In a global television commercial just launched (10 June 2005), Ronald McDonald energetically rides a bike. He deftly shoots hoops with basketball megastar Yao Ming. He even snowboards like a pro.
It's enough to make you choke on your super-sized Big Mac meal. Yes, McDonald's "Chief Happiness Officer" now has a new title: "Amabassador of Balanced Lifestyles".
But he won't be giving up his old job.
The McDonald's-owned website, GoActive.com, explains how Ronald juggles the two titles. "As McDonald's Chief Happiness Officer, Ronald McDonald is involved with anything and everything that makes people happy. He wants the best for everyone."
And it seems that when it comes to what's best for everyone, fatty junk fare (described by GoActive as "tasty, wholesome food") is just not enough any more. In a stunning revelation, the site tells us that we now also need "physical activity that seems like play" and "robust good health".
Enter Ronald in his new, ambassadorial role ... "Ronald believes in an active, balanced lifestyle. He lives one himeself. And he is the ambassador of active, blanced lifestyles for everyone."
So just what does this new diplomatic status entail? GoActive,com explains that Ronald considers physical activity a "critical component of the energy balance equation".
Wow, Ronald's starting to speak like an ambassador already! We ordinary folk would have said something low-brow like, "If you're going to eat fattening, junk food, you'd better try to burn it off with some exercise".
Like any good diplomat, Ronald's pretty vague about how he's going to achieve this goal, promising to work "with the people of McDonald's in various ways to help parents and children identify realistic, fun ways to incorporate fitness and exercise into their daily lives."
If Ronald's sounding ambassadorial, his boss, McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner, sounded positively Presidential when he announced his company's "It's what I eat and what I do ... I'm lovin' it" campaign.
"We will use our size and strength to set an example," he told the media. The campaign includes television adverts, new packaging, an updated Web site and a fresh series a videos featuring Ambassador Ronald teaching children how to eat well and stay active.
And like a true diplomat, Ronald will soon get to demostrate just how multi-lingual he is. The new commercial airs first in the United States and will soon be broadcast in Canada, Germany, Italy, Portugal, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina.
And that's only the beginning. The TV spots will be followed later this year with a series of "Go Active with Ronald McDonald" interactive community shows accross the US and in other countries.
Active he may be, but it's obvious even Ronald will need some help in this historic mission. Tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, hockey player Wayne Gretzky and speed skater Bonnie Blair are among the sporting luminaries McDonald's has pressed into service.
CEO Skinner has declined to put a price tag on the mission, but perhaps the TV networks and sports stars will get with the public-spiritedness of the campaign and donate their services gratis.
Of course, the company is adamant that none of this has anything to do with all those unfairly-critical articles in the media, alarmist books like Fast Food Nation, and muck-raking documetaries like Super Size Me. Nor, its insists, has it anything to do with recent court actions in which money-grabbing litigants have won millions of dollars in settlements.
On the contrary, we're told, the latest campaign is just a natural evolution of previous efforts on Ronald's part to teach children how to keep safe, like fastening seat belts and wearing bicycle helmets - both very important things for kids to know, so we'll understand if Ronald forgot to warn them not to eat unhealthy food like burgers and fries.
"This is just another way we're communicating with our customers on the importance of energy balance," company spokesperson Lisa Howard said.
Hey, there's that "energy balance" term again.
Sounds like Lisa's been getting some lessons in diplomat-speak from Uncle Ronald!
Alan Cooper is a journalist with 20 year's experience and the publisher of http://www.obesitycures.com, a site with the ambitious aim of being a "one-stop-shop" for impartial information on obesity and weight loss solutions - including fad diets, prescription weightloss pills and natural weightloss aids.
ObesityCures also has pages devoted to Ronald McDonald and other developments on the obesity and fast foods front.
Alexis limo rentals ..For a healthy body, it is very important to have... Read More
The Order of Energy UtilizationBack to our table of stored... Read More
According to the American Obesity Association, an astounding 64.5 percent... Read More
Low carb diets, though popular, have met with much controversy.... Read More
There have been many diets and weight loss plans that... Read More
I had lost nearly fifty pounds before anyone mentioned my... Read More
Stop Weight From Creeping Up By Staying AwareEveryone has small... Read More
America's Obesity EpidemicAs the numbers of overweight Americans continue to... Read More
As the holidays approach, a frequent question from my clients... Read More
Cut the Calories, Bring Out the BikiniSummer's almost here and... Read More
Low Carb, Low Fat, More protein, Eat all the fat... Read More
In December 2003, the FDA incorporated an ephedra ban making... Read More
Are you a 'look-and-lose' dieter? Have you studied every diet... Read More
Have you ever wondered how actors stay in such great... Read More
I remember back in my senior year of high school... Read More
Well, with the success of my article, "Wrinkle Remover That... Read More
Teenagers with body mass indices between 25 and 30 require... Read More
To continue the educational series on your health and fitness... Read More
A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More
Have you ever experienced this scenario before?"I have successfully lost... Read More
I'm sick of all the fad diets I see people... Read More
Would you run out of fingers, and maybe even toes,... Read More
Just about every one of us struggles with our weight... Read More
Many people are under the impression that gastric bypass surgery... Read More
Barriers to healthy diets are placed into four broad categories:... Read More
car service from Midway Alsip ..Are you dieting your way to bone loss?Are you aware... Read More
One of the greatest tricks that I use to stick... Read More
Many critics in have attacked low carb diets for only... Read More
"Hey, you have reduced now, compared to the last time... Read More
Lean turkeyLean ground beefChicken breastFish, halibut, orange roughy,More fish, shark,... Read More
Weight Loss Axiom Number ThreeInsulin and GlucagonThese are the two... Read More
Fat burning exercise is not merely one that will burn... Read More
The fear of success arises in patients when they realize... Read More
New Years Resolutions do not work because you are really... Read More
Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight... Read More
Fat Loss in GeneralThis morning I conducted a search engine... Read More
To really understand the impact of a protein diet, it's... Read More
With so many diets and fads being offered on the... Read More
Are you one of the many people who feel frustrated... Read More
It's calorie-free, inexpensive and easily obtained - yet few people... Read More
While exercising isn't complicated, it's very easy to make mistakes.... Read More
Believe it or not, losing a little or a lot... Read More
If winter hibernation tends to pack on the pounds, take... Read More
While the gastric bypass may seem like the perfect solution... Read More
Here are seven tips for getting the calories out of... Read More
Atkins Nutritionals filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of August... Read More
It's now official. The simple act of fidgeting can mean... Read More
Are you frustrated with your weight problem and don't know... Read More
Weight Loss is something that many Americans struggle with. In... Read More
If you know someone that has been trying to lose... Read More
Weight Loss |