Thread: Ronald McDonald being blamed for child obesity?

Originally Posted by buck84

I don't know if this is the appropriate category for this particular topic, but you can be the judge. This is not new, but I see that health advocates, again, are pushing for the removal of Ronald McDonald as the face of McDonald's because they believe he's one reason for child obesity. Please tell me there aren't any rational thinking people that believe that crap is there?

I'm sure it has nothing to do with parent's need for convenience (not fixxen a decent meal), or that the parent weighs 500 lbs and is feeding their kid's the same crap, that made them overweight. Blame it on a cartoon character.

Originally Posted by michael h

I'm sure it has nothing to do with parent's need for convenience (not fixxen a decent meal), or that the parent weighs 500 lbs and is feeding their kid's the same crap, that made them overweight. Blame it on a cartoon character.

Perish the thought of personal responsibility! Quick, where's my scapegoat?

Originally Posted by buck84

I don't know if this is the appropriate category for this particular topic, but you can be the judge. This is not new, but I see that health advocates, again, are pushing for the removal of Ronald McDonald as the face of McDonald's because they believe he's one reason for child obesity. Please tell me there aren't any rational thinking people that believe that crap is there?

Who are these 'health advocates'? Do you have a link to this story?

Originally Posted by buck84

I don't know if this is the appropriate category for this particular topic, but you can be the judge. This is not new, but I see that health advocates, again, are pushing for the removal of Ronald McDonald as the face of McDonald's because they believe he's one reason for child obesity. Please tell me there aren't any rational thinking people that believe that crap is there?

Advertising works. If it didn't, companies wouldn't do it.

America's fascination with the idea that the answer to everything is unfettered pursuit of profit has allowed our minds to be clouded with the idea that our liberty depends upon corporations being allowed to do whatever they please.

Is it just and only Ronald McDonald? Are America's parents lazy slobs? Are school lunch programs any more healthy than a Kids Meal?

One fact I was never able to get my head around is that we like fat. It isn't the sugar in cookies that make us eat cookies. Its the fat; look at the fat content of Oreos sometime.


I do resent the attitude from McDonalds that they offer healthy foods, too, but people prefer their kill-me menu. Their health menus are way overpriced, and then included is a dressing that is loaded with fat and calories, so the health part is out the window.

Originally Posted by Jefe

Who are these 'health advocates'? Do you have a link to this story?

I saw the story also. Either yahoo or msn.

Originally Posted by buck84

I don't know if this is the appropriate category for this particular topic, but you can be the judge. This is not new, but I see that health advocates, again, are pushing for the removal of Ronald McDonald as the face of McDonald's because they believe he's one reason for child obesity. Please tell me there aren't any rational thinking people that believe that crap is there?

Because blaming the parents is far more accurate and effective. Since it's not politically correct to blame the ones responsible, a convenient scapegoat must be offered up.

Originally Posted by Jefe

Who are these 'health advocates'? Do you have a link to this story?

Saw it on fox news early this afternoon. I didn't catch the whole name of the organization the little blonde girl was representing. Whoever she was representing was making the claim that little kids beg there parents to go eat at McDonald's because they see Ronald McDonald on tv, and she made the claim that the meat in McDonald's hamburgers is cleansed with ammonia and high in fat therefore making the food unhealthy. So their solution is, remove Ronald McDonald will deter young kids from wanting to go to McDonalds. Now the ammonia cleansing and all that may be true, personally I don't know, but it seems they are advocating a solution that has absolutely nothing to do with the problem which is child obesity.

Originally Posted by Jefe

Who are these 'health advocates'? Do you have a link to this story?

I just saw a seagment on FNC about it, and i can't remember her name but there was this one health advocate (as she calls herself) who just wouldn't shut up about it...i've seen her before saying the same stuff and she doesn't even let anyone else get a word in.

Originally Posted by buck84

Saw it on fox news early this afternoon. I didn't catch the whole name of the organization the little blonde girl was representing. Whoever she was representing was making the claim that little kids beg there parents to go eat at McDonald's because they see Ronald McDonald on tv, and she made the claim that the meat in McDonald's hamburgers is cleansed with ammonia and high in fat therefore making the food unhealthy. So their solution is, remove Ronald McDonald will deter young kids from wanting to go to McDonalds. Now the ammonia cleansing and all that may be true, personally I don't know, but it seems they are advocating a solution that has absolutely nothing to do with the problem which is child obesity.

Turns out we were watching the same segmeant...i'll use the instant rewind i have to get her name...

Originally Posted by 9aces

Because blaming the parents is far more accurate and effective. Since it's not politically correct to blame the ones responsible, a convenient scapegoat must be offered up.

Good point. Lets make scapegoats of the parents. Lets create a situation where the corporations can do as they wish, and blame any bad consequences on the victims. Great play.

Why is blaming the victims so important to Republicans? Incest is the fault of the child, obesity is the fault of the parent, poor schools are the fault of the teachers and their unions. It never ends. Find the victim and then blame them.

Why not take the energy and redirect it to solving the problem? What is the win with playing the blame game?

Originally Posted by Jefe

Who are these 'health advocates'? Do you have a link to this story?

Meme Roth, and she is infamous for this sort of crap. She was with Cheryl Casone as the other side of this argument on the seagment and wouldn't let Cheryl get a word in.

Its pretty much along the lines of Dick Martin's last post but takes it even further (accusses McDonald's of undermining parents and that "there outta be a law" mentality to get rid of Ronald McDonald.)

It was live an only an hour or so old so it'll take a while for the video of it to even be available on Foxnews.com but it'll get there eventually, but even before that there are plenty of examples of this specific woman advocating his sort of stuff if you want to watch it? (Don't want to clutter up the thread unneccessarily though..)

Originally Posted by Dick Martin

Good point. Lets make scapegoats of the parents. Lets create a situation where the corporations can do as they wish, and blame any bad consequences on the victims. Great play.

Why is blaming the victims so important to Republicans? Incest is the fault of the child, obesity is the fault of the parent, poor schools are the fault of the teachers and their unions. It never ends. Find the victim and then blame them.

Why not take the energy and redirect it to solving the problem? What is the win with playing the blame game?

Let me ask you this. Do you blame Nintendo if you get arthritis in your fingers from playing Super Mario Brothers? Do you blame Phillip Morris if you develop cancer from smoking all your life even though the box says cigarettes can cause you cancer? Do you blame Anheuser Busch because Budweiser made you drunk and you wrecked your car? Although these may sound like silly analogies, they all follow the same principle that we all must be held accountable for our own personal choices.

Originally Posted by buck84

This is not new, but I see that health advocates, again, are pushing for the removal of Ronald McDonald as the face of McDonald's because they believe he's one reason for child obesity. Please tell me there aren't any rational thinking people that believe that crap is there?

It's idiocy. Ronald McDonald never bought a kid a cheeseburger.

There's this gentleman (an odd duck indeed) who just ate his 25,000th BigMac and he's not obese.
39 years, over 14,000,0000 calories later and he's not obese becasue 1011 calories a day don't make you obese.
He's an extreme case but clearly McDonalds alone doesn't make people obese.

Man eats 25,000th Big Mac, 39 years after his 1st - US news - Weird news - msnbc.com

Maybe he should be the new Ronald?