McDonald's, battered by criticism of its fatty foods, says it will eliminate Supersize French fries and soft drinks by the end of the year, part of a swing toward pleasing health-minded customers and simplifying its menu.

McDonald's Supersize option, which includes a 7-ounce carton of fries and 42-ounce fountain soda, has been targeted by critics as contributing to a growing obesity crisis in the United States where more than half the population is considered overweight or obese.

The world's largest fast-food company, which began offering Supersize portions widely in 1994, said it is making the menu changes to "support a balanced lifestyle" approach that is in keeping with other recent moves to promote healthier behaviour.

These include a planned national launch of a Happy Meal for adults called Go Active! In the past year, it has introduced several health-oriented foods, such as entree-sized salads and healthy alternatives in children's Happy Meals, including milk and fruit.

A new documentary film, called "Super Size Me" illustrates the negative effects of over-consumption of McDonald's food. The film has not yet been released.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said that the menu changes are not related to any impact of the film on public awareness.

The company has been reducing complexity of its menu, part of a broader push to improve operations and service in its more than 13,000 U.S. restaurants.

Analysts said the change reflects McDonald's move away from discounting toward an emphasis on foods with higher-quality ingredients and better profit margins, such as the new salads and the all-white-meat Chicken McNuggets.

(Agencies)