CEO's 'McDiet' Loses Him 20 Lbs? Don Thompson Eats McDonald's 'Every Single Day'
A CEO's "McDiet" allowed him to lose 20 lbs. while eating some of McDonalds' fast food every day. Don Thompson is the McDonald Corp. CEO and has been for less than a year.
The CEO's McDiet plan consists of more than simply consuming the food chain's burgers, which are notorious for their high fat, grease, and carbohydrate content. Thompson also got his "butt up" and "working out again," he told the Associated Press.
Thompson pointed out that Europeans, who dine on similar fatty foods, are rarely "very, very heavy" because they stay active and walk a lot throughout the day. He reiterated that he eats McDonald's "every single day," but did not say exactly which meals he eats and how often.
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The new CEO did reveal that while his kids also eat McDonald's with him sometimes, he also cooks with them at home with "a lot of fruits and veggies" constantly on the menu.
"And so I think that balance is really important to people," he told AP.
McDonald's has recently began adding more health-conscious items to their menus, joining the wave of other big companies like Coca-Cola that have fought back against negative accusations of promoting obesity. McDonald's now has salads, chicken wraps, oatmeal, egg white breakfast sandwiches, and other healthy snacks to promote better living.
Still, Thompson admitted at an analysts' conference hosted by Sanford Bernstein Wednesday that salads aren't nearly as popular as the fast food chain's Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, and other unhealthy sandwiches. They make up only 2 to 3 percent of company sales.
"I don't see salads being a major growth driver," the CEOs said.
The "McDiet" news came after Thompson was publicly challenged by a young girl while speaking at a shareholders' meeting recently. Hanna Robertson, the 9-year-old daughter of a nutrition activist and blogger, accused him of "tricking" kids into eating unhealthy foods.
"Big companies try to take kids into eating foods that isn't good for them by using toys and cartoon characters," she said. "It would be nice if you stopped trying to trick kids into wanting to eat your food all the time."
Thompson responded that the company doesn't sell "junk food."
