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.
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..Here come the candy canes. In our house, Santa always... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Although many patients have few problems after bariatric surgery, there... Read More
The heated debate, within diet circles, that began a few... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
Every weight loss surgery patient I've met said they at... Read More
Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue... Read More
In our society of fast food and long hours spent... Read More
The humble soybean boasts some extraordinary benefits. This nutritional powerhouse... Read More
Research from Harvard, recently published in the highly respected peer-reviewed... Read More
"I am going to start a diet tomorrow". How many... Read More
The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go AwayFad diets come... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
Control that sweet tooth. Remember that sweet things generally mean... Read More
Everybody you know is on the latest weight loss bandwagon:... Read More
Considering the US Center for Disease Control's advice is a... Read More
Looking to lose weight quickly? The good news is that... Read More
Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is... Read More
Think for a moment about the highest mountain you ever... Read More
In this issue, I am going to focus more on... Read More
If I were asked, "what is the most difficult thing... Read More
Weight Watchers inspired me to change my eating habits, lose... Read More
The perfect diet should be combined with a healthy weight... Read More
Fat burners have become very popular in today's society, especially... Read More
I have had some e-mails come in and everyone is... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..Search Yahoo for "papaya" and "kirstie" and you'll find at... Read More
Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of... Read More
Green tea has been highly valued in Asia for centuries... Read More
To prepare ourselves for the Summer Sun we want to... Read More
A frequent question brand-new gastric bypass patients ask is "How... Read More
If you've been working out with weights for any length... Read More
There have been endless numbers of fad diets over the... Read More
Every regime has its supply of useless folk lore and... Read More
Barriers to healthy diets are placed into four broad categories:... Read More
Well, look at you go! You keep moving closer and... Read More
There's one thing that most people forget about when it... Read More
We all encounter those hosts and hostesses who feel it... Read More
To really understand the impact of a protein diet, it's... Read More
Recently, I read an article from Japanese magazine that by... Read More
Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative... Read More
For about 50 years now, Americans have been eating low... Read More
Families who dine out with their loved ones who've had... Read More
Today you have a good chance of getting diabetes or... Read More
I just finished working my quads on a weight machine.... Read More
It is not recommended to lose more than 1 pound... Read More
How to burn fat fast is a question that burns... Read More
There's a two hundred year history of people prescribing both... Read More
Everybody you know is on the latest weight loss bandwagon:... Read More
As a Master swimmer I am made painfully aware, each... Read More
With all the excitement regarding high protein diets, one area... Read More
Weight Loss |