Day 015 - 21 Jul 94 - Page 54


     
     1        see this as an issue which should concern the company.
 
     2        What I can tell you is one of the results of this is in
              the training for the managers there have been some changes
     3        made to introduce instruction dealing with healthy living
              generally.
     4
         MR. MORRIS:  Just on this subject of obesity in the staff?
     5        A.  Yes.
 
     6   Q.   And you have said that you believe heart disease is the
              No. 1 health problem of the nation yesterday, is that
     7        correct?
              A.  Yes, I would agree with that.
     8
         Q.   McDonald's have, have they not, admitted in this case, and
     9        I quote: "There is a considerable amount of evidence of a
              relationship between a diet high in saturated fat and
    10        sodium and obesity, high blood pressure and heart
              disease"?
    11        A.  Yes.
 
    12   Q.   Some of your staff seem to be eating large amounts -----
 
    13   MR. RAMPTON:  They are not Professor Wheelock's staff.
 
    14   MR. MORRIS:  Sorry.  Some of McDonald's staff seem to be eating
              more than seven times a week at McDonald's meals and have
    15        problems with obesity as well.  I am not 100 per cent
              clear on the relationship of alcohol with heart disease,
    16        but would you not feel this was something that needed
              fairly urgent action by the company?  I mean how many
    17        deaths are there by heart disease in this country every
              year?
    18        A.  Oh, I think on average one jumbo jet full every day.
 
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I notice in the grey book it said 180,000.
              I cannot remember whether that was just men or men and
    20        woman?
              A.  That is probably in total.
    21
         MR. MORRIS:  Do McDonald's, as far as you know, have a policy
    22        of discouraging staff from bringing their own food to eat
              when they are at work?
    23        A.  Sorry, I do not know anything about that.  I could not
              comment.
    24
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can I just ask you this?  If one looks at
    25        the percentage of people who eat McDonald's meals, the
              staff 61 per cent eating between four and six and 6 per 
    26        cent eating seven or more, and a percentage which I cannot 
              now remember eating something around three? 
    27        A.  About 30 per cent.
 
    28   Q.   Sorry?
              A.  About 30 per cent between 0 and 3.
    29
         Q.   One knows that some of McDonald's staff are part-time.  It
    30        looks as if -- do you know whether they are allowed to
              have, say, one free meal during a shift?  We had some

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