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Ronald McDonald under fire from child obesity opponents

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Kids and grownups alike love Ronald! If he goes, McDonald's won't be the same!!

It's partly because of him, I love Mickey D's!!

Political correctness stinks sometimes!!

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Tuxedomichael - If he is causing people (especially children) to want to go to such a place and fill their faces with nutritionally void assorted processed crap, then he should be scrapped. Personally I find him terrifying.

I quite sincerely hope that Mcdonalds wont be the same - Its 100% junk. This is not political correctness, its about childhood obesity.

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Shufu, Mcdonalds is quite healthy if you sit in the no smoking area and don`t buy any "food".

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It's ridiculous to blame a clown for child obesity! Whoever has a fat kid, it's their own fault for taking them to a place like McDonald's too often instead of having their child eat a healthy meal.

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concentratedsin, I think you expect parents to have a limitless supply of willpower, no? Its very hard and stressful to a parent to have kids whine for McDonalds all the time.

But what I would support more than this is forcing McDonald's to alter the menu to make it healthier even if that means they have to raise prices. They can keep the clown in that case.

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Exercise personal responsibility and willpower. Don't blame it all on a fictional character. Kids whine for McDonalds all the time? Too bad -no Mickey D`s today. Maybe once a month. Plus, why don't kids play outside anymore? I wasn't even allowed in the house except for mealtimes and bathroom breaks in fine weather. Kick the chubby kids outdoors, take away their electronics and hopefully they will actually PLAY and with that, become more healthy.

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MistWizard,

It isn't that hard to tell a child "No" if you knew it would be best for them. McDonald's is the kind of place to enjoy once a month, not once a week.

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what I would support more than this is forcing McDonald's to alter the menu to make it healthier even if that means they have to raise prices.

The easy way to force them to alter the menu is don't buy any of the rubbish in the first place, even if that means you have to give your kid proper food instead. You could even take him to a proper restaurant (or home) and let him practice using a knife and fork, instead of shovelling stuff in with his hands.

Parents who blame a clown for their own lack of willpower are clowns themselves.

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The best bonding I have with my almost 3 year old lad is hitting the Mick Ds and eating it in the park, then running around burning it off. Once a week is all he gets from Ronny. If anything made modern kids fat it was the Internet and video games.... Ronny is a gaijin god.

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This conversation has occurred countless times - a company has found a successful way to prosper. Other people think that the company is "evil", has "bad influence", "bad health effects" etc., so they want to change what it's offering. Now it's McDonald's, but you could put here Apple, Microsoft, Toyota, Sony, Softbank, you name it. But if the products sell, why should company change its business model? If there are so many people who think it's "evil," they would stop buying the products. Look at Toyota - a "model" company suddenly lost sales because of negative image. It was not the negative image but the lost sales which forced the company to rethink some of its practices. If you want McDonald's to change, simply stop going there and purchasing their products. Then they will change by themselves.

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I admit I am one of the rare few who actually prefers McDonalds to Mos Burger. Maybe it's because it is a taste I grew up with, and eating a cheeseburger brings back memories of childhood birthday parties. I have no such emotional attachment to other brands.

Like anything, McDonalds is fine in moderation. If Ronald and the McDonalds marketing department are deliberately going around targeting kids to whine to their parents that they want McDonalds every 3 days, then yes, the fault is with McDonalds. But I don't see that and have to agree with Skinner.

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cleo, not true. Though no fan of the said clown, extemist measures do not provide results. If kids want to try this stuff why not? But ration it.

Don`t force ones on beliefs onto kids whether regarding food, religion, politics etc.

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What about the purveyors of greasy, high calorie ramen and katsudon?

"He ( Ronald ) is a force for good"

Ha ha, Ronald is about the only clown I can stand.

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I say"ban the man", as a devoted father of three, I face an uphill climb everyday. I try to give my kids a healthy diet of yakisoba and takoyaki, just to see Ronald and his happy set friends steal my kids'hearts and turn them into little hindenburgs! Even if I can keep my kids away from those unsaturated fat products, they still turn obese, because of second hand fat! Second hand fat and it's relative unknown evil brother, fourth hand smoke, will get to you through licking. Everytime you lick an addict, tiny bits of fat or tar will enter your bloodstream, and you know toddlers lick about anything. Next item on my agenda are those budweiser girls!

