You Want 25 Grams of Fat with That?

McDonald’s is making yet another attempt to appeal to health-conscious consumers by printing nutrition facts on most of its packaging in most of its restaurants beginning in early 2006.

For the first time consumers will be able to see at a glance five key nutritional elements printed on wrappers: calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates and sodium. These will be displayed in an easy-to-read bar chart and icon combination.

Even more helpful would be a breakdown of the fat bar to include saturated fat and trans fat content. A cholesterol bar would be useful, too. Yet for those who really want a detailed nutritional breakdown of their burgers and nuggets, this information is available on the McDonald’s web site, and also in brochures and posters currently available and on display in McDonald's restaurants. But seeing how much fat is stacked in a Big Mac as it’s being handed to us may be eye-opening enough. Better hold the fries!