Abstract
Around one million people in the world are affected by the scourge of obesity in the world. This figure is twice more than the rate at which it was 10 years ago and many doctors worry that this could further increase. Many attribute this rise in weight to the massive presence of fast foods in the streets and the proliferation of advertising. Among the several brands that come under the scanner, McDonald's is the most accused and the most sued fast food chain by customers.
McDonald's is the world largest chain of fast foods and its restaurants are found in 119 countries, serving almost 47 millions of customers every day. Despite its success all over the world, McDonald's has to face a lot of criticisms which alleged that the chain uses its political influence to increase its profits at the expense of people's health and the social conditions of its workers.
A documentary realized by Morgan Spurlock in 2004 exposed the failures of McDonald's to provide nutritional information about its food for its customers and accused McDonald's of contributing to obesity in the world.
However, we need to analyze the real situation. Can we really attribute the entire fault to the fast food? Aren't the parents also to be blamed for their lack of vigilance when it comes to feeding their children? Is Ronald McDonald, the mascot of the brand, a mentor of fat food for children? Should McDonald's change its marketing policy? And if so how? These are some of the pertinent questions doing the rounds with regard to obesity and fast foods.
We will examine the importance of the role of Ronald McDonald in the advertising and its influence on children. Later, we will study the problems faced by McDonald with regard to the obesity and finally we will try to elaborate some short and long-range plans for McDonald to implement.
