Master Chief, Not McNuggets, Causing Childhood Obesity
What do we call this technique children? Deflection, deflection, deflection.
In the current societal climate, where fried and fatty is glanced longingly at from the corner while being denounced for the terrible toll it’s taking on the health of both adults and children, McD’s needed a new punching bag to point at, guiding the hordes aggressive nutrition-conscious hooligan off Ronald’s tail. McDonald’s UK CEO has single-handedly found the culprit — video games.
Steve Easterbrook chooses to gloss over offerings like the Big Mac meal, which comprises an astounding 71% of your recommended daily fat intake, a disgusting 1130 largely empty calories, and an impressive 67g of sugar (if you don’t put ketchup on your fries)…no, he’s keen to pin childhood obesity, a hot topic in many realms at the moment, on Mario and Luigi.
Apparently video games have made kids fat and lazy, and have been responsible for kids spending less time outside exercising. While this might be true, and while video games certainly play a role in the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of many young people, I find it a little low that Easterbrook has decided to downplay McD’s, which is active consumption, and pick on passive inactivity. It would take over 2 hours of running flat out to burn off a single Big Mac meal.
Here’s my theoretical representation of a board meeting where Easterbrook describes his brilliant idea:
Easterbrook: …so there you have it. We’ll blame the whole thing on gaming, what do you think?
Junior Staffer: But sir, wouldn’t that make us hypocritical, patronizing assholes?
Easterbrook: Well yes, yes it would Jimmy. But who cares? We’re McDonalds! In the amount of time the press spends moaning and whinging about it, we’ll have sold another 100 million burgers.
Junior Staffer: …
I’m not saying his argument isn’t without merit, but it’s like the pot calling the kettle black.
Via | Boing Boing
2 opinions for Master Chief, Not McNuggets, Causing Childhood Obesity
Mike
Jan 22, 2008 at 11:24 pm
They’re blaming video games? If this were the case, McD should end their Wi-Fi deal with Nintendo. But nooooooo. When money talks, you should listen.
Molly
Jan 23, 2008 at 1:44 am
I do agree with McDonalds in the sense that children are spending too much time indoors playing video games, rather than spending time outdoors exercising. However, the point is McDonalds as well as other fast food restaurants are responsible for childhood obesity. These fast food restaurants solicit children every day. One thing that really bothers me about McDonalds blaming video games is the fact that they hand those out as toys in Happy Meals. Granted they are not any Xbox, but the point is they hand out mini games that children stay inside playing for hours with. If McDonalds is so sure that video games is the cause then maybe they should stop handing them out to our youth.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: