The Go Active Meal includes a salad, bottled water or fountain drink, a pedometer and a 10-page exercise book by Bob Greene. For $4.99, the meal promotes McDonald's Healthy Lifestyles concepts. The meals debuted in Indiana and plans are to spread them nationwide if successful.
Critics say you have to walk a lot of steps to walk off a Super Size McDonald's meal. This is true, but McDonald's also features salads and fare that those willing to make good choices can use as part of a healthy diet. Their line of salads uses Newman's Own dressings, which have no trans fat. If diners can pass by the fries and burgers and sugared soft drinks, they can eat within any diet bounds at McDonald's. The same is not true of some other fast food chains.
Bob Greene says, "I truly embrace McDonald's Healthy Lifestyles initiatives and applaud the company's leadership efforts on this important mission. I am excited to work with McDonald's to help clear up the misconceptions on fad diets and overzealous workouts, and educate people on leading healthy, active lives -- realistically and long-term."
Can McDonald's sell a healthy lifestyle along with the fries? When the Go Active Meal goes nationwide, they will be on the right path. Studies have shown a pedometer to be one of the best motivators yet to getting people to walk more and to think about their choices of activity. The same may hold true for their choice of food items.
