Mediterranean 2 – Mc Donald’s 0 : Do we need a fast food?

Last day I was eating in the office with my colleagues…during a discussion my friend Antonio said:

“Modica is the only place where a Mc Donald’s failed”.

What?! Really?! I can’t believe it!!

What cause the fail of the business plan of the world’s biggest food corporation?

Sure! The Mediterranean diet and the Italian culinary culture are strongest than a “Food manufacturing ”…how can they compete with Scacce, Chocolate or Bread?

(Thanks to Mesh)

For me it’s natural to think that fast food are bad. When I read news on people that recommend to eat healthier I think it’s ridiculous…I was born with this diet and for me it’s natural.

I did a little Google search and I’ve found that Modica isn’t the only place where Mc Donald’s failed. There is another town called Altamura where Mc Donald’s was beaten by a little bread man.

After a little moment of interest due to “New of the event”, the Modica citizen has abandoned the Mc Drive for their more healthy Mediterranean diet foods. People don’t like foreign food contamination in their territory.

In Altamura the history had an international exposure (see this article on NY Times)

In 2001 Mc Donald’s opened a fast food here. After a bit of time a bread man Luca Di Gesù opened his shop close to the Mc Donald. He practices a simple marketing strategy:

• Low prices
• Healthy foods

The Mc Donald’s closed on December 2002.

But the Mc Donald’s was beaten by a single man, but by all the population that prefer eat the healthy products of the Mediterranean diet…

What’s better a typical olive oil bread, a pizza or a Plastic BigMac?

This story has become so popular that now there is a film “Tu vuo’ fà l’ammericano” (you wonna be American). Here the trailer

But it’s not all…

I’m curious and I went in the Mc Donald’s site and I found these section of FAQs.

And I put my attention on these ones…

Q: Can McDonald’s food be part of a healthy, balanced diet?

A: “Yes. Many nutrition professionals agree that McDonald’s food can be part of a healthy eating style based on the sound nutrition principles of balance, variety and moderation. One key to a healthy diet is to moderate, not eliminate, favourite foods because eliminating foods is rarely successful long term. In fact, the American Dietetic Association says all foods can fit into a healthy diet and what’s most important is eating a balanced diet over time, rather than focusing on any one food or meal.”

I’ve decide to compare what’s really the American Dietetic Association says and I’ve found this…

• A study published recently in the journal Paediatrics supports previous research showing lower nutritional dietary quality and increased calorie intake among children on days when they consume fast food.
• Portion sizes of many popular restaurant and packaged foods have increased substantially during the past 20 years, especially when compared to their sizes when they were first introduced. “This trend toward larger marketplace portions parallels the rising rates of obesity in our country,” says registered dietician and ADA spokesperson Keith Ayoob.

Q: I’m watching my fat intake. Can I still eat at McDonald’s?

A: “Yes. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults aim for a total fat intake between 20% and 35% of calories. However, this range refers to one’s overall eating pattern, not to any one particular food, meal or snack. So, for instance, you can choose a higher fat food or meal and stay within the guideline by balancing those choices with lower-fat foods at other meals.”

And here what I’ve read on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans…

“Make smart choices from every food group.

The best way to give your body the balanced nutrition it needs is by eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day. Just be sure to stay within your daily calorie needs.

A healthy eating plan is one that:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.”

I don’t have comments…words are so simple…

My opinion can be clearly confirmed by this interview of the Dr. Vigilante, a clinical associate professor of medicine at Brown University about the “healthiest diet in the world, or at least the western world”: the Mediterranean diet.

Interviewer: “Finally, tell me more about your take on Ronald McDonald. You say he is as dangerous as Joe Camel–and that’s a powerful statement. Can “happy meals” really be as harmful as cigarettes?”

Dr. K.Vigilante: “In some ways, Ronald McDonald is more dangerous, because the effect is more insidious and he is overtly marketing to kids. He is seen as a positive image and Joe Camel has been exposed as a negative one. While there are few habits as bad as smoking, eating a lifetime of McDonald’s burgers and fries will guarantee you a shorter life. I think training an entire generation of kids to eat that way is reprehensible.”

For those who wants to know more about the criticism to Mc Donald’s, here some resources:

From Wikipedia

Do you remember “Supersize me”? (the health effects of an entire month of eating at Mc Donald’s 3 times a day).

And you? Do you think all of these contents say the true?