McDonald's is rethinking its strategy after losing 500 million U.S. orders over the past five years. The fast-food chain had aimed to widen its customer base by chasing after health-conscious consumers who rarely eat there. But a customer survey conducted last year revealed it was losing customers to other fast-food chains, not to fast-casual restaurants serving healthier food. That's why it has decided to embrace its fast-food identity and focus on its core products. Critics have longed urged McDonald's to focus on its core customers, but McDonald's had added more salads, snack wraps, and oatmeal to its menu in hopes of drawing health-minded customers. Recently, the chain pulled many of those slow-selling products. Interestingly, Burger King similarly attempted to appeal to a broader, more health-conscious customer base in recent years, but it didn't work for them either. McDonald's will now focus on improving the quality of its food to keep existing ...

Can you guess where people buy most of their junk food? Chances are that fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King come to mind. A new study described in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition , however, reveals that U.S. adults buy the bulk of their empty-calorie foods and sugar-sweetened beverages at grocery stores and supermarkets. The new findings challenge the "food desert" hypothesis, which states that a lack of access to supermarkets and grocery stores in some underserved communities worsens the obesity crisis by restricting people's access to healthy foods. In other words, contrary to popular belief, access to healthy foods in a supermarket does not hinder Americans' consumption of empty calories. The study looked at data from 4,204 adults who reported their daily food intake in two nonconsecutive 24-hour periods in 2011 and 2012. The analysis determined that nearly half (46.3 percent) of U.S. adults consume sugar-sweetened b...

"Have it your way" was Burger King's slogan for 40 years. The thrust was that consumers could customize their burger any way they wished -- without cheese, with extra pickles, and so forth. I always thought the slogan could be adapted to construct a very powerful inspirational quote -- by changing the first two words to "live life." Thus, "live life your way." That's the motto I feel we should all live by. Dress as you wish. Pursue a career in the field of your choice. Savor the hobbies that make you feel alive. Live your life by your own terms. As I've stressed in several posts, I am ardently opposed to following the herd. Life is too short to try to appease everybody. You'll always disappoint someone. You'll always fall short of someone's expectations.  What's really the point of trying to do things to others' liking? You never know if that relationship will end tomorrow.  We should all embrace our Go...

Although everyone knows Starbucks for its delicious coffee and expresso drinks, it's the company's charitable efforts that are getting more attention of late. Starbucks announced that it aims to contribute 100% of unsold food in the U.S. to Feeding America, a hunger relief organization. The idea didn't come from the top brass at the company, but from batistas behind the counter who felt the leftover food should go to the hungry. Companies like Cheesecake Factory, KFC, Taco Bell, and Chipotle already donate surplus food. Still, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 30% to 40% of America's food supply is wasted. Starbucks plans to have distributed 5 million meals -- including everything from paninis to salads -- by year's end. I applaud CEO Howard Schultz for this initiative and sincerely hope that many other restaurants including McDonald's and Burger King will soon follow suit. Poverty is a serious problem in America and around the world....

Gift cards are yet again expected to be among the hottest gifts of the year.  This should come as no surprise considering the myriad conveniences of gift cards as opposed to other items, both for the buyer and seller. When it comes to the buyer, he or she doesn't have to worry about the item not fitting the recipient or possibly breaking on the drive home. It's also nice not to have to stuff cash or a check in an envelope, which, studies show, people are more likely to misplace. The person who receives the gift has the freedom to use the gift card to buy whatever item(s) he or she desires, provided that the total doesn't exceed the amount on the card. The only time a gift card becomes an inconvenience is when the retailer(s) listed on the card are those you wouldn't be caught dead shopping at. For example, how would you feel if you, a vegetarian, received a $50 Burger King gift card? Before giving anyone a card, consumers should make sure the recipient regularly...

...none other than retired English soccer star and heartthrob David Beckham. With an estimated net worth of $350 million in 2013, Beckham has endorsement deals with a slew of companies ranging from Armani and Samsung to Burger King and Diet Coke. He's also married to and has four children with Victoria Beckham, who rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group Spice Girls. Per PEOPLE magazine, Beckham modestly claims he's not sure he's even deserving of the honor. I know little about Beckham, as I've never been interested in soccer. In fact, I only recall seeing him in a couple of TV commercials and magazine ads. While there's no doubt he's an attractive lad, I'm sure there were several other celebrities who were as worthy of the mantle, like Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper. I suppose Beckham edged them out because he's a global sex symbol. Do you think PEOPLE Magazine made a good choice? Who else do you feel was deserving of the honor?

What better way to promote peace than with a mammoth, mouth-watering burger? Burger King, Denny's, Wayback Burgers, The Krystal Co., and Giraffas have teamed up to produce a massive burger comprised of the restaurants' ingredients -- all to raise awareness of the International Day of Peace, which is observed annually on Sept. 21. An Atlanta pop-up shop handed out 1,500 of them today in the name of global peace. The tradition was established by the United Nations in 1982. Burger King first reached out to McDonald's and proposed they set aside their differences for one day in honor of the International Day of Peace and create a burger that combined both restaurants' ingredients -- a "McWhopper," if you will. But McDonald's passed. However, four restaurants -- Denny's, Wayback, Krystal, and Giraffas -- all wrote to Burger King expressing interest in collaborating on this effort. The result? A gargantuan sandwich that melds ingredients from the resta...