McDonald - The Arthur Page Society

McDonald’s at least one time each month. Furthermore, children see $3 billion of fast
food advertising in a single year.
3. Opposition
3.1 In General
The issue of fast food as an enemy of the health and nutrition standards in
developed nations has been established and growing for well over a decade.
Consequently, many organizations, associations, government agencies, consumer groups,
activists, advocacy groups, bloggers, and others continue to oppose so-called “junk” or
fast food. Opposition to the type of food served by fast food restaurants such as
McDonald’s has become popular—even politically correct. Just some of the groups
advocating for healthier nutrition for the American public include the American Dietetic
Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Food and Drug Administration,
the Department of Health and Human Services, the Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Non-institutional
opponents have multiplied, forming online communities using new media outlets such as
blogs, personal web sites, and discussion forums. These online activists produce literally
thousands of commentaries, much of which targets the fast food industry.
A battle is raging against food that is high in calories and trans fats because of the
inherent health risks in consuming such foods. The challenge to McDonald’s reputation,
if not its business, is indeed fundamental. For the sake of parsimony, this case study
focuses only on the major turning points in the development of this issue. These events
are now elaborated.
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