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"I try to give my kids a healthy diet of yakisoba and takoyaki"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

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Not a fan of McD, Mos has some nice food like their Nan-tacos, etc.

For a cheap and quick Burger I go to Beckers, their fish-sand is very nice.

Never understoof the fascination with McD and Ronald.

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But Ronald McDonald is dangerous, sending insidious messages to young people.”

This guy is a loon, how does a clown send insidious messages?

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"Ronald McDonald is dangerous, sending insidious messages to young people"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha a ha ha ha ha ha ha!

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I've long been tired of people complaining about fast food restaurants. No one is forcing anyone to eat fast food. I just got back from a trip in the mountains in Japan and there was not one McDonanlds nor Lotteria or any of Japan's other fast food franchises within tens of kilometers and some of the local kids were definitely on the fat side. No one is touting fast food as health food so to solely blame one industry as the cause of obesity or health problems is a tad out of touch.

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Yes, MacDonalds is garbage, but it is never advertised as 'healthy food', so what is the problem? It is 'fast food' and is no more detrimental to your health than just about any other fast food if consumed excessively. The only reason Maccas is in the spotlight is because so many people persist in eating it, yet everybody knows it is bad for you. Might even have some for lunch myself.

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A devil in clown's clothing...

cleo: You said it! It's totally up to parents to make sure their kids eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise.

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Kudos Jim Skinner! Stand your ground against these advocacy-group-control-freak-buttinski's! Ronald McDonald stays!

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I stopped eating at McDonald's because it was becoming too nutrition.

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I love it when people try with all their might to blame others for their obesity...

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Ban the transfats and artificial sweetners - not the mascot! Who is forcing you to eat that stuff anyway? Read the label, then complain about the ingredients, not the clown.

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Japanese reading this article will be saying, "That clown looks exactly like Donald McDonald, what are the chances of that?!"

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It doesn't matter what people eat in America. They still struggle with obesity. Don't blame it on the clown.

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cleo, not true. Though no fan of the said clown, extemist measures do not provide results

What's 'not true'? That parents have the option of not buying rubbish for their kids in the first place?

Are you saying that giving your kids good nutrition and not being browbeaten into feeding them a staple diet of junk amounts to 'extremist measures'??

Don`t force ones on beliefs onto kids

One parent's beliefs is another parent's common sense, I suppose. It's a parent's responsibility to instill good habits into their kids. Do any less and you're failing as a parent.

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I was surprised to find out how many of my children's friends ate only McD'S , Conbini bentos, cup ramen, and microwaveable frozen foods. Most of their parents never fix an actual meal for their children. I make sure we have a home cooked meal every night, with McD's maybe once a month,but only for lunch.It is the parents fault for kids getting no exercise and then getting fat, not McDonald's, they don't strong arm anyone by forcing them to go in and eat!

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I think Ronald is less of a problem than all of the toys that children get with their happy meals. Often kids will want to have a whole set which means they will have to go back every other week to get the next instalment. I say try to cut that from McDs and see how the children respond. Keep the clown, and make him juggle to promote health!

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Funny how, once you actually take a long look at the "clown" how crappy his physique is. I mean, he is like.....20 kilos overweight. I mean, why can they not get a guy with an actual build, you know? And where IS Regina McDonald? Ronald's lover! I mean, why CAN'T these idiotic MALE businessmen ever get into the 21st century, or get a brain, and like INCLUDE the other half of the population? I know why--because they are stupid. What about the gays? Again, the businessmen are out to lunch on this--pun intended! I mean, they could make Ronald bisexual. And then we could have Robbie, his "friend" to help to sell burgers. It is just so flippin easy to appeal to the masses, but they just can't do this. Amazing.

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I grew up watching McDonald's commercials in Canada & the USA. He was sooo funny. Don't blame him for peep's obesity problems; blame bad parenting and lack of physical activity in this Internet/video gaming era. I was always outside playing sports after school and during holidays, and I'm still slim. It's your ACTIONS that dictate your BEING.

