WHITE HOUSE

McDonald's Puts Fruit in Happy Meals; Michelle Obama Approves

Updated: July 26, 2011 | 2:10 p.m.
July 26, 2011 | 1:36 p.m.

Look who's "lovin' it." First lady and antiobesity activist Michelle Obama praised one of the country's favorite obesity villains for its new plan to add apples to all Happy Meals and to make its food generally less fattening. On McDonald's planned changes, Obama issued the following statement:

McDonald's is making continued progress today by providing more fruit and reducing the calories in its Happy Meals.

I've always said that everyone has a role to play in making America healthier, and these are positive steps toward the goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity. McDonald's has continued to evolve its menu, and I look forward to hearing about the progress of today's commitments, as well as efforts in the years to come.

Earlier this morning, McDonald's announced plans to reduce levels of sugar, saturated fat, and calories by "varied portion sizes, reformulations, and innovations." But don't hold your breath: The company pledged to implement the changes by 2020 while reducing sodium 15 percent by 2015. Seems like a pretty long time away. In the nearer future, the company will introduce a mobile app focusing on nutritional information and will launch an online forum for parents, the Associated Press reports. For the photo ops, McDonald's USA President Jan Fields is going on a listening tour in August to hear from parents and nutrition experts (about how unhealthy its food is?). Either way, it's hard to complain about more apples. Way to go, Ronald.

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