McDonalds is one of the largest food chains globally and in the U.S. It has one of the most recognized symbols with the golden arches. There are more than 34,000 local McDonalds around the world and they serve approximately 69 million people in 118 countries every single day. They also spend about two billion dollars on advertisements each year. The ethical issue that I want to address in this essay is whether or not McDonalds is ethical for advertising and selling obese and unhealthy foods to its customers. I believe it is important to explore this organization because McDonalds is one of the largest and most well-known food chains around the world. It is important to know that an organization as successful and large as them is also ethical with their approach. If a corporation as successful and profitable as McDonalds can be ethical with their selling and advertising schemes then just about any other organization or corporation striving towards that same goal can be too.
To start out, I decided to give a quick interview two different people about their opinion on McDonalds and their ethical behavior. Both of these two people come from different backgrounds, have different interests, and have a different life than one another. The first person I asked was named Dan. Dan eats fast food frequently and he also consumes and eats McDonalds at least once a week. The second person I asked was someone who was very health conscious and his name is Mike. Mike person rarely eats at McDonalds and estimated that he buys and eats from there about every three months.
The first question that I had asked them was, “What are your thoughts on McDonalds?”
Dan’s answer was, “McDonalds is a great place to go to when I need to get food in a hurry ...
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...mendation for McDonalds in their approach is to be more objective with their food items. For example, McDonalds should not only show the nutritional value for their healthy items but all of their items in their entire menu. This would help McDonalds as consumers will not possibly be misled from their information from the advertisements. McDonalds does not lie about the information of their products through advertisements or in their nutritional menu but they show selective information in the ads because they understand it is the best thing to do to maximize profit. It would increase their ethical behavior as they would be more virtuous by doing so. They are not following virtue ethics very closely by only disclosing nutritional information towards their healthiest items in advertisements but ignoring it and not discussing it in their more obese and fattening items.
Fast food, while a quick alternative to cooking, has always been known to be less healthy than traditional preparations, but the extent of its health benefits or detriments was not known until a lawsuit came out which inspired documentarian Morgan Spurlock to engage in a 30 day experiment. The resultant documentary specifically targeted McDonald’s, the largest fast food chain in the world, which also happens to be a major recipient of lawsuits linking obesity and their food. Spurlock endeavored to spend a thirty day period eating nothing but food that came from the golden arches, with the rules that he would supersize only when asked, and every time he was asked, and that he would have everything from the menu at least once. In the 2004 film Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock explores the concept that McDonald’s contributes to the nation’s obesity problem through the utilization of statistics and scientific evidence as a logical appeal, comedy and repulsive qualities as an emotional appeal, and s...
These sources include a research on obesity from 1989-2004 and the help from a cardiologist, gastrologist, and general practitioner. Utilizing these sources help boost Morgan’s credibility by showing that he has done research and the information he provides are professional. In addition, Morgan also utilizes his project of eating Mcdonald's for a month to portray the devastating effects of fast food places such as by listing how he has gained 24 lbs and 8% of body fat. By including these statistics, Morgan is able to display to the audience the terrible effects of eating fast food constantly and set an example of what would happen if they don’t stop. Thoroughly by utilizing these sources, the claims of America being the fattest country and fast food being unhealthy for the regular body can be seen as very true, as his results and research has thoroughly proved his
He begins his argument by commenting about kids suing McDonald’s for “making them fat” (Zinczenko 462). Zinczenko ponders the absurdity of this claim considering how food choices are based on personal responsibility. However, he then considers the overwhelming availability ratio of fast food to fresh food while sympathizing he was once obese himself (Zinczenko 462). Zinczenko uses the primary argument that fast food companies are deceiving consumers with misleading advertisement, hidden nutrition facts, and calorie risks. He believes companies are encouraging the public to eat their unhealthy foods by omitting alarming information and levying “good” deals. In consequence, fast food companies are increasing the chances of obesity and diabetes in consumers by stimulating poor eating
Crouse, Janice Shaw. "The Fast-Food Industry Intentionally Markets Unhealthy Food to Children." Fast Food. Ed. Tracy Brown Collins. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.
Fast food restaurants such as Burger King and McDonald’s, create advertisements where it urges people to consume their product. For example Mcdonald’s created a product where you can get two items such as a mcdouble and a medium fries for three dollars. According to “The battle against fast food begins at home”, by Daniel Weintraub, it shows how companies are intriguing their customers. “ The center blames the problem on the increasing consumption of fast food and soft drinks, larger portion sizes in restaurants and the amount of available on school campuses”(1).For the most part, the Center for Public Health believes that fast food companies are the problem for health
When researching McDonald’s through online sources, it is clear that nutrition is a major concern of the public visiting the fast-food chain. Secondary research conducted shows that there are several case studies and other secondary source searches around the same topic. McDonald’s has often been the center of nutritional attention within the fast-food industry. Secondary research shows that the restaurant has recently made changes to the American Happy Meal to reduce the amount of French fries offered and replace the portion with fruit (Strom, 2011). In a study conducted by McDonald’s a secondary source reports the meal cuts calories by 20% for the children’s meal (Strom, 2011). This is a critical move by the organization on children’s obesity is currently a hot topic within food chains and attention is driven by the Obama administration. Secondary research also shows that although the public has major health concerns with the food chain, profits are increasing during a high point of an economic recession (Dahan & Gittens, 2008). Acco...
