Ronald McDonald Stays, Despite Growing Childhood Obesity In The USA

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 20 May 2011 - 16:00 PDT


Despite receiving a request from 550 healthcare workers to cease targeting children in its marketing campaigns of fast foods, Jim Skinner, McDonald's Chief Executive, said "Ronald McDonald is going nowhere."

A group of nuns (The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in partnership with Corporate Accountability International) had headed a proposal that would asses McDonald's policy responses to public concerns about the association between fast food consumption and childhood obesity and its subsequent health consequences.

McDonald's board of directors turned down the motion of getting rid of Ronald. They argued that the company offers variety, nutrition information and directed its messages to children in a responsible manner. They added that part of the democratic process is having choice, something they do not want to deny their customers.

Statement by Dr. Don Zeigler

Dr. Don Zeigler, Director of Prevention & Health Promotion at the American Medical Association and Adjunct Professor in Preventive Medicine at Rush University wrote in Corporate Accountability's website that as a health professional he is concerned, because today, health care services and facilities are inundated with patients suffering conditions linked to their eating habits.

He quotes WHO (World Health Organization), saying the world faces a slow motion catastrophe of non-communicable diet-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. He associates these diseases and conditions with the promotion and consumption of sugars, sodium and fats - ingredients that are abundant in fast foods.

He calls this epidemic tragic because it is almost entirely preventable. He accuses McDonald's marketing techniques of playing a considerable role in bringing about this problem. According to WHO, Dr. Zeigler added, policies to reduce fast food and junk food marketing to children are essential if we really want to reverse this (obesity) trend.

It is wrong to continue claiming that lack of parental responsibility is the root of the problems when hundreds of millions of dollars are spent marketing fast foods directly towards children - such marketing strategies interfere with and undermine parental efforts to promote healthy eating.

Kelle Louaillier, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability International, said:

"McDonald's has long left a critical element of its annual earning reports off the books - the spiraling costs to our children's health and the healthcare system from its business practices. Starting with this landmark resolution, it's time the corporation stopped attempting to nutri-wash away the costs of its marketing and overall business practices to shareholders and the public."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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