VOA标准英语2010年-McDonald's Faces Possible Lawsuit Over

A nutrition watchdog group is threatening to sue McDonald's, the giant U.S. restaurant chain, for using toys to sell its fast-food meals to children.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says the popular toys illegally lure¹ children into eating habits that threaten their health.

A nutrition watchdog group says McDonald's has 30 days to change its ways, or CSPI will take the fast-food giant to court.
Happy meal

Since 1979, every McDonald's "Happy Meal" for children has included an enticing² toy along with the food, from Star Wars action figures to Hello Kitty watches.

The Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, notes that a 2005 report from the U.S. Institute of Medicine found that marketing³ to children makes them more likely to ask for and eat unhealthful foods.

Nearly one in five children in the United States is obese⁴, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means more kids are developing diabetes⁵ and are at higher risk of heart disease and other health problems.

CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson says it's wrong to tempt⁶ kids with toys.

"The very practice of dangling⁷ a toy or other premium⁸ to get kids to pester⁹ their parents to go into the restaurant and buy food, junky or nutritious¹⁰, is unethical and, we believe, illegal."

Questionable¹¹ nutrition

And the food is more often junky than nutritious, Jacobson adds. All of the 24 Happy Meal choices have more than a third of a child's recommended daily calorie intake¹².

A Happy Meal that includes a cheeseburger, French fries, and a soda¹³ contains half a day's worth of calories and saturated¹⁴ fat, along with nearly a day's worth of sodium¹⁵, and two day's worth of sugar.

CSPI is threatening to sue under consumer protection laws in several states. Lead attorney Stephen Gardner says he's confident he can face a jury and ask three questions:

"Is it unfair for McDonald's to bypass parents and market direct[ly] to little children? Is it wrong for McDonald's to trick little kids into nagging¹⁶ their parents to buy the Happy Meals? And does McDonald's practice hurt little kids? The jury would come back yes, yes, and yes."

McDonald's responds

In a written response, McDonald's spokesman William Whitman says he couldn't disagree more with CSPI.

The toy is just part of a fun, family experience, he says, and Happy Meals offer more healthful choices than ever, including low-fat milk instead of soda and apple slices instead of French fries.

The company sold nearly 120 million liters of milk in the past year, he says, and more than 100 million Happy Meals with Apple Dippers since 2008.

The statement doesn't say what McDonald's plans to do about CSPI's threatened lawsuit¹⁷, and a spokeswoman wouldn't elaborate in emails.

It's not the first time CSPI has threatened legal action against junk food makers¹⁸ -- and the strategy has worked before.

The makers of sugary breakfast cereals changed how they market to children, and the fast-food chicken dinner chain KFC stopped frying its food in artery-clogging, high-trans-fat oils after the group threatened to sue.

CSPI says McDonald's has 30 days to change its ways, or the group will go to court.

 

1 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

2 enticing   

adj.迷人的；诱人的

参考例句：

• The offer was too enticing to refuse. 这提议太有诱惑力，使人难以拒绝。
• Her neck was short but rounded and her arms plump and enticing. 她的脖子短，但浑圆可爱；两臂丰腴，也很动人。

3 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

4 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

5 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

6 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

7 dangling   

悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
• The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。

8 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

9 pester   

v.纠缠，强求

参考例句：

• He told her not to pester him with trifles.他对她说不要为小事而烦扰他。
• Don't pester me.I've got something urgent to attend to.你别跟我蘑菇了，我还有急事呢。

10 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

11 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

12 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

13 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

14 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

15 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

16 nagging   

adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
• I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

18 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》