The McDonalds $1 Menu is a good value

Before I rebut my opponents arguments, I would like to share a story. 35-year-old Merab Morgan, a mother of two, took on a fast food diet with McDonald's. Morgan only ate at McDonald's for 90 days, taking healthy things from the menu (such as the salad from the dollar menu) and she lost 37 pounds. She ate all 3 meals a day, not starving herself and eating properly. But she did however become healthier with the help of the McDonald's diet. (. http://www.msnbc.msn.com...) It is not a lie that McDonald's offers healthy alternatives. According to a "Daily Collegian News" article, McDonald's meals are not as fattening as one may think. Many of these healthy alternatives on the McDonald's meal is on the dollar menu, which in turn is a good and healthier value than my opponent seems to believe. First, I would like to clarify what my opponent said. He said, "By saying fat and overweight, I meant that the dollar menu couldn't help. " I would like to respectfully point out that this is not true. Unless my opponent is saying that a salad or a yogurt parfait or apple dippers are NOT healthy, then he is unaware that these things indeed ARE healthy and these items ARE on the dollar menu at McDonald's. My opponent talks about how I compared the McDouble (a dollar menu item) to a Big Mac (a regular menu item). I am grateful that he agreed with me that the McDouble is healthier than the Big Mac, and I thank my opponent for helping me prove my point. I would also like to thank my opponent for agreeing that, "The McDonalds dollar menu indeed has healthy alternatives to a normal burger. " I would like to point out that this is a contradiction to his earlier statement that the dollar menu couldn't help health-wise. My opponent said, "The yogurt parfait is fairly small along with apple dippers. They may be healthy but you could get something three times as big for another dollar. " My opponent has not provided a healthier alternative that costs a dollar that is "three times as big," therefore I would like to point out that I have provided several choices on the McDonald's dollar menu that are healthy and cost a dollar that are just as filling. Secondly, my opponent brings up the idea that service is a big part of the dollar menu. I apologize for his several ice cream incidents, but I can assure you that every McDonald's I've been to has had perfectly fine ice cream machines. And he said himself that he had not been to a McDonald's in a long time; if he had not been to a McDonald's, how would he know if the ice cream machines had not been updated? He wouldn't know. My opponent said, "My opponent also keeps bringing up the fact that McDonalds has a large variety of foods. Which is true but really wont help in this debate. " However, I argue that it WILL help in this debate. Places like Wendy's has only a few burgers and some nuggets, yet McDonald's has burgers and fries and nuggets and deserts and salads, etc. The McDonald's dollar menu has a larger variety than any other fast food restaurant. My opponent cannot deny that McDonald's is the largest fast food restaurant in the United States, thus having the largest selection for anyone to choose from. As my opponent clarified, "Paying more for better food is a great exchange. McDonalds bad food for a dollar is certainly not a good exchange. " I have a question: If McDonald's is such a horrible place that you try to make it seem, then how is it the biggest fast food restaurant in the nation? Why do millions of Americans go there everyday to eat? Why is it still in business if it is so horrible? Now that I have rebutted my opponents arguments, I would like to take the time to defend some of his attacks and rebuild my own case. Firstly, my opponent brought up the idea that Wendy's burger is a cent cheaper. However true this may be, I do not believe a single cent makes much difference. He also mentioned, "Spend a extra buck and get a Triple burger which you cant compare to a double cheeseburger. " I would like to point out that a Triple Burger is not on the Wendy's dollar menu, therefore is irrelevant in this debate. Secondly, my opponent brought up 40 cents more for an ice cream at Dairy Queen. Again, I would like to keep this debate under the grounds of a dollar menu. If we begin comparing a McDonald's burger to a $50 gourmet burger in France, it defeats the purpose of the debate: the dollar menu. It is a key word in the resolution, therefore I would like to respectfully remain with that resolution instead. For the following reasons: 1) the value meal is healthier than the regular McDonald's menu 2) it is a good value, as I have proven in the prier rounds 3) the McDonald's dollar menu has a variety of foods no other fast food restaurant has I would like to respectfully ask for an affirmative vote in this debate. I again thank my opponent for a fun debate, and I thank the viewers of this debate. Thank you and good luck for the future.