In the middle of it all, the Pelman v. McDonald’s case emerged. The Pelman v. McDonald’s case is based on a lawsuit that was filed against McDonald’s corporation by the parents of two teenagers who alleged that McDonald’s fast food was the cause of their obesity and health problems (Benloulou, 2005). Moreover, the case contained allegations that McDonald’s corporation deceived the public by omitting the unhealthiness of their products. The Pelman v. McDonald’s lawsuit was filed and dismissed several times. In fact, the case’s final disposition is unresolved to date, nonetheless, the concern that obesity may lead to numerous diseases and deaths remains (Benloulou,
.... Fast food industry should promote their healthy choices in their unhealthy, fatty food products by giving consumers the choice to add a variety of veggies and vitamins. They should add nutrition information regarding the products this way they can protect themselves and their customers.
trip to McDonald's seemed like a treat and when a small bag of French fries,
First, my personal reaction to this is documentary is an eye opener. I knew McDonalds was more harmful to than other fast food places, but I never knew about the lawsuit between McDonalds and it consumers. I never saw McDonalds as having big impact on my life; this is probably because the McDonald’s in my hometown never had a super-size option. In the video, Spurlock conducted interviews to gain ...
McDonalds is one of the most well known fast food restaurants in the world. It is so popular that it sells seventy-five hamburgers every second and is shockingly also the worlds largest toy distributor (Lubin, and Badkar.) The powerful company is an overwhelming influence not only in the worlds economy, but also the worlds holistic lifestyle and health; therefore, McDonalds must be carefully monitored-carefully monitored meaning every move, every change, every single action the company makes needs to be a healthy one. Since the McDonalds business is unbelievably large, it has to manufacture a lot of food, and in a fast food business more in numbers means lower quality. But the food served isn’t lower quality. The food is not even food. It is poison! The chain restaurants food that is sold to the world population contains over 70 cancer-promoting ingredients (Roberts), not to mention it also contains preservatives that are butane-based, bleached flour, and the main ingredient found in silly putty (Breyer). It is clear that McDonalds does not sell food that anyone should be eating; yet, it poisons 68 million people a day, or in other words one percent of the population (Lubin, and Badkar.) 68 million people poisoned every single day. This atrocity absolutely without doubt needs to be stopped.
Over the years, growing attention has been paid to the ethical, environmental and social dimensions of business, most often under corporate social responsibility (CSR). Much of the early literature aimed to specify the concept and the various components of CSR, as it emerged in the second half of the 20th century (MINTZBERG, H., 1983). Various environment organizations and people are conscious of the toxic waste, of pollution, mountains of garbage and depletion of forests. McDonald’s, the largest restaurant chain in the world, presents a notable case study. For years McDonald’s used polystyrene containers for the famous Big Mac clamshell for its hamburgers. Since these containers were light in weight, did not absorb grease and kept the burgers warm. McDonalds soon become target of the Environmental Defense Fund which claimed that by making polystyrene packaging created toxic fumes, which took too much of landfill and took too much time to
Have you ever wondered how the business empire of McDonalds was started? With over ninety nine billion served, it was started in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. It was started off as just a Bar-B-Q that served just twenty items. Its first mascot was named “Speedee” They eventually realized that by setting up their kitchen like an assembly line that they could be much more productive and get their food done faster, with every employee doing a specified job; the restaurants production rate became much higher. A milkshake machine vendor came into their small restaurant one day, his name was Ray Kroc. He saw how much potential the restaurant has, so he bought it out and opened one of the first franchises. Within the first year of Ray Kroc buying it, there were one hundred and two locations all around the world. McDonalds currently is one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world and currently has served over sixty four million customers through one of their thirty two thousand sites. It has almost become a way of life for America. Though, McDonalds started off as a small business between two brothers, it grew into one of the largest restaurant franchises in the world and greatly affects our society and how we eat our food.
McDonalds believe that good customer service is the responsibility of everybody in the company. Every employee has a part to play in providing with a service with best practise found anywhere in the trade.
McDonalds is one of the world’s largest fast food chains, feeding many people for low prices. What people don’t understand is what is actually