Fries Remain Unhealthy Option

Sept. 4, 2002 -- The bottom line: french fries are not health food.

That's what nutrition experts are reminding the public, after news the nation's biggest fast food chain will change the fat in its fries.

McDonald's said Tuesday it plans to introduce in all of its 13,000 restaurants a new cooking oil that is less damaging to the heart. Although the total calories and fat content of the fries will remain the same, the company claims the oil will reduce so-called trans fatty acids by 48 percent and saturated fat content by 16 percent.

"I think McDonald's is making a good move, but one that may lead consumers to a false impression," says Chris Rosenbloom, chair of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta. "That is, that french fries will now be a 'good food' and can be eaten with less guilt."

It's a food's total fat content that Americans must beware of, nutritionists warn. The American Heart Association, or AHA, for instance, recommends that no more than 10 percent of the day's calories should come from trans-fats and saturated fats combined.

A large order of McDonald's fries will still contain a whopping 26 grams of fat. Explains Cathy Nonas, registered dietitian in the obesity research center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. "Twenty-six grams of fat in a 2,000 calorie diet equals 12 percent fat if you had no other fat sources. ... Federal guidelines suggest 30 percent fat or less for the total day, so there is not a lot of fat grams left. Worse, there are still a lot of calories and the french fries often go with 'value' meals which are quite large, quite caloric and filled with fat and sugar."

And although the AHA contends that french fries aren't healthy, they say McDonald's is moving in the right direction.

"Clearly, fast foods have a reputation of providing more of the bad fats, so that the step in the direction McDonald's has taken is clearly a step to reduce the trans-fats, which are really included in the bad fats, for the consumer," says Dr. Robert Eckel, nutrition committee, AHA, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. "But I've heard nutritionists say french fries are as bad as you can get."

'How About a Baked Potato?'

Despite the change in fat, the company assures its 20 million customers that the taste of the fries will remain the same. It also claims that the change in fats will also carry over into its other delicacies.

"We've done extensive research with consumers and hands down, they cannot tell the difference in taste," says Ann Rusniak, chief nutritionist, McDonald's.

"We're decreasing the bad fat and increasing the good fat in our products," says Rusniak. "This will not only affects our french fries but it will also significantly improve the nutrition profile of all of our fry products, including our fish, chicken and chicken McNuggets. This is a win-win for our consumers, a better nutrition profile with the same great taste."

But given the fact that the fat content will remain unchanged, Sue Moores, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, believes this shift will not be the answer to obesity.

"It's an imbalance in calories in versus calories out that leads to weight problems. Reshuffling the fat composition won't make a dent in the weight issue. Reducing the trans-fat in fries might be analogous to light beer. Though they might be enjoyable to have once in a while, in excess, neither is good for you."

Portion control is key, say many experts, along with healthier choices.

"It is difficult to see the consumption of a large fries with 26 grams of fat as part of a nutritionally adequate diet," says Dr. George Blackburn, chair of nutritional medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "We definitely need portion control and healthier versions of fast food. An important gesture would be to discount smaller portion sizes and provide food labels on each serving that would inform the consumer of the approximate grams of fat in each serving."

According to Madelyn Fernstrom, director, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health System Weight Management Center, the problem is not necessarily the food itself, but the frequency of eating it.

"There are healthful, lower calorie choices in all fast food restaurants, but they are usually much more expensive. If the fast food restaurants really wanted to make a difference in health-promoting behaviors, they would have package meals, which include a salad, or fruit, rather than supersizing fries and adding extra cheese. How about extra lettuce and tomatoes? How about a choice of potato, instead of only fries — allowing consumers to choose a baked potato instead?"

In the end, Eckel admits that a few fries won't do much harm, as long as they don't become part of your daily diet.

"The whole diet is what we're concerned with at the American Heart Association," says Eckel. "We want a diet enriched with fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fish. Consumption of french fries, periodically, is not a harmful direction for the nutritional pattern of Americans. So a small fry that now has less trans-fat is a better choice."