Expert backs call for RTÉ to scrap McDonald’s advert
OBESITY expert Professor Donal O’Shea has supported a call for RTÉ to scrap McDonald’s as a sponsor for one of its main family slots.
Professor O’Shea, the HSE’s clinical lead for obesity, criticised the national broadcaster for allowing the fast-food giant to support the channel’s Big Big Movie family slot on Saturday evenings.
Prof. O’Shea said Governmentfunded bodies must act responsibly when it comes to public health and tackling childhood obesity, branding McDonald’s ads during the family slot as ‘blatant targeting’ of children.
His comments come in the wake of Fianna Fáil children and youth affairs spokesman Anne Rabbitte calling on RTÉ to choose a more suitable sponsor for the Big Big Movie. Ms Rabbitte said it was not right that children watching the programme are ‘encouraged to associate this fun leisure time with fast food’.
Prof. O’Shea, speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, said he backs the TD’s call for RTÉ to look for an alternative sponsor.
He said: ‘Government-funded bodies need to look at ways to have sponsorship in the light of the public health challenges we are facing.
‘The show is family fun time and McDonald’s, by sponsoring the programme, are building a customer base around children.
It is sponsoring a slot on primetime children’s TV and is targeting kids with fast food. Sponsorship delivers repeated messaging and advertising, in this case to children.
‘The Healthy Ireland Government policy recently launched a code for broadcast and non-broadcast, calling on the industry to be responsible about how they target kids.
‘This is one example of blatantly targeting children. McDonald’s is also associated with the new children’s hospital and the Monopoly Prize Vault [game], which targets a younger age audience.’
Prof. O’Shea has previously condemned the sponsorship of the parents’ wing of the planned new National Children’s Hospital by Ronald McDonald House, a charitable arm of the food chain.
Ms Rabbitte said yesterday that she had written to Prof. O’Shea, Health Minister Simon Harris and Communications Minister Denis Naughten, asking them to reconsider this policy decision and to ask RTÉ to choose a more suitable sponsor for children’s programming.
She said: ‘Childhood obesity is a huge issue in Ireland. Almost one third of children in Ireland are now overweight.’ She added that childhood obesity was linked to an array of serious health problems later in life, such as diabetes and an increased risk of strokes at a younger age.
A spokesman for RTE said it is fully compliant with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s codes and regulations on children’s advertising.
He said the codes and regulations also contain strict guidelines around the levels of salt and sugar content in advertised products.
‘The Big Big Movie slot on RTÉ One is scheduled for family viewing on a Saturday evening, a time of the week when families can enjoy a movie together, and are promoted as such.
‘…Adults form the overriding majority of the audience watching The Big Big Movie slot.’
McDonald’s said it takes its advertising responsibilities ‘extremely seriously’ and is committed to ensuring its approach not only complies fully with the regulations, but also meets the expectations of its customers. A spokesman added: ‘We comply, and go beyond the current regulations on marketing to children and use our marketing to help families understand more about the range of food options we offer.’
‘Targets a younger age audience’