Student Obesity Jumps in Schools Near Fast-Food Joints

CEO defends marketing, says clown is 'ambassador for good'

(NEWSER) - McDonald’s isn’t going to stop marketing to kids anytime soon if CEO Jim Skinner has anything to say about it. At the company’s annual meeting today, Skinner defended the practice and said parents should be able to decide for themselves whether McDonald’s is healthy enough. “This is all really about choice,” he said, according to the Wall Street Journal . “Ronald McDonald isn’t going anywhere.” More»

Law imposes nutritional requirements, expands school lunches

(AP) - Thousands more children would eat at school and all school food would become more nutritious under a bill President Obama signed into law today, part of an administration-wide effort to combat childhood obesity. "At a very basic level, this act is about doing what's right for our children," Obama said before signing the bill. The bill also was a priority for first lady Michelle Obama, who launched a national campaign this year against childhood obesity. More»

Chain "is the stranger in the playground handing out candy, says watchdog

(NEWSER) - A public health watchdog says it's going to sue McDonald's if it doesn't stop luring children into unhealthy eating habits by handing out toys with Happy Meals. The chain "is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children," a director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest said, promising a lawsuit if McDonald's doesn't ditch the toys within 30 days. "It's a creepy and predatory practice that warrants an injunction." More»

First-of-its-kind ban aimed at tackling child obesity

(NEWSER) - California's Santa Clara may soon be the first place in America to ban the little toys that come with McDonald's' Happy Meals and other fast-food promotions. County officials say the move—which would outlaw free toys with any meal that has over 485 calories or high levels of salt, sugar, and fat—would go a long way towards tackling child obesity, although the proposal has met fierce opposition from the restaurant industry. More»

Reviewers not so fond of latest fast-food monstrosity

(NEWSER) - Congratulations, KFC, your Double Down stunt has gotten more publicity than a Nazi-themed romp with Jesse James. So here's a little more, in the form of what the reviewers are saying:

• The Double Down "arrives at a new low," writes Sam Sifton of the New York Times . Even the chain's signature chicken is "a slimy and unnaturally moist thing, with flavor ginned up in a lab. It is, in all, a disgusting meal, a must-to-avoid."