Health Chief Wants Healthier Menus

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Tuesday he wants restaurants to do "what's right" in the fight against obesity by changing their menus to promote healthier lifestyles.

Thompson: "It's really trying to put pressure on them to do what's right for America."

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Tuesday he wants restaurants to do "what's right" in the fight against obesity by changing their menus to promote healthier lifestyles.

"We spend $117 billion a year on obesity-related diseases and 300,000 Americans die," Thompson said in a CNN interview.

"We're asking the fast food industry and all of the restaurants to start looking at their menus and see if they can diversify and put healthier foods on there and help to promote them."

In addition to providing more menu choices, restaurants should encourage their customers to exercise more often, he said.

The ones that adopt those policies should be publicly recognized and complimented to encourage other companies to do the same, the secretary said.

"It's really trying to put pressure on them to do what's right for America," Thompson said.

Thompson said, for example, it was a "wonderful sign" that McDonald's recently added more salads to its menu.

The fast food giant recently was the target of a lawsuit claiming the company's food makes people obese.

The suit, which was dismissed by a federal judge, was the first of its kind against a food chain to reach a U.S. courtroom.

Parents of two girls claimed in the suit that McDonald's and two of its restaurants in New York failed to disclose clearly and conspicuously the ingredients and effects of its food.

They argued the chain should be therefore held accountable for the girls' obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.

HHS spokeswoman Pam Stevens said the department does "not support lawsuits against the fast food industry."

Instead, "as secretary of HHS, [Thompson] wants everyone with a stake in this problem to be part of the solution," Stevens said.

"[The secretary] wants to work with the fast food industry to encourage them to take steps to address the epidemic of obesity in America."

According to the HHS Web site, "the number of cases of obesity in the United States has increased more than 50 percent over the past two decades."

Thompson said some two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and 15 percent to 20 percent of American children fall into that category.

Thompson announced a plan Friday to encourage "states, cities and other local government agencies to propose innovative, community-based programs to prevent diabetes, asthma and obesity as part of a new grants program.

"The grants will be awarded to support local projects that will demonstrate approaches to reduce the prevalence and impact of the three common chronic health conditions in local communities," he said.

Dr. Farr's Comment

Hurrah for Tommy Thompson. The food industry has powerful lobbyists that will reject the notion that they have any responsibility or effect in curbing the obesity epidemic. But, you as a consumer can make wiser choices in what you eat and basically boycott the food industries. This is what is really needed. Mr. Thompson's credentials can help spur this movement.