quote:McDonald's Corp., known for its Big Macs and fries, is sending its flame-headed mascot, Ronald McDonald, into elementary schools to push fitness -- part of a corporate campaign to address the childhood obesity issue.
Ronald, the company's newly dubbed "chief happiness officer," has become the company's "ambassador for an active, balanced lifestyle," McDonald's Chief Creative Officer Marlena Peleo-Lazar told a government panel yesterday. Her announcement came the same week an appeals court reinstated a lawsuit against McDonald's in which two New York teenagers claim they got fat because the company hid the health risks of its food.
quote:The campaign was criticized by Harvard psychologist Susan Linn, author of "Consuming Kids."
"It's just another marketing ploy for McDonald's," she said. "It has no place in the school. The amount of exercise it will take to exercise off everything these kids consume will take all day."
So the message is going to be it's fine to eat crap as long as you exercise afterword?
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
I don't know whether to laugh or not...the thing is, some people will see this as justifying eating McDonalds.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
McDonalds=evil
In our household, it is known as "The Evil Place." I haven't eaten there in 10 years.
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
I think it was about 10 years ago the dh declared, "Ronald McDonald is Satan, and he wants us to sacrifice our children on the altar of convenience".
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
What's the dh?
Posted by bunbun (Member # 6814) on :
Even thier salads are bad news. I can't eat there without feeling horrible.
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
I love McDonald's hamburgers. Thin, frozen patties that are full of fat and grease. Yummy. And no, I'm not being sarcastic, I really do love their crappy food, don't know why, but I do. In fact, I just had McDonald's today, then I got sick, but that was my fault.
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
Isn't this like cigarrette companies trying to get people to not smoke?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
No, it's like cigarette companies making a big deal out of the fact that they tell people it's not healthy to smoke and "want to prevent underage smoking".
Phillip Morris is also evil.
So is Wal-Mart, while we're at this game.
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
In order to live you must eat. How you eat is up to you. You can always choose another food to eat. Since one has to eat, one would prefer to eat what is convenient and tastes good. That does not make the providers of convenient, good tasting food at fault for negative health effects to the consumer.
You do not need to smoke. If you change cigarettes you'll still be addicted and you're health will still be in danger.
If I wanted to, I could stop going to McDonald's at any time. I have no uncontrollable urges to go to McDonald's and eat there. In fact, it had been over a month since the last time I had been there before today. It would be much harder for someone on tobacco to quit.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I don't think McDonald's or Philip Morris is evil because of their product; I think they're evil because of their business practices. Like Wal-Mart.
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
I don't think McDonald's does anything as near as insidious as marketing products that are near impossible to give up, garaunteed to cause your health long term damage, and intended for those who are banned by law from using the products.
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
quote: What's the dh?
"dear husband"
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
You know, if you skip down to the bottom of the page you can buy McDonald's stock or bid on their toys.
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
quote: I don't think McDonald's does anything as near as insidious as marketing products that are near impossible to give up, garaunteed to cause your health long term damage, and intended for those who are banned by law from using the products.
OK, I will give that they're not marketing to people prohibited by law from buying their products. But they do get people- especially parents of young children- hooked on the convenience. Many parents could not imagine not taking their kids to McD's, and they have worked hard to intill the idea that it is a childhood "given".
As for health- just look at the nutritional info. Sure, there are a few healthy choices, but how many people go to McD's for a salad and orange juice?
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
In related news, Charlton Heston is serving another term as President of the NRA...
Maybe Bill Clinton can get a guest seat on the Senate Ethics Committee while we are at it...
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
quote: hooked on the convenience
So in order to be less evil they should try to serve their food slower? Is a McDonald's quarter pounder any less healthy than a guarter pound angus beef hamburger you get a Fridays?
Furthermore, being "hooked" on convenience isn't the same as being hooked on nicotine.
quote: As for health- just look at the nutritiontal info. Sure, there are a few healthy choices, but how many people go to McD's for a salad and orange juice?
Do you think McD's cares if you get a salad or a burger? They just care that they make money, its individuals that choose that they want to eat unhealthy as opposed to healthy. Its not McDonald's fault for being the best at providing convenient food. What is McD's doing that Burger King or Wendy's isn't? They're just better at what they do, that's no reason to declare that they are evil.
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
quote:Its not McDonald's fault for being the best at providing convenient food. What is McD's doing that Burger King or Wendy's isn't? They're just better at what they do, that's no reason to declare that they are evil.
Well, I think they're all evil. I don't think McDonalds is worse than Wendy's or Burger King...I wouldn't eat at any of them. I think any company, whether a fast food chain, grocery retailer, etc, that makes it's money selling unhealthy food and marketing it to children is unethical.
Posted by gingerjam (Member # 7113) on :
quote:I think any company, whether a fast food chain, grocery retailer, etc, that makes it's money selling unhealthy food and marketing it to children is unethical.
Ditto.
...my latest discovery though is that starbucks is taking over the world...we definately saw about 4 times more starbucks's around the world than McD's... scary...especially in places like Vienna where their little family owned coffee shops and cafe's are part of the culture that makes the streets quaint
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
I think it was about 10 years ago the dh declared, "Ronald McDonald is Satan, and he wants us to sacrifice our children on the altar of convenience".
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)