King stands by McDonald's despite outcry

Health Minister Annette King rejects claims a McDonald's-linked sponsorship of a children's dental clinic will necessarily boost consumption of burgers and sugary soft drinks.

She strongly supports the $750,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities' sponsorship of the Northland mobile clinic and will launch it on March 23.

The clinic will cover from the Bay of Islands to the Hokianga, an area without fluoridated water and with some of New Zealand's worst child tooth decay rates. It is expected to reach 2500 children in its first year.

The outside of the truck containing the two-chair Northland District Health Board clinic will feature a picture of Ronald McDonald, a clown, holding a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Opponents say the clown and the clinic's name will inevitably fuel children's demand for McDonald's. But Ms King questioned this.

"You could argue the opposite. Associating Ronald McDonald with having your teeth done could be a turn-off. Having the occasional hamburger or can of fruit juice from McDonald's is no worse than having other food and fruit drinks from other outlets.

"I think most parents are sensible. What they hate is people telling them they can't make sensible decisions."

Auckland University senior marketing lecturer Dr Christina Lee said McDonald's and its clown were so well known by most children that the image on the clinic would reinforce their positive feelings about the chain's foods and drinks.

This would encourage them to consume more of them - or at least to pester their parents to be allowed to.

The Fight the Obesity Epidemic group has asked members to send a form letter to Ms King urging her to withdraw from launching the scheme.

The letter says the biggest change to children's diets in recent years is the increase in calories from non-alcoholic drinks, leading to obesity and dental decay.

Green Party health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said Ms King should end the sponsorship deal.

McDonald's says it is unfair to focus solely on its sugary drinks, because it sells a range of beverages, including water, and sugary drinks are also sold by many other outlets.

But while the debate continues, the controversial 8-year-old McDonald's in the Starship hospital is about to close. It has not been selling enough burgers.

Staff turn sour

Some health workers are objecting abusively to the loss of high-sugar drinks from hospital vending machines.

The Waitemata District Health Board has started substituting diet soft drinks for drinks containing sugar.

This follows rising concern about the links between sugary drinks and obesity and tooth decay.

In a newsletter, board chief executive Dwayne Crombie takes a swipe at staff who have reacted angrily to the change. "I have been disappointed most by the abusive comments from a very small number of our so-called health professionals ... directed at some of our staff who implemented this change.

"Complain to me and we can discuss it but behaviour like that is unacceptable ... and we can do without people like that at Waitemata Health."