Day 049 - 09 Nov 94 - Page 13

     
     1        eat.  Even if you eat, you know, a limited amount of
     2        McDonald's, they do not know what a limited amount means;
     3        they just like to, it seems, go in there all the time.
     4
     5        I think McDonald's play on that as much as they possibly
     6        can; and so, I mean, children as young as two years old are
     7        in these ads, precisely to get them to ask their parents to
     8        take them to McDonald's and influence them in that way.
     9
    10        That is what I mean by exploiting children, because they
    11        cannot tell the difference at a young age between being
    12        sold to and not being sold to.  They just think it is
    13        information:  "This is a good product.  This is great.  Eat
    14        it."  So they think, "Great, this is fun, this is
    15        positive.  I will eat it."
    16
    17   Q.   That is the impression that you gained from talking to the
    18        children?
    19        A.  Yes.
    20
    Q.   You have mentioned about children pestering their parents.
    22        Can you explain a bit about how that came up and, you know,
    23        what the children said in relation to that?
    24        A.  Well, when I do talk to younger children, it tends to
    25        be about -- we often start the talking about what they
    26        actually eat on a day-to-day level; and so, obviously,
    27        McDonald's, for example, would come up in that talk and --
    28        sorry, what was the question?
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The pestering.
    31
    32   THE WITNESS:  Oh, yes, yes.
    33
    34   MS. STEEL:  How the pestering part came up.
    35        A.  Yes.  And so, in just talking to the kids about
    36        McDonald's, they would  openly say that they would mither
    37        their mum and dad to take them to McDonald's.  It was not
    38        something that they were particularly ashamed of.  They
    39        often sort of thought it was funny.
    40
    Q.   Mither, sorry?
    42        A.  Pester.  Also, I mean, although it says here in the
    43        statement that I have done hundreds of talks to people, I
    44        have also done very, very many, probably hundreds of talks
    45        to adults, as well.
    46
    47   MR. RAMPTON:  I am sorry.  I have lost my words.  This witness
    48        is speaking so quickly, that I am afraid I need them.
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just let us have a pause a moment. 
    51 
    52        (There was a discussion with regard to the Case View 
    53        screens)
    54
    55                          (Short Adjournment)
    56
    57   MS. STEEL:  If it is of any help, I do not actually think I will
    58        be that much longer.
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It seems to me that it is fortunate that it