by Anglncrow

Created on: October 10, 2008

McDonald's is the world's largest leading and long-standing fast-food chain across the U.S. and around the world and has gained popularity of a billion consumers who's best choice are Big Macs and French fries. However, the fast-food giant has made commercial publicity regarding its advertisements and nutrition effects. The family dined establishment would face its marks of one of the biggest nutritional effects that it has on the society. On February 21, 2003, New York lawyers filed a complaint against McDonald's that the food was making their clients fat and that the fast food chain of making misleading nutritional claims.

McDonald's was accused of deceptive advertising and a class action suit was filed on the behalf of thousands of New York state residents under the age of 18 who suffered health problems from eating McDonald's food. McDonald's advertisement has claimed their beef to be nutritious and leaner than beef in the supermarkets. However, The United States Department of Agriculture found that meat in fast food chains were much fattier than meats found in supermarkets. "McDonald's serves quality food and ingredients from quality suppliers and continues to be a leader in providing customers with nutritional information about our food" says McDonald's statement. A McDonald's spokesman told CNN in a telephone interview "eating McDonald's food can easily fit into a balanced diet. I eat its food every day, and I'm perfectly healthy."

In the beginning the original lawsuit started with the parents of two girls, Jazlyn Bradley 19, and Ashley Pelman 14 who claimed that the two girls had failed to disclose the ingredients, including high levels of fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol. The plaintiffs argued that McDonald's food should be accountable for the girl's health problems. Bradley weighed 270 pounds and Pelman weighed 170 pounds. Bradley's regular diet was an Egg McMuffin for breakfast and a Big Mac meal for dinner. Pelman would eat Happy Meals three or four times a week. "Contrary to what many may think, we are not looking to get rich from a large money settlement. We are proposing a fund that will educate children about the nutritional facts and contents of McDonald's food," says attorney Samuel Hirsch in a CNN interview.

A federal judge threw out the lawsuit that blamed the likes of Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets for childhood obesity. "Nobody is forced to eat McDonald's. The plaintiffs failed to show that customers were unaware that eating too much McDonald's

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>