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McDonald's compagny is really the devil. They're marketing plan is a real propaganda programm which target are kids and young people. They attrack them with toys and cool stuff to make sure they'll be McDonald's slaves...sorry consumers once in the adulthood. In Europe they're even trying to promote their products health benefits to reassure the parents (come and eat our delicious plastic salade it's good for you...)

What I witnessed is each time McDonald opens restaurants in a country, the local obesity explose and people forget about their food culture and its health benefit. It is a real cultural and health genocide. Poor kids having to eat the poisons of that ugly McRougor clown.

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The ones that don't bow down to the clown-god are the ones who don't have kids and are not a slave to the "happy meal" toy.

The damaging health appeal of these "foods" is real though. =Once a week/month tops. I stay away from fast-food joints because I don't like being around fast-food addicts.

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He is good! He scares kids and then they won't eat McDonald's food! Just download some bad images in internet and it's done xD I rly don't understand why some parents still let their kids eat this trash!

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By the way, Ronald McDonald remember me that Twisted Metal clown ^^

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I believe McDonald's has raked in more money in the past year than in any other year. Apparently many people like McD's.

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McDonald and countless other fast/junk food enterprises are filling a gap, profiting from the ignorance and neglect of families to provide proper meals. The (only) 2 children my wife and I raised never felt the need to frequent mentioned establishments.

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I believe McDonald's has raked in more money in the past year than in any other year. Apparently many people like McD's.

They don't know any better. The road to donald is so easy.

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"They don't know any better"

They're laughing at the superior intellect.

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They don't know any better. The road to donald is so easy.

Yep, and its all the fault of McDonalds for serving unhealthy food, certainly not the fault of the people buying it. Definitely not the fault of parents for giving it to their children. No, McDonalds bears sole responsibility for child obesity...

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Why is there no personal responsibility and common sense and self-control anymore? As far as kids are concerned, you can't watch what they do all of the time, but teach them as best as you can, especially through example, like not going to McDonald's if you are that worried about health. Pass the responsibility to someone else; blame someone else. It all sounds so easy. But it will all lead to less freedoms and more control. As the years go by and you find more and more of your freedoms being taken away, who will be the ones crying the most?

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My son now 9 developed a dislike to McD.

When he was younger he got hooked on the toys and at times we took him there for a quick meal or breakfast.

Now he dislikes their burgers, etc and rather visits Sukiya, Matsuya, etc for a cheap "fast-food" meal.

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Sarge.

He already loves it. ;)

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Zenny - Try to get your son to the best fast food - kaiten sushi.

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ooh yeah...fish full of mercury...oishiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

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Mercury, schmercury, no one ever got mercury poisoning by eating McD's Filet-O-Fish or at kaiten sushi places.

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its kaitenzushi by the way...

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Of course, McDonald's can easily fix it by replacing half of its menu with healthy stuff. Subway's making money with the healthy subs, there's no reason a bigger, more seasoned corporation should also be able.

Sarge: Mercury poisoning is a cumulative thing, it's not like food poisoning. You don't keel over and barf all at once, it's the gradual build up of poison in your system. See "minamata disease".

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This is so stupid. Nobody forces anybody to eat junk food; what business do these people have to tell a private company what it can do and can´t do? Ridiculous!

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I agree that Macdo's communication directed to children is particularly evil. Yes, parents and educators have a responsability and should provide real meals to children. That's one part of the equation.

But the child lives in the world...he receives all the messages from CMs, street posters (what do you think about that teen golf champion selling the fatsands in the present campaign ?). Some countries have had to set restrictive rules on CM to prevent from showing in middle of children shows, childen magazines, children books, because you couldn't get anything, even educational material free of the burger sponsoring.

In some places, the "Donald" is even allowed to do shows in the street, outside the shop. It gets inside schools, to sponsorise school sports events, pop stars... And they give to your kid that walk in the street, a balloon, a toy, a sample, a coupon, an invitation to a concert of the most popular teen stars... These days, cities have to make local laws to forbid them to advertise to schoolchildren in uniform on their way to/from school. That means the macdos and others would do that constantly if the cops let them.

