It was about €3 for a half litre (draught)which is about half the price of most bars.

If Charles wants to fight obesity, he should fire his mother's cook. Brenda is no aerobics queen.

You did notice that Charles does not advocate that Gordon Ramsay be shut down, even though one could get just as fat eating there every day.

This is all about the rich and powerful telling the working and middle classes what is best for them.

So Gordon's "F-Word" ends with "at?"

The salads in McDonalds have more fat than the burgers do. Probably more sugar, too, though that would be difficult. There are no "healthy" or healthful choices in McDonalds. It's not just a question of beef or chicken but WHAT KIND of beef or chicken.

the Mc yoghurt parfait i have many mornings has is fat free and low in calories - i guess this is not healthy enough?

Of course, after his stellar marriage and the problems Prince Harry has, Prince Charles is now and expert on child rearing.

Parents do not HAVE TO go to McDonald's. They are the ones at fault for childhood obesity--not the fast food chains. Fast food chains would not be successful unless people patronized them.

By the way, I am no fan of McDonald's but I confess to occasional trips there when the children were small. The only time I go now is when I get a craving for their french fries about once a year--or when I need a clean bathroom on the road.

Indeed Charlie's linking Britain's so called obesity wave in youths to McDonald's and not blaming it more on the Chippy type fare many seem to eat and eating habits instilled by parents is sheer hypocrisy.

“Banning something is always controversial but I wish McDonald's didn't exist.”

Why on EARTH would you care? Does someone force you to eat there or did Ronald McDonald slap your puppy, just what happened for you to take this so personally?

Before the food police and the thought police and the p.c. police make all our lives unbearable, England leading the pack and the U.S. not too far behind, why don’t we stop and remember to “live and let live…” In free society, at least hypothetically, we should all be able to eat what we want, drink what we want, do either or both when we want without some condescending government or “citizen’s group” dictating our lifestyles to us. So long as what I do doesn’t hurt you or anyone else, do me a favor and mind your own business.

When the perfect man or woman comes along let me know, in the meantime, unless your perfect (and we both know you’re not) feel free to bugger off. When you are without vice and sin, let us know.

DiAblo:

whilst i concur in your feelings...let me play Devil's Advocate

couldn't the same be said for illegal drugs or things that are very harmful - you don't take them so why not allow others to use or abuse?

whilst it's a stretch to say the bad fats in McD's and others food is as bad as say heroin, this could be a valid reason for banning or taxing it? the deleterious impact these fats have on society, costs of medical care, etc.?

>>"If they ban McDonald's, where/what are all the Americans going to eat. "<<

At one of the many "brassieres" of course! &lt

I never, ever, ever eat McDonald's at home, but when I'm tired after sightseeing all day and am repulsed by menus with food treats such as oxtail tartarre or ...whatever "served on a bed of lard"--(no kidding, I can't recall what it was that was served on a bed of lard, but I saw it in a ritzy restaurant in Spain)..I'll head for Mickey D's occasionally.

Or if I order a beef items at a regular restaurant, and the beef looks raw and actually smells, bad...McD's, here I come.

Or if I don't want to spend $50 on a meal...

Or spend hours dining

The late, great Julia Child actually patronized McD's when on the road - because it was often the only <i>predictable</i> choice.

Her justification involved a story about a <u>boiled</u> steak she once was served...

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;
If they ban McDonald's, where/what are all the Americans going to eat.
&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

all the americans are in the cafes pretending to be european and all the europeans are in mcdonalds.

Hi Robespierre

&gt;I guess we've got no takers for andouillette?

Although it is supposed to be an acquired taste, I fell in love with them. Especially good with a really assertive Cahors.

What;s so healthy about steak frites, Brie, steak Florentine, Scotch egg, fish and chips, bangers and mash, Wienerbr&oslash;d, R&oslash;dbud med Fl&oslash;d, milles feuilles, black pudding, etc, etc, etc.....?

Or pizza with French fries.

I actually don't ever eat at McDonalds or those kind of places (the Europeans ones are no better, like Quick), but I think people are distorting and making too much of what Charles said. From what I read, he didn't come out and say &quot;McDonald's restaurants should be banned from Europe&quot;. Nothing like it. He was in Dubai, actually, and visiting a health center and just said something off-the-cuff about banning food like McDonalds. He was in a center devoted to dietary problems, doesn't seem that inflammatory a remark and I don't think it was that literal. I also suspect it could have something to do with the artificial ingredients in it and processing, not just the fat, as he is interested in organic farming.

I think the UK press is not very good in many cases, they are often very distorted in their reporting, and are not very nice, actually. Of course, people who just believe anything they read or hear from any media source are not being very critical in their intake of information, either.

Personally, I believe that if there is a hell, then the catering may well be by MacDonalds (do you want to fry with that ?)

Having said that, I am not about to take food advise from a man who has been waited on for his entire life, and who supposedly has 7 eggs boiled for different times at breakfast, so that one will be at &quot;just right&quot;.

McDonald's coffee is better than Starbucks! McDonald's sanitation is the best in the world! The problem is that McDonald's food tastes so good that many people eat more than they should. If there was only a single McDonald's restaurant it would probably be awarded someones Five Star rating.

Once, in Salzburg we had a craving for &quot;fast food&quot; but there weren't any golden arches within sight.

So, we foolishly went into a place called &quot;EuroSnak&quot;...the food was pretty bad IMO and made McDonald's seem like gourmet fare.

I wonder what Charles plans to do to improve the dentition in the UK.

And what happened to those Spam Fritters we heard so much about?