BOSTON,
Md., April 15 (UPI) -- A group of
doctors has called on the administrators of 22 hospitals in the United States
to remove McDonald's restaurants from their facilities.
The
nation's top pediatricians, cardiologists and child psychologists have joined
Corporate Accountability International to pressure hospital administrators to
end contracts with the fast-food restaurant, the Boston-based organization said
in a news release Tuesday.
"Kids
are being treated for diet-related conditions like diabetes on one floor in the
hospital and given the wrong message by being offered the world's most
recognized junk food brand on another floor in the hospital," said Dr.
Francine Kaufman, former president of the American Diabetes Association.
"The practice earns McDonald's an undeserved association with
healthfulness among parents and children alike … and it should be
curtailed."
Corporate
Accountability International sent a letter to the 22 hospitals, pointing to
Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas, and Children's Hospital in
Philadelphia, both of which the organization says sent a powerful message by
ending their contracts with McDonald's.
"McDonald's
has a long history of putting a healthy label on an inherently unhealthy
brand," said Sara Deon, Corporate Accountability International's Value
[the] Meal campaign director. "It has used healthcare providers and
institutions to help promote this image for decades. Today, administrators have
the opportunity to provide a healthier food environment for the children and
families they care for."
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