McDonald’s has incurred the wrath of over 550 health professionals and organizations who have signed a letter to McDonald's Corp. asking the maker of Happy Meals to stop marketing junk food to kids and retire Ronald McDonald.
The letter is supposed to run in the form of full-page ads in six metropolitan newspapers around the country on Wednesday and acknowledges that “the contributors to today's (health) epidemic are manifold and a broad societal response is required. But marketing can no longer be ignored as a significant part of this massive problem.” The McDonald's letter, will also run in ads in the Chicago Sun-Times, New York Metro, Boston Metro, San Francisco Examiner, Minneapolis City Pages and Baltimore City Paper. It has been signed by such groups as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition, as well as by well-known nutritionists and doctors like Andrew Weil, a doctor and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
“We ask that you heed our concern and retire your marketing promotions for food high in salt, fat, sugar and calories to children, whatever form they take - from Ronald McDonald to toy giveaways,” said the letter.
McDonald's said in a statement, “We are committed to responsible advertising and take our communications to children very seriously…We understand the importance of children's health and nutrition, and are committed to being part of the dialogue and solution. We serve high quality food, and our Happy Meals offer choice and variety in portions just for kids. Parents tell us they appreciate our Happy Meal choices.”
This latest campaign is organized by the non-profit watchdog group Corporate Accountability International, which has also targeted tobacco companies and beverage makers like Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. for the environmental impact of plastic bottles.
Food makers that market to kids are coming under increased scrutiny. Last month, federal regulators proposed standards to which they're asking food makers to voluntarily adhere when marketing food to children. Food marketed to kids ages 2 to 17 would have to contain healthy items and limit sodium, sugar, fat and calories, according to the proposed guidelines issued by the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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