As our sister Houston Press blog reports,
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is running a
television ad that comes right out and says it: McDonald's food is so
unhealthy it can kill you. The ad opens with an obese man on a gurney
in the morgue, a half-eaten burger in his dead hand. As his widow
cries, the screen turns red and golden arches appear along with the
phrase: "I was lovin' it."
The folks at McDonald's are
apparently upset. Spokeswoman Bridget Coffin -- I mean Coffing -- calls
the commercial "outrageous, misleading and unfair to all consumers."
Gee, just like the commercials for McDonald's!
The Physician's Committee put out the following statement in response to Coffing's whine:
"Studies, including one from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, show
that people who consume fast food are at a higher risk of obesity, a
key risk factor for heart disease. Regular consumption of high-fat,
high-cholesterol foods increases the risk of heart disease, and studies
have found that even a singly fatty meal can raise blood pressure,
stiffen major arteries, and cause the heart to beat harder."
The ad has already run in Washington DC, and is being planned for
Houston, Chicago, Detroit, LA, Memphis...and Miami! We are honored, and
look forward to the commercials -- assuming our local media isn't too
cowardly to air them.