@Telecaster Subway healthy ? My pet rabbit wouldn't touch their poor veggies. You're confusing marketing stuff as "healthy" and providing really healthy products.

And well macdo does it. You can have their healthy menu. Instead of hamburger, chicken pureed with flour shaped in nuggets. Instead of fries, sweetened corn. instead of coke, flavored sweetened milk... That one looks decent ? Really ? Their idea of drinking their milk makes me sick. We are 80% of lacto-intolerant on earth. It's 99,9% of Japanese population. Dairies we can have, but the big glass of milk, we don't digest it.

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Miki D works for me, I take my son there, he likes the corn and orange juice. The toys are better than the ones you can get in the USA. do not fear the clown. There are not that many around. Ronald McDonald house is a very good organization for children in hospital. Maybe the thought police should go after the evil Burger King or that sinister Hello Kitty .

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DeepSpace is right, what about the Ronald McDonald House? If they remove Ronald McDonald what happens to the charity?

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Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but why can't parents these days tell their children no? I totally agree with cleo here, it's not McDonald's or MOS or any other fast food restaurant's fault, it's the responsibility of the parent. I also agree that kids have to be more active. If the kids have computer games, etc., then limits should be set. X number of minutes each day, after homework is finished, etc. If this is done from the beginning it's a lot easier, but these things can still be introduced. When I was a kid, going to fast food was a special treat, not a daily or weekly trip. I preferred the "evil" Burger King burgers to the "evil" Ronald (or Donald in Japan) burgers. Whatever. Bottom line, it's the parents' responsibility.

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Just get your kids under 10 to watch the movie "It" and problem solved. They'll be frightened to even think about the clown.

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You folk are a hoot. I love the way you condone a company's right to make its product as addictive as possible, and then when people get addicted, its their fault for not having enough willpower!

The salt, the sugar, the caffeine, the tallow and Ronnie too are all part of the equation. I am as much for willpower as anyone, but if a person can benchpress a maximum of 150 pounds, I am afraid putting 200 pounds on the barbell is not going to do a damn thing for him. In case you have not noticed, America has a SEVERE obesity problem. Lectures about willpower are not going to stem the tide.

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You folk are a hoot. I love the way you condone a company's right to make its product as addictive as possible, and then when people get addicted, its their fault for not having enough willpower!

Excuse me? Eating McDonalds isn't like smoking crack. Sorry, but your comparison is totally off. People can choose not to eat there. And parents have to take responsibility for what their children eat, as well as for educating them as to whats healthy. When they're older, the kids have to make their own choices. It shouldn't be up to the nanny state food police to decide what I feed my kids. So stay the hell out of my diet! Its none of your damn business!

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Actually Mist... most add addictions are EXACTLY a case of not enough willpower.

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I ate McDonalds when I was a kid. Not often, but once in a while. I neither got addicted nor did I get fat. I guess I can't get in on a lawsuit.

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Its mostly the parents lack of willpower. Your kid can't eat McD's unless you're buying it for them, or you're giving them money to buy it for themselves.

Home cooked meals are the way to go. And Cleo's spot on. Teach your kids to cook for themselves. I knew how to make a PB&J and other sandwiches by the time I was 6. And due to my mom's below average cooking skills, I learned how to cook really good food by myself using ingredients by the age of 10.

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Mistwizard:

" You folk are a hoot. I love the way you condone a company's right to make its product as addictive as possible, "

"Addictive"?? What nonsensical hype. I eat fast food occasionally when I am in hurry (that is why it is fast food), but I am certainly not addicted.

If you need laws to protect you from "addiction" such as too much salt or grease, where do you stop?

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They're laughing at the superior intellect.

Laughing into their graves still not knowing what they were laughing at. 'Intellect' being an unknown word not in their vocabulary.

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Home cooked meals are the way to go. And Cleo's spot on. Teach your kids to cook for themselves

Exactly. My daughters had cooking duty once weekly from first grade. Grown up now with children of their own they are excellent cooks who cook well balanced healthy meals for their families.

