Is McDonald's to blame for rising obesity rates in Israel?

Israel's government has targeted McDonald's in its efforts to promote healthier eating.  Click on the embedded link below to read the article and see photos on the NPR website. Word count: 672
       
Israel's Health Minister To McDonald's: 'Not In Our Country'            

Before reading:

       

General Knowledge:

• Can you find Israel on a map?
• What comes to mind when you think about McDonald's? What kind of reputation does McDonald's have?

       

Speculate:

• Israel's health minister has criticized the nutritional value of food at McDonald's. How do you think McDonald's responded?
• This article explains how Israel's government defines "fast food". What do you think are the characteristics of this type of food? How would you define this term?

           

              

After reading:

         

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• Do you think it is fair for the government to target one specific company (rather than all fast food companies, for example) in their efforts to promote healthy eating?
• The article says that Israel's health ministry defines "fast food" as "food that is eaten in 7-10 minutes without fork and knife, needs little chewing, and makes the eater feel satiated only after 20 minutes, pushing the eater to consume more". What do you think about this definition? Would you make any changes?
• The article lists several ideas for promoting healthy eating, suggested by Israel's Regulatory Committee to Advance Healthy Food. Choose the 2 ideas that you think are most important, then chose the 2 that you think are least important. Explain your choices. Would you like to implement any of these strategies where you live?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

          

Reflect and evaluate:

• Is obesity a problem where you live? How does the government promote healthy eating habits?
• Is it fair to blame fast food restaurants for rising obesity rates? How might the government, the education system, or the economy also affect obesity? Should other businesses, like snack food manufacturers, share the blame?
• How do you think McDonald's compares to other fast food restaurants where you live? Is it healthier, less healthy or about the same?
• In your opinion, how healthy are your own eating habits? Do you enjoy eating fast food?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

          

Beyond the page:

• Find out more about the Mediterranean diet, which is common in Israel. Have you ever tried this type of cuisine?
• Take a look at some interesting menu items from McDonald's around the world: 30 Bizarre McDonald's Burgers and Drinks Around the World
• If you're up for a longer read, take a look at this article which talks about changes in fast food offerings in the United States, as well as McDonald's' efforts to change its image: Freedom From Fries

           

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