THE HSE’S CLINICAL lead for obesity has supported calls for RTÉ to drop McDonald’s as a sponsor for its weekly Big Big Movie family slot on Saturday evenings.

Professor Donal O’Shea told today’s Irish Daily Mail that having fast food advertising during a slot that features family-friendly films is an example of “blatantly targeting” children.

He said: “The show is family fun time and McDonald’s, by sponsoring the programme, are building a customer base around children”.

Fianna Fáil’s children spokesperson Anne Rabbitte has written to the Health Minister and Communications Minister asking for RTÉ to choose a more suitable sponsor for the prime TV slot.

In a statement to the paper, McDonald’s said that it “goes beyond the current regulations on marketing to children” and uses its “marketing to help families understand more about the range of food options” on offer.

Current codes of practice aim to restrict unhealthy food advertising during earlier kids TV slots.

So, today we’re asking you: Should fast food advertising be banned during TV ‘family film’ slots?

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