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McDonald's blames fat kids on videogames photo

If you felt that today was lacking a few ironic laughs, you'll be pleased to know that Steve Easterbrook, the chief executive for McDonald's UK, has recently blamed videogames and TV for child obesity. While he quasi-admitted that it might also have something to do with the slabs of greasy, processed cow anus in bread that his company sells, Easterbrook has hopped aboard the "blame everything on games" bandwagon to take off some of the heat:

"The issue of obesity is complex and is absolutely one our society is facing, there’s no denial about that, but if you break it down I think there’s an education piece: how can we better communicate to individuals the importance of a balanced diet and taking care of themselves?

Then there’s a lifestyle element: there’s fewer green spaces and kids are sat home playing computer games on the TV when in the past they’d have been burning off energy outside."

Of course it's not the fault of McDonald's, they've painted the outside of their restaurants green and now serve SALADS! They've done enough to fight the cause, now it's time that videogames joined the crusade against kiddy tits. Bring on Wii Fit, I say. Bring it on indeed.

On a serious note, it should be pointed out that child obesity, or indeed, any obesity (looks at self) cannot be blamed on games OR food. Kids wouldn't eat fast food or play games all the time if their parents didn't just sit back and let them. Why does NOBODY question lazy parents anymore? 

[Cheers for the laugh, Wardrox]


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74 comments | showing # 1 to 50

disneyninja's Avatar
disneyninja at 01/08/2008 10:17
I'd check the nutrition facts on those salads before consuming. Not exactly the height of nutrition there. The thing with parents continually feeding their children this rubbish is that it builds lifelong habits. If they aren't teaching their kids how to at least make a few home cooked meals themselves as soon as they leave the nest fast food is going to be the first place they turn for a meal. I only learned how to cook a few things at home and took a few classes which I can use to teach myself to make other things, but most people I know can't make a grilled cheese sandwich, so an entire meal is out of the question.
MaxVest's Avatar
MaxVest at 01/08/2008 10:18
Why do people always think exercise is the answer? I lost 15 lbs in college by not eating an entire bag of Doritos at one sitting.

Laziness makes people weak. Gluttony makes people fat.
DeusPayne's Avatar
DeusPayne at 01/08/2008 10:18
Lard, it's where all the flavor is hidden.
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 01/08/2008 10:18
No one can question parents because no body wants parents on their ass.
Seriously, don't expect the blame to shift where it should be for a while. No parent wants to watch T.V. and hear "You are incompetent."
WHAT?! I'M A GOOD PARENT, BRAWRHGGHH
JACK of No Trades's Avatar
JACK of No Trades at 01/08/2008 10:19
Hmmm here is an easy study

#1: Have a kid play video games without eating. Does he get fatter? NO

#2: Have a kid eat McDonalds three times a day for a month. Does he get fatter? Hell Yes.

#3: Is Mcdonalds a good food source when exercising? No
Spykron's Avatar
Spykron at 01/08/2008 10:19
haha poop emergency. ive never notice that tag before.
Justin Villasenor's Avatar
Justin Villasenor at 01/08/2008 10:22
Silly McDonald's, tricks are for kids.
Shikaboom's Avatar
Shikaboom at 01/08/2008 10:24
http://www.mcvideogame.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Gladiators

Hmmm... hypocrites?
Quest's Avatar
Quest at 01/08/2008 10:27
hummmm McDonalds ArgRggRRGGRgggg
Shikaboom's Avatar
Shikaboom at 01/08/2008 10:28
FAIL!

Was meant to say:

http://www.mcvideogame.com/
More like it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Gladiators
Hmmm... hypocrites?
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 01/08/2008 10:28
Actually Jim, even though I love how quick you are to defend video games, as it turns out they can be to blame for SOME obesity. That said, if they also had common sense they'd job around the block once in a while.

I just actually came here to tell you how epic that picture is.
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 01/08/2008 10:30
job should be yob, but I meant to say JOG.

Carry on, fat lads.
ShawnKelfonne's Avatar
ShawnKelfonne at 01/08/2008 10:37
Video games aren't force feeding you fatty foods, but they are taking time away from outdoor play that kids used to partake in. However, this is hardly the fault of the games themselves, and like Jim said, is mainly because the parents are too afraid to do anything their kids don't like, and don't make them go outside and do anything anymore.
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 01/08/2008 10:44
DDR, nomnomnom!
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 01/08/2008 10:50
It has nothing to do with greasy ass cheeseburgers or video games. It is about the parents.

Parents raise their kids to be big fat slobs by letting them eat whatever they want whenever they want. And not saying anything to them about it.

You can eat McDonalds (though I won't), you can have a spoonful of lard for all I care. You can play video games.

But if you don't practice it in moderation, you'll see the negative side effects of it. Does anyone realize that too much of any one thing is bad for you? Yes, even masturbation.

