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Retire The Ronald? Activists Push McDonald's To Dump Clown

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A group of health activists are calling on McDonald's shareholders to give the boot to the world's most famous clown.

Deborah Lapidus of Corporate Accountability International (CAI) told KNX 1070's Dick Helton that Ronald McDonald is the "face of the practice of predatory marketing to kids".

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"It's really reached a crisis level where 1 in 3 kids here in the U.S. are at risk of developing diabetes as the result of diets high in McDonald's-style junk food," Lapidus said.

The group is partnering with The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia on a resolution to better document the fast food chain's "health footprint", including a report that would assess "the potential impact of public concerns and evolving public policy on the company's finances and operations."

When asked if her organization is perhaps being a bit too hard on the nearly half-century-old mascot, Lapidus pointed to its longevity as an opportunity for the company to reinvent itself.

"It's been 50 years of a long career, and it's time for him to enter into the retirement home with Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man," Lapidus said.

Campaigners with CAI plan on submitting an open letter at the annual meeting from over 600 doctors in every state in the U.S. who support the graceful exit of Ronald McDonald.

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