A sodium packed scorched grease patty once in a while won't kill you (outright), but millions, if not billions, learn to love it - and if that is not addiction, what is it then?

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WilliB said: "Addictive"?? What nonsensical hype. I eat fast food occasionally when I am in hurry (that is why it is fast food), but I am certainly not addicted.

Well that is you and me. But finding people who are very much PSYCHOLOGICALLY addicted to fast food is very, very easy.

If you need laws to protect you from "addiction" such as too much salt or grease, where do you stop?

A valid question, but answering it would take a lot of time and space. But if you have ever been to America you can easily see that its an EPIDEMIC. I see nothing wrong with forcing fast food outlets to raise their very, very low standards. Preaching laissez-faire on this is like condoning people who scam old people. Yes, the old people should smarten up and not fall for easy scams, but just saying that, even in a commercial, is not quite enough.

People cannot teach their kids to cook if they are fast food junkies themselves. Either fast food chains have to be made to up their standards or we need national campaigns directed a schools to fill the lack of a healthy food culture in America (the French have such a culture. America doesn't)

But rest assured I am not talking about draconian policies to shut down McDees. I am talking about setting standards. This problem has to be solved one way or the other and just accusing people of being weak or dumb has not worked for decades now.

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The fast food obesity problem in the States seems to be weighted (pun intended) toward low-income people, which is a puzzle, because fast food isn't cheap. A typical Mac meal will cost 3-4 times as much as a quality home-cooked meal, and by the time you've waddled down to the Golden Arch, waited in line and waddled home again, it isn't really fast either. MacDonalds has its place. For my family, it was a very occasional treat, or a convenient option when traveling. But I don't understand people who live on this stuff. There again, I've walked past a lot of Mac joints, and I don't recall Ronald ever leaping out and dragging me inside to be force-fed.

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Preaching laissez-faire on this is like condoning people who scam old people.

Umm, no. Its saying, I'm informed as to whats in their food, and I sometimes make the choice to eat what tastes good, rather then what might be good for me. Again, this nanny state food police argument has to go. Mist, its none of your business what I or anyone else chooses to shove into our bodies. It would be one thing if it was addictive, but tastes good does not equal addictive. Having a flashy sales pitch isn't illegal. What it comes down to, is you want to legislate your morality. Sorry, but I have my own religion. And the state should stay out.

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Molenir said: Mist, its none of your business what I or anyone else chooses to shove into our bodies.

Didn't know you were a supporter of marijuana brownies! But moving on, how about what people shove into their kids' bodies? Is making your kid obese with a taste for unhealthy food a parental right? And how about this: Just how strongly do you think the customers would complain if fast food were made healthier? Do you think they actually want to eat unhealthy food? Is that their goal? And do you really think the people are informed?

But I am telling you from experience that it is not enough. Good habits will not be formed by the weight of intellectual arguments alone. I believe that we owe it to the children to either demand increases in standards or make darned sure they learn good habits in schools. Feel free to choose. Or keep trying to convince to do the right thing on their own, as if that has any success at all as far as this topic is concerned.

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Yes it is a moral right for the parent to decide what they're feeding their child (as long as its food), and it is also the parents responsibility should their child become fat, not the governments. In the US we already have government supported ads and classes, ("Home Economics" ring a bell?)that are targeted at kids and parents encouraging them to eat healthier, and to be more physically active instead of couch potatoes. But it is still up to the people if they want to make healthy choices for themselves.

What you're suggesting is government enforced invasive totalitarian law that begins to overstep the right to personal choice. I can understand government legistlature against drugs, when mis-used can easily cause death, or permanant physical damage etc. Food is different because its nutritional and provides the human body with what it needs (and of course what it doesn't need) to function. Hardly addictive.

There is even some government legistlature being planned on trying to get food processing companies to reduce the amount of salt and sugar in pre-processed as well as MSG, which I applaud, but any more than that and going to the extreme of telling people what they can and can't put in their mouths.

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Is making your kid obese with a taste for unhealthy food a parental right?

