I have not eaten at McDonalds for years and refuse to being my kids there. The food is horrible and filled with preservatives. I don't want my kids eating that junk. We eat healthy and almost 100 percent organic.

"Lastly, as more people look to eat healthier, they're eating less and less fast food."
Got that right, fast food is anything but healthy, the calorie content alone is enough to scare me, never mind what they put in it.
Since I stopped eating that ..... stuff.... I can't even stand the smell of it, actually nauseates me.

We never go to Mcnastys...I have yet to find anything there were the fat/calorie exchange for flavor...
Just remember it's not just fast food...it's nearly all pre-packaged ready to eat meals...In their attempts to lower fat they raise the sodium. You can find upwards of 1,000mg of sodium in many frozen dinner meals, even the "healthy choices" ;) It will say in big letter "Low fat" "Low calorie"...but it never says "Contains 90% of your daily allowance of sodium!"

I know most people go into these places for burgers and fries and yes they are fattening but, believe it or not both McDonald's and Wendy's have very good salads. I know, I occasionally get them.

P.S. I think McDonald's has great coffee at a great price.

Each of you are absolutly correct in your comments, but I think you all missed the point of the article. I surmise that all of you already are concerned with what you and your families eat and the economy has nothing to do with why you don't frequent fast food chains. However the folks who are there three or four times a week have had to cut back precisely because of the lousy economy and not because they are concerned about eating healthy.

My family eats healthy but we used to get the kids fast food here and there on a busy night. We haven't in many months because money is tight and the prices at these places seems to be going higher and higher. If we are going to spend that much on dinner, we would rather go to a "real" restaurant for just a few dollars more.

Frankly, the food tastes good but I have come to prefer a good sub to McDonalds and their ilk. Subs are now priced well and can offer a satisfying meal plus, they are a lot less fatty and, at least to me, seem a bit more healthy. Notice, thats a perception on my part, not a clear scientific fact that motivates me.

I'm wondering if how I'm thinking is widespread? If it is then McDonalds will continue to see market share wane.

I love McDonalds, just ate there yesterday. They are also very community oriented. They do fundraisers for our nonprofit anytime we want. They donate 15% of all there sales for a 3 hour period and give us free prizes to sell.

Everything is good as long as its done in moderation, even McDonalds.

There is nothing good at McDonalds. I might try them again if the burgers were actually the same as PICTURED! Anyone tried those "Fish Bites"? What a joke they are! The last good burger I had was at the Ground Round (now the Walgreens location, a huge loss). I have yet to try the new burger places at White City, but I'm hopeful they will blow McDonalds/Burger King out of town.

Eating the carcass of a dead animal who lived a horrible life and died a horrible death so my stomach can feel full is unappealing to me. I haven't eaten fast food in well over two decades.

Vegans amuse me to no end...all sanctimonious about "I would never eat an animal that led a sad life, etc etc".....

But as soon as there are coyotes spotted in MetroWest, the local news has to do a live cut-in to show aerial footage of the police response.

Just because you've decided to remove yourselves from the normal food chain and show "compassion" for other animals in the chain does not mean any of those animals care about you.

I just love how one person's opinion is what they are "entitled" to while another is "disrespectful".

PETA. people eating tasty animals. Love McDonalds.

How about some fast bison? Or a fast horse? Or what about the fast junk at the grocery store? Most of what is called food there is "fast" and the packaging costs more than the contents. What are you really buying? All of these places, including fat fast food dispensers should be responsible for the damage done to an individual's heath and to the environment. Ever wonder where all the crap in a Walmart ends up? Not in any useful place for sure.

Charge them a return fee and see how fast the plastic will disappear!

I could never imagined that people who live in Natick area like to eat junk food like McDonalds. Wow! How can we fight obesity and teach our kids to eat healthy if grown ups pay to keep these harmful foods alive to pass it to next generation.

I don't care what anyone chooses to eat on their own dime. I just wish the trash that frequents fast food chains would stop throwing their garbage all over Franklin and Main Street.

I managed a McD's in the late 70's and early 80's and I can tell you the quality of their meat was high. Boy would I like to have fries done in lard again, they taste so much better. I was skinny eating there 3-4 times per week, but I did walk a mile each way to work