Prince Charles calls for 'ban' on McDonald's

gldstwmn · #1 02-28-2007, 04:07 PM

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1447319.ece

The Prince of Wales threw his weight into the debate about healthy eating today and told a nutritionist that the “key” was to ban McDonald’s fast food restaurants.

The controversial remarks were made as the Prince was in Abu Dhabi attending the launch of a public health awareness campaign aimed at fighting diabetes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He visited the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and watched as a group of children chose from a selection of “good” and “bad” snacks for their school packed lunches.

Talking to Nadine Tayara, a nutritionist from the centre who had put the children through their paces, he asked her: “Have you got anywhere with McDonald’s? Have you tried getting it banned? That’s the key.”

A McDonald’s spokeswoman said Charles’s remark was “disappointing”.

Other members of his family had visited the chain, she said, and “have probably got a more up-to-date picture of us.”

The spokeswoman added: “This appears to be an off-the-cuff remark, in our opinion. It does not reflect our menu or where we are as a business.”

Charles was clearly unaware of some of the moves the company has made, she said, such as improved labelling, supporting sustainable agriculture and nutritional changes with choice and variety.

In August 2005 Prince Harry popped into a McDonald's for a "buy one get one free" meal. He is reported to have bought two chicken burgers and a strawberry milkshake, eating the meal on the pavement outside.

His brother, Prince William, was pictured queuing up for a meal at McDonald’s in January 1992.

A Clarence House spokesman, travelling with the Prince and Duchess on their ten-day tour of the Gulf, later issued a statement.

It said: “The Prince of Wales has for a long time advocated the importance of a balanced diet, especially for children. In visiting the diabetes centre today, he was keen to emphasise the need for children to enjoy the widest variety of food and not to eat any particular sort of food to excess.”

Click the link for the full article.

Sarah · #2 02-28-2007, 04:10 PM

And they felt the need to call up a McDonald's spokeswoman?

Newswriters are so stupid, I swear.

(disclaimer: I, myself, am actually a newswriter.)

ontheEdgeof17 · #3 02-28-2007, 04:11 PM

Srsly.

I don't think fast food is that bad. It becomes bad when you eat it, every day for every meal. Moderation is the key. Eating a Big Mac once a week isn't going to kill you or make you fat.

DrummerDeanna · #4 02-28-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah

And they felt the need to call up a McDonald's spokeswoman?

Newswriters are so stupid, I swear.

(disclaimer: I, myself, am actually a newswriter.)

Me too...and yes, newswriters are so stupid. I don't know what kind of media you work in, but thankfully I don't have to deal with crap like this...at least that offers some consolation

Johnny Stew · #5 02-28-2007, 04:15 PM

McDonald's doesn't need to be banned -- people just need to stop being whiny losers and start accepting personal responsibility. No one's shoving those burgers and fries into anyone's mouths... it's a choice whether or not we eat them.

Not to mention the fact that it's FAST FOOD and was never meant to be a staple of anyone's diet -- something that any common garden-variety idiot should know.

When I was a kid, we had McDonald's maybe once a month as a treat. Now people eat it like it's one of the four food groups.

Sarah · #6 02-28-2007, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

I don't know what kind of media you work in, but thankfully I don't have to deal with crap like this...at least that offers some consolation

Radio.

And no, I don't really have to deal with this kind of -who gives a crap about this story- crap.. but radio media does have its own kind of crap to deal with. Like the fact that everybody wants to kiss the newspaper's ass. Because, you know, they can totally update every hour and bring in breaking news with 3 minutes notice just like radio can. Right? Wronggggg. grumblegrumblecusscuss.

Sorry if you work in newspaper. I've done that too. It's just that.. I can honestly say it sucks and I hate it.

DrummerDeanna · #7 02-28-2007, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah

Radio.

And no, I don't really have to deal with this kind of crap.. but radio media does have its own kind of crap to deal with. Like the fact that everybody wants to kiss the newspaper's ass. Because, you know, they can update every hour of every day like radio can, right? Wronggggg.

Sorry if you work in newspaper. I've done that too. I can honestly say it sucks and I hate it.