Yes, it is. And its certainly more their business then it is yours. Just like parents can teach their kids to hate others, or just about anything they want. Parents have certain rights, that go right alongside their responsibilities. You don't have any rights, other then to make sure they aren't going out and beating their children, or killing them. Thats the limit.

If you want to decide what kids can eat, then by all means, have kids of your own, and teach them the way they should eat. Otherwise, you, and the rest of the food police should stay out of everyone's business. HonestDictator makes a good point. Your trying to legislate morality is well down the slippery towards Totalitarianism. Next someone will say the internet isn't healthy, so lets ban the internet, or ban news, or TV, or anything else they don't like. Thats what you're saying Mist. If you want to Educate people, I'm all for it, trying to force your values on people is going to far. Please learn the difference.

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It's true that you should have more home-cooked meals, but even so, most of the homecooked meals my parents made were pretty damn unhealthy(another huge contributing factor to the US obesity problem). Every other day of the week would be fried chicken, porkchops, steak and the like... parents nowadays need to learn how to cook healthier alternatives.

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I wonder what kids imagine when someone says McDs. I highly doubt its the clown but rather burgers, fries, coke or toys. If thats the case, then Ronald is not the problem. Also, if kids like that kind of food (as do I), parents can make them healthier more delicious versions of it at home and promise to buy a kid a (better than McDs yet cheap) toy later. My dad made the best hamburgers by adding sour cream and onion chip dip powder mix into our burgers...still the best burgers I have ever had.

But in cases where you really need fast food turn to another source such as Subway or get the kids to order salad if parents are really concerned. But I think a little fast food now and again isnt a bad thing. Its learning how to balance. If someone cant have self control about going to McDs, maybe there are other factors that are causing this such as low income and a $1 menu. In those cases we ca try to provide healthier food to those families that feel they have no other choice but to eat at McDs to get their moneys worth.

Stop blaming the clown...hes just there to smile on a bench.

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Some people have nothing better to do....next they will be after the michelin man

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Mikey D's gives me the runs, but it keeps me thin. Best place to go to if you are not feeling good and want to clean out your system.

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Its not just Mcd's - all similar fast food places are unhealthy. Mcd's though, has the best toys to attract kids.

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It's not a clown that makes kids fat. It's not food that makes kids fat.

It's the lack of moderation and the continually overbearing government that is giving children too many "rights" for their "safety" that prevents them from doing activities that they want to do and prevents parents from making them.

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So stay the hell out of my diet! Its none of your damn business!

Hey Molenir, when you begin to have a series of heart attacks, and endless surgeries to pay for your stupidity, and everyone's insurance rates go up because of people like you, maybe they DO have a say about your flipping diet. They have to PAY for your irresponsibility.

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and eating a cheeseburger brings back memories of childhood birthday parties

That's the hook that McD's uses to lure in the next generation of fatties, and that's exactly the reason why I refuse to eat their "food". Its called brand impressionism for later life, just like the tobacco companies used to do with chocolate cigerattes to get those kids in when they were older.

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Hey Molenir, when you begin to have a series of heart attacks, and endless surgeries to pay for your stupidity, and everyone's insurance rates go up because of people like you, maybe they DO have a say about your flipping diet. They have to PAY for your irresponsibility.<

Fail. People can eat whatever they want, just because you pay into community health insurance doesnt give that right. I pay taxes, does that mean I can make all on welfare do what I want them too?

Fast food is out there to make money, same as instant ramen. Non of which were meant to take the place of real food. However in todays high paced world especially with mom and dad working, whats the difference of mcdonalds or hot dogs and mac and cheese at home? Kids need to get out an play more, not sit there on video games or play dialed down sports because being competitve or pushing kids to the max damages their psyche. Parents need to realize that McDonalds is a convience, not your personal chef.

Americans are fat...most. Lack exercise and poor diet are at fault. Not some stupid clown. Personal opinion is $1 menus are doing more than the clown are. Its only $1, might as well get 3 double cheeses, fries and a coke for $5. Kids see pop eat like that, then they want the 2 burger happy meal. And so we start. Couple that with no activity, add 10 years and you have fat kid.

