Banning fast food ads won’t prevent obesity, says MD

PETALING JAYA: The way to good health is not through banning fast food advertisements, according to a fast food chain operator here.

McDonald's Malaysia managing director Azmir Jaafar said this had been proven in Sweden, which banned such advertisements 13 years ago.

A survey later showed that the obesity rate there was no different from other European countries, he said.

“There are many case studies done in Western countries, which showed that banning fast food advertisements is not a solution because there is no one cause of obesity,” he said at McDonald's Malaysia's 25th anniversary celebrations here yesterday.

Here comes Ronald: Children from the Rumah Ilham orphanage celebrating McDonald’s Malaysia’s 25th anniversary at The Curve, Petaling Jaya, yesterday.

He said McDonald's, together with the Nutritional Society of Malaysia, Malaysian Dieticians' Society, media and advertisers' associations, had agreed to collaborate with the Health Ministry on the issue, adding that a meeting had been scheduled with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek tomorrow.

Dr Chua had announced recently that the ministry was considering banning fast food advertisements due to an increasing number of Malaysians suffering from “affluent” diseases.

Azmir agreed that consumers must be informed of the caloric and nutritional content of fast food and then it would be up to them to make an informed decision.

He said McDonald's had been actively promoting balanced meals, citing its grilled chicken burger and soya drinks as examples.

He said fruit juices, fruits and salads would be introduced in the chain's menu in phases.

McDonald's operates 171 outlets in Malaysia.

The company plans to invest RM50mil to open eight to 10 new outlets this year and refurbish existing ones, he added.

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