Seriously, the issue here is that parents, by and large, do not care about raising their kids, and are too involved in their own lives to be bothered with anything more than basics. If your kids are big boned and fat already, you're condemning your child to a life of poor health to not sit them down and educate them on how to live a healthy lifestyle of moderation.
SaraAB87's Avatar
SaraAB87 at 01/08/2008 10:50
Its lifestyle, pure and simple. The Japanese play probably 50x more games than American children do and they are not facing an obesity epidemic.

Over here its the removal of green spaces to build more wal-marts and the removal of almost all of the playground equipment that used to be in my city, leaving kids with literately NOTHING to do outside in the summer. A lot of kids play in the streets here but that isn't really safe but its better than nothing since there really isn't anywhere else to play. One thing is for sure if we made exercise seem less like work and more like FUN, then maybe kids would be more willing to go outside and play if they enjoyed what they were doing. You remove playground equipment, charge parking fees to get into any sort of outdoor place where kids can run around, make kids run laps in gym class instead of doing fun activities, feed our kids fatty, nasty food in the schools and we wonder why we have a nation of fat kids.

Its all a perception really, if you spend time around kids you know that they want to run around and play outside, but if you as a parent do not provide that opportunity then they cannot do it, simple as that. I have watched kids in my family put down the video games to go outside, one of my relatives who visited in the summer chose to throw a football in the backyard with the other relatives instead of playing his PSP. They will put down the games if you as a parent take the time to introduce them to something other than video games.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 01/08/2008 10:52
BAH HA HA HA

what a bunch of fags
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 01/08/2008 10:55
(argh double post FTL)

Sorry, but fast food is a serious reason as to why most Americans are overweight.
PSIq0ut's Avatar
PSIq0ut at 01/08/2008 11:00
It has a lot to do with cheeseburgers and video games.

If only there was some kind of authrotive figure in a childs life, that controlled what they did to do in moderation. I don't know something like a guardian to a child...oh whats the word I'm looking for here.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 01/08/2008 11:00
Americans are fat because they're full of shit.

(Disclaimer: i'm an American who is smart enough to recognize that i'm surrounded by lazy stupid people)
winojesus's Avatar
winojesus at 01/08/2008 11:00
fat kids are so much easier to hunt.
Rockvillian's Avatar
Rockvillian at 01/08/2008 11:01
I don't understand why anyone would eat at McDonald's anyways, besides the fact their golden arches can be seen anywhere in the US. Seriously it's like Sauron peering down on all of us, only more evil.

But damn are their their hashbrowns crunchy and awesome and perfect.
TheBrain's Avatar
TheBrain at 01/08/2008 11:02
He said there is a lifestyle element...that includes inactivity...often brought on by playing videogames instead of getting outside. He didn't blame obesity completely on videogames. I don't think anyone thinks sitting on the couch is the only factor in the obesity epidemic but we can't pretend it isn't a factor at all.
covah's Avatar
covah at 01/08/2008 11:07
Funny, I play video games all the time, don't exercise, could stand to have a healthier diet yet I don't eat McDonalds and guess what!? I'm not fat at all... FAIL
Orionsaint's Avatar
Orionsaint at 01/08/2008 11:08
Those Bastards!



No comment from the Fry Guys
timtheterrible's Avatar
timtheterrible at 01/08/2008 11:13
@ PSI

Yeah, but when you're family looks like

the prospect of an authoritative figure stepping in seems null. I blame vegetables.
Faraday's Avatar
Faraday at 01/08/2008 11:13
I seriously just looked at that headline and thought "lol wut"
Emrah's Avatar
Emrah at 01/08/2008 11:17
I agree with TheBrain.

I am sorry but I don't believe this "blame nothing on video games attitude" is entirely correct. Maybe it is not suitable for a McD's exec to talk about obesity, but, please, physical inactivity is a lot to blame for obesity. Just because he said it doesn't make it wrong:
"there’s fewer green spaces and kids are sat home playing computer games on the TV when in the past they’d have been burning off energy outside"

So what part of his statement is wrong? Are there more green spaces?

Covah:
I know my neighbour who smoked 2 packs a day, he is 75 years old and he didn't get cancer, so smoking is not bad for health, here's my message to foolish scientists who say smoking is bad: FAIL!
Tragic Hero's Avatar
Tragic Hero at 01/08/2008 11:26
Video games and Tv doesn't make people fat. It just makes them really unhealthy. I got a friend who plays alot of video games and doesn't exercise and he eats McDonalds. Is he fat? Not at all. Does he get sick alot, somewhat weak, and sickly looking? Yes. So i'd just blame inactivity.

