyone else rejects. What is also worth noting is that the majority of the beef on the market today is full of the chemicals and hormones accountable for the decline in Australian's health. This is why I am very passionate about people making the switch to organic foods.
While it may be easy to point the finger at McDonalds, the scary part is that our supermarkets are just as bad. I think most people would be quite alarmed to learn what the 'legal' definitions actually are on the many 'healthy' terms used on food packaging.
While it might be easy to avoid McDonalds and other fast food chains, I am very aware of how difficult grocery shopping has become with all these fancy marketing words promoting health. To help make this easier I am currently working through a series of weekly blog posts discussing this topic, but for more details you can contact me directly with your questions and concerns - Lauren@shinewellbeing.com.au Shine On!
Read this months whole newsletter at: http://shinewellbeing.com.au/uncategorized/2008-september.htm
Lauren is the founder of Shine Wellbeing Solutions, a Personal Fitness and Wellbeing Specialist Consultancy aimed at empowering and motivating our clients to live a positive and healthy life.
We employ a holistic approach to our sessions to provide you with expert fitness and health coaching in a supportive and encouraging environment.
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