FAST-FOOD JUNKIES ARE SUING.

Byline: Kathleen Sweeney Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The battle of the bulge rages on as a new offensive is launched in the burger war against the Whopper and the Big Mac. This time it's in Supreme Court.

A New York couple have filed a lawsuit against McDonald's on behalf of their children, claiming the chain's unhealthy meals made the teens fat and caused them to develop heart disease.

In Santa Clarita, where new fast-food restaurants are opening as more families move into the area, the customers said they know full well what they're eating.

``I think it's ridiculous that you can hold a restaurant responsible for your child's nutritional value,'' said Julie Arshonsky, a Valencia mother of two who brought them to eat at the McDonald's on McBean Parkway near Decoro Drive. ``I'm eating fruit and yogurt. There are a lot of healthy choices.''

The suit came weeks after a legal action was filed in New York City against McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Wendy's on behalf of a 270-pound maintenance worker. The man claimed he developed diabetes and suffered two heart attacks after eating at these restaurants for decades - four or five times a week.

John Banzhaf, a George Washington University law professor who pioneered suits against tobacco firms, was acting as an adviser in the case. Another attorney had filed the suit in New York Supreme Court in the Bronx in late August.

Experts said the lawsuits were an outgrowth of tobacco litigation and that there will be more coming.

``These suits would have you believe that these kids have been robotically going to fast-food restaurants every day and that there's no one around to stop them,'' Walter Olson, a Manhattan Institute fellow who specializes in legal system issues told Cox News Service. ``Most people should know that eating a Big Mac is different than eating lettuce,'' he said.

A quick look at the nutritional value of these foods, found on McDonald's Web sites, isn't hiding the truth of what's in the food, restaurant officials said.

McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese contains 530 calories and 30 grams of fat. Add a medium fries to that order and you pack on an additional 450 calories and 22 grams of fat. That's 980 calories of a recommended daily diet of 2,000 calories.

Fast-food chains have responded to public demand for the addition of healthier entrees to their menus, such as salads and grilled or deli sandwiches.

McDonald's recently announced plans to reduce the amount of trans fatty acids by the use of an improved cooking oil. The new oil will reduce the fatty acids in french fries by 48 percent.

Nicole Smidt, 16, a senior at Valencia High School, said she joins her friends for lunch at a fast-food restaurant about once a week but brings her own lunch - because she thinks the healthier alternatives on the menu don't have much flavor. She said she doesn't blame the teens for filing suit.

``The salads are gross,'' she said while having lunch at McDonald's, adding the grilled chicken doesn't taste good either. ``The only thing left is a hamburger and fries.''

In part, it's those famous fries that attract customers to the restaurants, and Santa Clarita residents who occasionally or regularly eat at fast-food chains said they are well aware of the choices they are making even before entering the restaurant's door.

``I think it shows how far society is going in not taking responsibility for their actions,'' Cindy Burke, a Saugus mother of two, said about the suits as she and her kids ate lunch at the Burger King on Bouquet Canyon Road. ``If they are old enough to drive a car, they are old enough to choose their nutritional value.''

Apparently this was not the case for the two New York youths, according to the lawsuit, which claimed McDonald's enticed them to consume larger portions through ``value meal'' advertisements that failed to disclose health effects.

The teens' ages were not stated, but one is 5-foot-9 and weighs 270 pounds and the other is 5-foot-3 and weighs 200 pounds. In the lawsuit they claimed they had eaten at McDonald's restaurants several times a week for years.

The American Heart Association blames low physical activity for the increasing obesity in children, a new study said. Globally, some 22 million children under 5 years old are overweight and an estimated 1 billion around the world have weight problems.

Obesity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and contributes to the worldwide surge in diabetes mellitus, the report said.

Patrick Garbutt said he has been eating at fast-food restaurants since he was a teen and he doesn't have a weight problem.

``It's not McDonald's that makes them obese,'' he said, after finishing his lunch at McDonald's with his wife and three children, who like to play in the restaurant's Play Place.

It's the parents' responsibility to teach children good, healthy eating habits when they're young, other community residents agreed. It's also their responsibility to get their kids away from the television or computer and get them involved in other activities.

``It's the fault of the parents,'' Andrea Garbutt said. ``You need to balance it out with activity, because it's fattening.''