BMJ  2008;336:578 (15 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39514.479907.DB

News

Children’s hospital under pressure to end "grotesque" ties with McDonald’s

Melissa Sweet

1 Sydney

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Public health and cancer groups have called on a leading children’s hospital in Australia to end its long standing association with the fast food chain McDonald’s.

And an expert in food policy in the United Kingdom has also called on UK hospitals not to play host to fast food outlets.

The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne is developing plans for its relocation in 2011, when the lease for the McDonald’s outlet in the hospital will also expire.

Some staff are urging the hospital board to ban fast food outlets, including McDonald’s, from the new development.

Mike South, a senior paediatrician at the hospital, said that having a prominent fast food chain on site was sending an unhealthy message to the community.

"If public schools in Victoria have banned the serving of fast food at schools, then the children’s hospital should be able to take the lead as well," he said.

. . . [Full text of this article]


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