McDonald's
is a sponsor for the London Olympics — and a British doctors' group says that's
sending the wrong message in a country with ballooning obesity.
Big Macs,
fries and milkshakes will be part of McDonald's exclusively branded menu at the
Olympics and the fast-food giant will soon be opening its largest franchise in
the world, a two-story cathedral-like restaurant that seats 1,500 customers, at
London's Olympic Park.
McDonald's
will be the only restaurateur allowed to sell brand-name food at the Games and
there will also be a separate McDonald's within the Athletes Village — in
addition to three others at the Olympic Park.
Alongside
McDonald's, Coca-Cola has the exclusive right to sell non-alcoholic drinks at
Olympic venues. Heineken has been named the Games' official beer.
"It's
very sad that an event that celebrates the very best of athletic achievements
should be sponsored by companies contributing to the obesity problem and
unhealthy habits," said Terence Stephenson, a spokesman for the Academy of
Royal Medical Colleges.
The group
is calling upon the British government to restrict advertising by McDonald's,
Coca-Cola and Heineken during the Olympic Games, which are being held in London
from July 27 to Aug.12.
But that's
unlikely to happen. London Olympic organizers have defended their decision to
accept McDonald's sponsorship as a business deal.
"Sponsors
provide a huge amount of the funding required to stage the games," said a
London 2012 spokesman in a statement. "Without our partners such as
McDonald's, the games simply wouldn't happen."
About
one-quarter of Britons are obese and experts estimate that could jump to half
by 2030.
Obesity and related health ailments cost the UK health system about ₤4
billion (US$6.5 billion) every year.
"These
brands are using the Olympics to be associated with medals and svelte, fit
athletes," he said. "They don't want us to think of fat, unhealthy
people when we think of their products."
Britain is
also battling an increasing alcohol problem, which experts warned could worsen
during the Olympics.
"When
any major sporting event has an official alcohol supplier, it sends out
completely the wrong messages to young people, making it seem as though no
major event is complete without alcohol," said Sir Ian Gilmore, special
adviser to the Royal College of Physicians on alcohol.
He said he
"greatly regretted" that the London Olympics had appointed an
official beer.
Some
experts said advertising during the Olympics could actually cause a spike in
fast food consumption, even in people not inclined to eat it.
"We
cannot simply decide not to process [an ad], there is a subliminal association
that is made that may affect your behavior in the future," said Nilli
Lavie, a professor of psychology and brain sciences at University College
London.
McDonald's
said in a statement they expected about one-in-10 people visiting London's
Olympic Park to eat at their Golden Arches. The company has been an official
Olympics sponsor since 1976 and said it would be using its expertise to provide
"high-quality British food" at the Games.
Stephenson
of the doctor's group doubts if many of the competing athletes would have an
appetite for the cheeseburgers, fries, and chicken nuggets that will be
ubiquitous at the Games' venues.
"I'm
not sure how many of them will be eating this kind of food before competing for
a medal," he said.
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