Nope, I'm in radio too

And thankfully, we don't have too much newspaper ass kissing. We're a pretty independent little operation, which I like.

I've never worked in newspaper, and I've never heard anything good from anyone who has

amber · #8 02-28-2007, 04:38 PM

People should take responsibility, but I also don't see anything at all wrong with banning McDonalds. It would be great. It's not like anyone would die or starve if it didn't exist.

Sarah · #9 02-28-2007, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

Nope, I'm in radio too

And thankfully, we don't have too much newspaper ass kissing. We're a pretty independent little operation, which I like.

I've never worked in newspaper, and I've never heard anything good from anyone who has

We bought out our competition a few years back, so really, it's all been downhill since then. We act like we try to compete with the newspaper, but in my town, the people who own the newspaper own the bank. They sit on all the commissions and boards, and they've got the police and sheriff wrapped around their pinkies. I like it when they give the newspaper a pre-release so they can make their 11 AM printing deadline, but make us wait until 6 PM (after everybody gets home and reads the paper) to get full details. I stick in little jabs when I can. Dispatchers have pretty much learned to avoid the phrases "I don't know" and "I'm not sure". Like an armed robbery a few weeks ago. We knew it had happened.. radio stations in neighboring counties got BOLOs from their sheriff's department and told us. So, I call, and they're like, "Welllllll, we've got detectives on the scene, but I don't know anything else." So I'm like, "Well, do you know if it was a robbery?" "Wellll, I don't know"..click. My story? "Information from neighboring Sheriff's department in blahblah county says an armed robbery suspect wanted for holding up a local pharmacy..blahblahblahblah.. officials at the local sheriff's department said that they did not know if a robbery had actually taken place." LOL!!!!! bwaahahaha. heehee. ha. cough. The sad part is that they totally knew.. even the TBI was called.. they had a suspect description, car description, direction of travel, how much he'd taken, and the fact that the pharmacist herself actually shot at the suspect. And he wants to say he didn't know? F the po-leece.

It's a nice laid-back job most of the time, though, that's for sure. If you like to write at your own pace, it's for you, because newspaper is totally up-yr-butt kind of work. "Done yet?" "Done yet?" "Are you done yet?" "Can I have that yet?" "Is it done?" "I gotta have that by.."

bretonbanquet · #10 02-28-2007, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

People should take responsibility, but I also don't see anything at all wrong with banning McDonalds. It would be great. It's not like anyone would die or starve if it didn't exist.

Absolutely. I don't think people, even Prince Charles, should be slated for saying that certain things should be banned - he's entitled to his opinion, apparently. I think more stuff should be banned anyway, starting with everything I don't like

skcin · #11 02-28-2007, 04:44 PM

I love Quarter Pounders. Sooooooo bad, yet sooooooo good.

Johnny Stew · #12 02-28-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

People should take responsibility, but I also don't see anything at all wrong with banning McDonalds. It would be great. It's not like anyone would die or starve if it didn't exist.

I guess I just don't like to be told what I can and cannot eat, simply because other people don't have the willpower or intelligence to know when to stop stuffing their fat faces.

I gained weight. No secret. But I didn't gain weight through the fault of anyone else. I'm responsible for my weight gain, and if and when I chose to lose it, that'll be my responsibility too.

carrie721 · #13 02-28-2007, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bretonbanquet

Absolutely. I don't think people, even Prince Charles, should be slated for saying that certain things should be banned - he's entitled to his opinion, apparently. I think more stuff should be banned anyway, starting with everything I don't like

i wuv you!

michaelD · #14 02-28-2007, 04:47 PM

Anybody see Supersize Me?
I know that's not the point of the thread, but it's pretty good documentary
on the whole thing...

danax6 · #15 02-28-2007, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

People should take responsibility, but I also don't see anything at all wrong with banning McDonalds. It would be great. It's not like anyone would die or starve if it didn't exist.

Personally, I'd lapse into catatonic schizophrenia without a McDonalds nearby, but I think that ultimately banning fast food from the world would be a better thing, yes.