Oprah trainer to help slim down chain’s menu

? McDonald’s Corp. has enlisted the aid of Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer to promote an adult version of the Happy Meal, the fast-food giant’s latest effort to offer healthier products.

Instead of Happy Meal standards like a burger and a toy, the new Go Active meal will include a salad, an exercise booklet and a pedometer meant to encourage walking.

Fitness guru Bob Greene has agreed to help promote the Go Active Meal, which is being test-marketed at 150 McDonald’s restaurants in Indiana.

Greene said consumers had to take “personal responsibility” for the choices they make when it comes to consuming food. He also will consult on new menu items for the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company, which also announced a new taco version of its premium salads on Tuesday.

“McDonald’s sees some major trends, and the company is trying to be responsive,” said Bob Goldin, an analyst at Chicago-based food consultancy Technomic. “Whether these initiatives will actually move the needle (to boost sales), I don’t know.”

Bob Greene, left, personal trainer for Oprah Winfrey, and Ronald McDonald stretch before a walk on the Monon Trail in Indianapolis. McDonald's announced an exclusive partnership with Greene, an exercise physiologist, to educate the public about eating healthy.