@Emrah

I worked with a guy who smoked 2 packs a day and died at 60 of lung cancer. Smoking is bad. Don't get me wrong im not going to tell everyone to stop smoking now but you have to be ignorant to say smoking can't kill you. Unless you were being sarcastic then I recant my statement.
saysay's Avatar
saysay at 01/08/2008 11:33
Responsibility comes from choice. Do children have a choice? Most of the time no, the parent does. When they are able to form a rational choice is when responsibility can be placed. Games cant make choices, so they cant ever be responsible for something. Blaming things like games and fast food is reducing the human to a thing by forgetting that we have to choose.
Drop of Flame's Avatar
Drop of Flame at 01/08/2008 11:34
You can play computer games on your TV?
Tragic Hero's Avatar
Tragic Hero at 01/08/2008 11:38
Yes
Knives's Avatar
Knives at 01/08/2008 11:53
MCdonalds was a life saver during MAGFest.

Anyway, I'll agree with the people saying he doesn't necessarily blames video games for fat people and with the ones that say video games aren't to blame.
Neonie's Avatar
Neonie at 01/08/2008 11:59
*Nom's on his case of Crackdown*
AgentMOO's Avatar
AgentMOO at 01/08/2008 11:59
Lazy parenting makes fat kids, teach them what to eat and why to stay in shape. Fast food is fine in moderation, but as a food staple it will kill you.
AgentMOO's Avatar
AgentMOO at 01/08/2008 12:05
Anyone detect a little bit of marketing spin on this? "Oh shit, Burger King just did a wildly successful campaign with a set of three crappy games, how do we respond?"


Also, clowns.

Pedro Blandino's Avatar
Pedro Blandino at 01/08/2008 12:05
Jim, you might wanna rethink what you said.

we know how this happened. and it was't just a few big macs.
weedgan's Avatar
weedgan at 01/08/2008 12:11
I have not eaten Mcdonalds in about 4 years, that shit is jsut gross.

I can handle wendys and taco bell.

But really, all mcdonalds serves is shit burgers with a side of shit fries.

i hate you ronald...fucker.
PSIq0ut's Avatar
PSIq0ut at 01/08/2008 12:13
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Eb62VAgro9U&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Eb62VAgro9U&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Betrayal
PSIq0ut's Avatar
PSIq0ut at 01/08/2008 12:13
GAY

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Eb62VAgro9U
CelicaCrazed's Avatar
CelicaCrazed at 01/08/2008 12:13
I blame the 60's.
MaxVest's Avatar
MaxVest at 01/08/2008 12:23
I blame video games on fat kids. Corrupt, villainous game manufacturers have a captive audience made up of children who have gotten winded by the time they've hoisted the 20th chicken nugget.
Twosixteen's Avatar
Twosixteen at 01/08/2008 12:54
Don't look at us! Oh god what's that behind you?! Look quick!!

:runs away:
Orionsaint's Avatar
Orionsaint at 01/08/2008 13:26
I blame video game makers for making such good games, that you don't wanna go outside anymore. Damn you game makers and your creative juices and ability to engage us!
TheStripe's Avatar
TheStripe at 01/08/2008 13:29
@ Pedro - Yes, not a few big macs, but a few dozen. The point here is not that playing videogames all day OR overeating McDonalds will make you fat (because both will,) but that parents are responsible for not putting a stop to bad habits, be they overeating or overplaying. Videogames are no more responsible than McDonalds, but also no less. The ONLY party at fault here is the parents.

Man, I thought the whole "entitled to everything, responsible for nothing" was a purely American phenominon. Apparently it's the whole human race.
somesthetic's Avatar
somesthetic at 01/08/2008 13:38
I play videogames pretty heavily, and recently I've been losing weight.

I think I have an intestinal worm or something.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 01/08/2008 14:01
I’m on the side of The Brain and Emrah here...the exec said video games are a factor in the obesity epidemic, which, while it may not be something that has been directly proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by a scientific study, is probably true. But the parents are to blame as well. They need to get off their asses once in a while and actually, you know, do some parenting. I didn’t start eating lots of food that wasn’t cooked at home until I went away to college. You know why? Because my mom made sure that it didn’t happen. Also, I had no money in high school. But that’s besides the point, which is that parents need to take responsibility for their kids’ behavior, attitudes, diet, habits, etc., instead of just finding an easy scapegoat (whether it’s video games or McDonald’s).
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 01/08/2008 14:02
Pedro: Um, yeah. I already mentioned myself in the original post, but if you wanna drive it home, go wild.

And it's not McDonalds' fault, it's purely down to me. You won't see me shirking responsibility onto anything else for my own fuck ups.
kawitchate's Avatar
kawitchate at 01/08/2008 14:06
tee hee.
kiddy tits.
AlucardX24's Avatar
AlucardX24 at 01/08/2008 14:37
Japan doesn't have many public parks and they play as much, or more games than us. They're skinny. Wanna know why? They eat healthy.
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