After 50 years, influence of McDonald’s still felt

Another reason for McDonald’s success: It was well-positioned for America’s changing lifestyle. In the ’50s, as more Americans were climbing into cars, McDonald’s was there to satisfy the demands of a busier, more mobile country. Later, as more women went to work and mothers were increasingly hustling kids to after-school events, McDonald’s told busy parents: “You Deserve a Break Today.”

McDonald’s also shrewdly recognized what people like to eat and how much of it they want.

“They connect with biology because most people like foods with high amounts of sugar and fat,” said Kelly Brownell, a Yale University nutrition expert.

Sara Moulton, host of Sara’s Secrets on the Food Network, executive chef of Gourmet magazine and food editor for “Good Morning America,” said the folks at McDonald’s “understand that Americans are totally into bigger is better.”

It is a formula that still works, despite recent dips. After several years of stagnant U.S. sales and its first-ever quarterly loss in 2002, McDonald’s has been surging for the past two years. Its profits jumped 55 percent in 2004 from the year before to $2.28 billion.

On Wednesday, the company predicted it will report a first quarter profit above Wall Street estimates, citing particularly strong March sales.

McDonald’s refuses to take the blame for obesity and other health problems, saying those are the result of the choices people make. “It’s all about personal responsibility,” said spokeswoman Lisa Howard.

At the same time, McDonald’s has been a leader in the fast-food industry in introducing healthier food such as salads and recently launched a campaign teaching children to eat well and get some exercise.

But as McDonald’s continues to make such changes, it remains the face of the fast-food industry and the face of American values, American capitalism, and, some say, American culinary imperialism. The Golden Arches have become a target of protests and violence around the world, including the ransacking of a half-built restaurant in France and the deadly firebombing of a McDonald’s in Indonesia.

“Our size works for us,” said Irwin Kruger, who owns seven McDonald’s restaurants in New York City, “and sometimes it works against us.”

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