Dietitians’ Analysis Finds Chains Pushing Children’s Items Full of Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium

WASHINGTON—With 840 calories, 37 grams of fat, and about as much sodium as a child should consume in an entire day, McDonald’s Mighty Kids Meal has topped a list of the five most unhealthful fast-food meals marketed to children. The list, based on analysis by dietitians at the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), also includes meals from Wendy’s, KFC, A&W, and Burger King’s just-released BK Kids Breakfast Meal.

All five of these worst fast-food kids meals are high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. None would meet the nutritional standards for healthful children’s lunches set forward last year by the prestigious Institute of Medicine. Fast-food kids meals are heavily marketed: Children now see more fast-food ads on television than ever before, according to a recent University of Illinois study.

“Kids shouldn’t have to dodge cholesterol bombs packaged in colorful, toy-filled boxes,” says PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “We’re losing the war against childhood obesity, but fast-food chains are still making obscene profits by targeting children with high-fat meals.”

Here are the five most unhealthful kids meals, ranked from worst to least bad:

A report this month from researchers at the College of William and Mary found that children who live near or attend schools close to fast-food restaurants are more likely to be obese. In a trend driven by the obesity epidemic, an estimated one in three children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in his or her lifetime, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research,and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.