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Maybe if these kids quit eating so much junk food and sitting around on the computer they wouldn't be so fat. Give them some strawberries or carrots and take them for a bike ride. People always complain about how fat they/their kids are. Maybe if you lay of the potato chips a bit and got some exercise, you wouldn't be fat.

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Adults are responsible for what they eat, and what their kids eat. I never ate McDonald's because of Ronald anyway... actually, I think he's kinda scary.

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The problem could be that they scoff down the maccas and then go home and plonk down on their ar$e and watch TV or play video games. Gone are the days when kids would go outside and run around until the street lights came on.

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How lucky we were! Playing outside and running around until the street lights came on. For the love of daylight savings time!!! The problem with fast foods is much like with cigarettes. Habitual. Eat it once or twice a month, no problem. Once or twice a week, some problem. More than that, getting close to a bigger problem. But as with cigarettes, does anyone know of people who smoke just 1 or 2 a week? Why not? The draw of addiction is a voice that becomes overwhelming, and we cave in to patterns. Establishing a better diet takes real hard work, and daily! But there are tremendous benefits, (cleaner blood, better blood pressure, less clogged arteries etc.) And what's important is to maintain the good diet over time. With R.M. popping up with the "I'm loving It" ads here in japan, I wonder what the xxx they're loving? Its not a laughing matter. But again, I worry about actually stating this type of opinion, knowing the "freedom fighters" are ready to bite the bit and tell me to shove it. Thanks to natural foods like brown rice, some fish, some meat, vegetables, fruits, and healthier forms of noodles than ramen, my family and I enjoy a health that is not taken for granted. And the meals reestablish our communion as a family, believe it or not.

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I eat at McDonalds every day for lunch: Grilled Chicken Club sandwich (no mayo), Medium fries, 8 pieces of McNuggets w/Sweet and Sour sauce, medium diet coke, and a newspaper for $9.45. Ronald never told me to eat that ONCE! Oh yeah, I've lost 12 pounds in the last 2 and a half months. I'm now 6'2" 223lbs.

Parents can take their kids to McDonalds and STILL have them eat healthy as long as they put their foot down on what the kid will have to eat. If they let the kid order what he/she wants, then the kid's going to go for the unhealthy stuff.

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Is this an onion article? Because Ronald McDonald isn't real. If you think it should be illegal to use fictional characters like Ronald McDonald to advertise fast food, go ahead and contact your local legislator.

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O.k. I think Fadamor makes a good point. It is possible to frequent MAC and not be thrown out of kilter. But how many of us are 6 2 and 223 lbs after losing 12 pounds? And eating 8 pieces of McNuggets and a grilled Chicken Club sandwhich EVERYDAY for lunch is something I couldn't have fathomed even in my 20's. Why? I turned vegetarian in my teens. So again, I am not a MAC setter, and the thought of the food on that menu doesn't appeal to me. Different nuggets for different folks. How about framing the focus on the contents of the food, including what it is we don't see, like the preservatives, food colorings, oils etc. After that, maybe even Fadamor will change his tastes.....graduallly. Maybe not. And if he can stay healthy eating 8 McNuggets everyday for lunch, I hope his health continues, but beware And another thing, Coke, even diet Coke is not clearing the bar of health. But that'll be for another article.

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Even though I do eat McD's once in a while or some other fast food I'm a fairly active person. 5'11 with my weight between 163-168lbs. I like to do inline skating when I can each week during the spring/summer, I also practice martial arts and yoga but I get listless in the winter time since I don't like the cold and spend more time indoors of course. I spend a lot of time sitting at work and at home with very little physical activity besides that.

So as long as people keep some decent physical activity up on a constant basis the body will regulate where the fat goes instead of storing it in unflattering places.

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Oh I forgot to mention, when I make a homemade bacon cheeseburger (pepper jack cheese) I don't know if its more or less calories than a McD's since I use around 85%-93% lean ground beef on kaiser rolls. Homemade fries I always use canola oil... No carbonated drinks just juice or tea. I'm pretty sure I do eat more than my daily calorie requirements since I like rich tasting foods.

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