Fast food has been blamed for the plague of Dunlop disease in the U.S. ("My belly dunlop over my belt.") Certainly, a typical meal at McDonald's takes a lot of work to burn off. A Quarter-pounder with Cheese (in Europe, a Royal with Cheese), fries and a medium Coke contains 1,100 calories. The average person needs 1,800- 2,500 calories for an entire day to maintain consistent weight.

However, most chains now offer waistline-friendly selections. For example, McDonald's has compiled suggested menus that don't require you to eat leaves and twigs. These include-

Breakfast:
Sausage Burrito
12 oz. orange juice
440 calories
(For comparison, two glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts have 400 calories)

Lunch:
4 pc. Chicken McNuggets w/ honey dipping sauce
Side salad with a half pack of Newman's Caesar dressing
Small Sprite
470 calories

Supper:
Cheeseburger
Apple dippers with low-fat caramel sauce
Small Diet Coke
400 calories

Certainly these menu selections aren't perfect; they are high in fat, sodium and cholesterol. However, for sedentary workers they make a lot more sense.