Activists accused McDonald’s of unnecessarily contributing to the obesity crisis in the United Kingdom by continuing to offer Monopoly prizes.
The yearly marketing campaign, which was launched for the first time in 1987, has been deemed ‘irresponsible’ by experts, who claim it would encourage people to consume more junk food provided by the fast food behemoth.
One argued that only healthy menu selections, such as fruit, salad, and water bottles, should fall under the system.
This year’s version of the chain’s competition includes prizes of £100,000, a Mini, and a £2,000 vacation. To claim the enticing benefits, consumers must collect property pieces in the style of a well-known gameboard.
They are distributed on the packaging of some of McDonald’s most popular goods, including fries, Chicken Selects, Big Tasty, and Chicken Legend.
Some stickers that must be taken off provide immediate food prizes.
But with nearly two-thirds of adults and one-third of children being overweight, Professor Graham MacGregor, chair of Action on Salt, told MailOnline: ‘This is completely irresponsible marketing, especially if customers are being encouraged to consume even more heavily processed food loaded with saturated fat and salt — not to mention excessive sugary drinks.
“It is imperative that only non-HFSS [high in fat, salt, and sugar] meals and beverages, such as free side salads and bottles of water, are advertised in this manner.
These high-fructose, high-sugar, and high-sodium foods and beverages can be marketed without constraints to vulnerable youngsters who are unaware of how unhealthy they are.
The more food you purchase in McDonald’s Monopoly, the more chances you have to win.
Some foods are more likely to succeed than others.
Two stickers are awarded for fries, whereas three stickers are awarded for side salads, veggie bags, and fruit bags.
Other caloric alternatives, such as the Big Tasty, Chicken Selects, and frozen strawberry lemonade, also come with three stickers.
Five prizes of £100,000, twenty-one Mini Electric Cars, and eighty TUI vacations worth £2,000 are up for grabs in this competition, which runs through October 18.
More than one hundred Britons have the chance to win a £1,000 voucher for at-home technology, 510 concert ticket vouchers, and hundreds of McDonald’s Gold Cards, which provide one free meal per week for a year.
However, fast food enthusiasts are more likely to earn free food.
There are millions of instant-win certificates for the Big Mac, Chicken McNuggets, and McFlurry.
Dr. Duane Mellor, a dietician at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, told that even though many would consider it “harmless fun,” it will drive individuals to consume more food.
He stated, “We must remember that it is designed to generate repeat business.
That necessitates returning to purchase additional food and drink; obviously, healthier options are available, but how frequently are they selected?
Many of the fast wins are high-calorie, high-fat, high-salt, or high-sugar foods.
Similar to the buy-one-get-one-free offers in supermarkets that our government reversed its position on prohibiting.
‘[But McDonald’s offer] may help us save [or win] money, but they usually result in us spending more and consuming more calories, fat, salt, and sugar as a result.’
Professor Gunter Kuhnle, a nutrition expert at the University of Reading, told that it appears to be a typical marketing campaign.
He stated, “I don’t think this is particularly awful or good; it’s similar to all the other food-related initiatives where one must collect stuff.”
One large McDonald’s meal, consisting of a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, large fries, and a large vanilla milkshake, comprises 1,650 calories, which is nearly all of a woman’s recommended daily consumption (2,000) and more than two-thirds of a man’s.
In addition, it has 88g of sugar, which is approximately three times the daily recommendation, as well as 4.5g of salt, which is three-quarters of the daily limit.
The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (739), the Big Mac (493), and the Double Cheeseburger (438) are among the most calorically dense immediate victories.
A McDonald’s representative stated, “Monopoly stickers are available in our under 400 and 600 calorie meal bundles, including Premium Salads, Big Flavor Wraps, and the Chicken Legend.”
We provide our clients who win food rewards with a variety of choices for redeeming their gifts.
We provide clear nutrition information at the point of sale, on our website and app, and on tray liners to assist our customers to make informed decisions, and our menu has grown over the years to provide more options than ever before, from salads to wraps to coffee to fruit or vegetable bags.
It is not the first time McDonald’s has been urged to eliminate the program.
In the past, Professor Russell Viner, former head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, described it as “undesirable in a variety of ways.
Other advocates demanded a halt to discounts that “add hundreds of unintentional sweet calories to each visit.”
Last year, radical food ideas proposed by the Government’s food czar, Henry Dimbleby, called for food makers and restaurants to pay an additional £3 or £6 per kilogram of sugar and salt, respectively.
Nevertheless, during the cost-of-living crisis, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson ruled out a tax on sugar and salt.
However, beginning in October, ministers will prohibit high-fat, high-sugar, and high-sodium meals from store doors and checkout lanes. In April, regulations went into force mandating all restaurants, cafes, and takeout with over 250 employees to show calories on their menus.
However, the government earlier reversed its position on rules that would have prohibited BOGOF and other multiple-purchase unhealthy food bargains beginning in October.
Despite plans to eliminate them, free refills of sugary soft drinks will also be permitted for one additional year.
Some have referred to the weakened plans as “nanny state meddling.”
Approximately 28% of adults in England are fat, and an additional 36% are overweight.
And researchers warn that by 2030, obesity will be more prevalent than a healthy weight if current trends continue. By 2040, seven out of ten will be classified as overweight.
Also on the rise are rates among children. In April 2012, one in seven children in Kindergarten were fat, compared to one in ten before the pandemic.
The proportion of sixth-grade students who were overweight increased from one in five pre-Covid to one in four.
