I figured I would start things off right. This has been bugging me for months and I just finished reading an article that furthers my anger. I am talking about the Center for Disease Control and their never ending battle against obesity.
According the the CDC the number of obese children in America has more than tripled in the past 30 years and their blame is on fast food restaurants. They are now seeking to hold someone accountable and that appears to be the fast food industry. And using the logic of most, to get the most out of it go for the largest target which in this case is McDonald's. When reading this please take the viewpoint of the fight against obesity, not from the viewpoint that McDonald's is a large "evil" corporation or other problems that might be associated with them as I know there are some. I am not defending them all aspects of their operations.
First there was a big ordeal with McDonald's and their "deceptive" marketing towards children. Watchdog groups were and still are upset because said franchise's advertisements were geared towards children and in turn make parents feel guilty for telling their kids no. I am sorry, but as a parent you should be the one who decides where your kid eats and you should have the power to say no. In letting these groups win they are in essence the ones parenting your kids. I for one find this appalling, does anyone else agree? This disdain then moved on aimed at McDonald's most beloved character, Ronald McDonald. Since he is a clown and is always having fun he makes kids want to come and eat there.
Also, since when was marketing your brand an evil thing in America? McDonald's spent years creating their brand and image and has always been geared towards children. What about the stupid mouse in the Chuck E. Cheese commercials? They not only have character geared towards children, but they also show games and prizes. The food that is served there can by no means be any more healthy than that served at a McDonald's and they promote the playing of video games, which could be another target coming in the future.
Now the "Center for Science In the the Public Interest" (never knew they existed, so much for my interest), says they will file a lawsuit against McDonald's citing that "McDonald's uses deceptive marketing strategies by trying to 'lure' children to its restaurants by offering a free toy inside the Happy Meal." The CSPI further cites that "not only is this contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic...but also alleges that McDonald's could be breaking some consumer rights laws in a handful of states." This is clear cut libel on the part of the CSPI. They know there is no legal action that would ever hold up in court; they are just out to blemish the name of McDonald's and try to curb society away from eating at fast food restaurants. Trying to get society to do what they want is used by another group, but that is a completely different topic and I do not want to delve into that without T.
For now I think the CDC should just stop looking for people to blame and shift focus to educating. Education is, in my mind, at the cornerstone of change (be on the lookout for a post coming about education as I know T has a lot to say on that). They need to also stop calling obesity a disease. In calling it a disease it just provides ammunition for people to blame the disease not their sedentary lifestyle.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel that McDonald's is in the wrong for marketing towards children? Is this really the leading cause of obesity in this country?
-a
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