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Big Macs, fries and milkshakes will be part of McDonald's exclusively branded menu at the Games this summer. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
London2012

British doctors blast McDonalds' Olympic sponsorship

The fast food chain will open a two-story restaurant that seats 1,500 customers at Olympic Park.

MCDONALD’S IS A sponsor for the London Olympics — and a British doctors’ group says that’s sending the wrong message in a country with ballooning obesity.

Big Macs, fries and milkshakes will be part of McDonald’s exclusively branded menu at the Olympics and the fast-food giant will soon be opening its largest franchise in the world, a two-story cathedral-like restaurant that seats 1,500 customers, at London’s Olympic Park.

McDonald’s will be the only restaurateur allowed to sell brand-name food at the Games and there will also be a separate McDonald’s within the Athletes Village — in addition to three others at the Olympic Park.

Alongside McDonald’s, Coca-Cola has the exclusive right to sell non-alcoholic drinks at Olympic venues. Heineken has been named the Games’ official beer.

“It’s very sad that an event that celebrates the very best of athletic achievements should be sponsored by companies contributing to the obesity problem and unhealthy habits,” said Terence Stephenson, a spokesman for the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges.

The group is calling upon the British government to restrict advertising by McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Heineken during the Olympic Games, which are being held in London from 27 July.

But that’s unlikely to happen. London Olympic organisers have defended their decision to accept McDonald’s sponsorship as a business deal.

“Sponsors provide a huge amount of the funding required to stage the games,” said a London 2012 spokesman in a statement. “Without our partners such as McDonald’s, the games simply wouldn’t happen.”

About one-quarter of Britons are obese and experts estimate that could jump to half by 2030. Obesity and related health ailments cost the British health system about £4 billion pounds (€4.8bn) every year.

Maria Cheng, AP

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Author
Associated Foreign Press
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