McDonald - The Arthur Page Society

problems such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. The pervasiveness of the
perception linking fast food to unhealthy diets is illustrated in a humorous brief from
AARP: The Magazine naming the “Riskiest Places on Earth.” 65 On their list is “fast food
drive-through, but only if you order food” (p. 74).
The recommended calorie intake for an average female is approximately 1400-
1700 calories per day with 20% of calories from fat (no more than 30-40 grams). For an
average male, it is 1800-2200 calories per day with the same 20% from fat (no more than
40-50 grams). 66 McDonald’s hotcakes with syrup and butter provide 700 calories, 33
grams of fat, and 45 grams of sugar. 67 The chocolate triple shake has 1,160 calories and
27 grams of fat, more than half the recommended daily amount for a woman. 68 The Big
Mac serves up 560 calories and 30 grams of fat. 69 A large order of French fries contains
570 calories and 30 grams of fat. 70
The average American gets approximately 45% of his or her calories from fat,
exceeding standard health recommendations by 25%. 71 Trans fats in cooking oils, such
as those used by McDonald’s are considered artery-clogging and are linked to heart
disease. 72 They significantly raise the level of “bad” cholesterol. The Miami Herald
reported that trans fats “are the new boogeyman of the table, a fat so insidiously
unhealthy that one Harvard scientist calls it 'metabolic poison.’” 73 Research has shown
that trans fats contribute to 30,000 U.S. deaths per year. 74
The issue of diets high in fat and sugar is linked to fast food partially because of
fast foods’ popularity with Americans, particularly adolescents. One in four children and
40% of teenagers eat fast food daily. 75 It has also been shown that 90% of children eat at
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