timebomb

There can’t possibly be anything more devastating than having a child who is terminally ill. Fortunately, McDonald’s Restaurant is there to help these families cope with the everyday challenges of serious illnesses such as cancer. Ronald McDonald House was established in 1974 to provide families with a comfortable and compassionate environment within walking distance from a hospital. There are currently 243 Ronald McDonald House’s located in 25 different countries that have helped over 10 million families in total. These numbers are truly impressive, and McDonald’s deserves recognition for their accomplishments.

Here are some other somewhat impressive numbers, or possibly shocking numbers, to consider. McDonalds is in fact the world’s leading food service with over 30 000 restaurants in 119 countries around the globe. Everyday all the McDonald’s locations serve over 50 000 million people. Talk about a successful operation, not even UNICEF or the World Food Program, which are backed by 192 member states, Oxfam, or Africare – combined – can feed that many people in one year, let alone in one day. So this means that McDonalds Restaurants is in fact the world’s leading food provider. Maybe they should be providing food relief by sending some of their nutritious product to rural villages. Or maybe that food isn’t so great after all.

I can’t solely blame McDonalds (don’t want to be sued), but since they are the world’s ‘leading food provider’ how can I not, however there seems to be an ever-increasing rate of obesity throughout the developed world. This rise in obesity has specifically targeted children, such that over 15% of children aged 6 – 19 in the United States are obese. This data is revolting to say the least. Child obesity is devastating, and should be considered a terminal illness. Social concerns aside, these children are at an elevated risk of heart disease and diabetes, not to mention the plethora of joint, muscle, back, and mental problems that can arise. Obesity among children eventually leads to a premature death. This surge in obese children can only be described as a time bomb, and when it goes off, hopefully McDonalds will be there to create a new Ronald McDonald House specifically designed for providing aid to families coping with diabetic and disabled children with severe weight problems.