Is all that stock footage of stocky Americans waddling across our TV screens on the nightly news finally having an impact? After reading the New York Times' epic length report on the explosion of diabetes in our region, it's hard not to feel discouraged by the percentage of people who would sooner lose a limb, or their eyesight, to this awful disease, than to alter their eating habits, or change their sedentary lifestyle. Hey, I love French fries, too, but I love being able to walk, and see, even more.

So it's heartening to learn that McDonald's is adding more chicken dishes, salads, and fruits to its menu. Even more encouraging is the reason why: burger sales have bottomed out, while chicken products have shown growth of 8 to 10 percent a year. As much as McDonald's PR machine might want to persuade us that the Golden Arches is only following the Golden Rule by offering healthier options for its customers, it's safe to say the powers that be at Mickey D are at least as concerned about healthy profits.

And that's fine by me. I don't eat there, anyway. But millions of Americans do, everyday, and the fact that they're creating a demand for healthier fast food, and McDonald's is responding accordingly, can only be a good thing. Unless, of course, you're a cattle farmer.