Day 049 - 09 Nov 94 - Page 36
1 them.
2
3 Q. You seem to object to the fact, Ms. Gallatley, that in some
4 sense ronald mcdonald is used as an aid in dentists' and
5 doctors' surgeries; is that right?
6 A. That is right, yes.
7
8 Q. Do you think that it might be that your average dentist or
9 doctor has some fair idea about what sort of diet is good
10 or bad for children?
11 A. Well, I do not -- you would imagine and hope that they
12 would, but I am afraid doctors get almost no nutritional
13 training throughout their degree.
14
15 Q. And dentists do not know anything about the supposed
16 association between sweet food and dental care, I suppose
17 -- is that right -- no educational training in that field?
18 A. No. Of course dentists know about that.
19
20 Q. I expect you would agree they know who ronald mcdonald is,
21 too?
22 A. Yes. They should know who ronald mcdonald is.
23
24 Q. So what is the objection?
25 A. I should not have thought that eating a burger makes
26 your teeth go rotten, particularly.
27
28 Q. No, but it might be an apple pie or a milkshake did,
29 because it has got sugar in it?
30 A. That just goes to show the power of McDonald's does it
31 not, over the whole society.
32
33 Q. You mean they have suborned and subverted the whole of the
34 dental and medical profession; is that the suggestion?
35 A. I think that the medical evidence these days is that
36 children do eat a diet that is much too high in fat and
37 sugar, and that McDonald's are guilty of providing food
38 that is purely junk food; and whether some dentists and
39 some doctors go along with it, I cannot really comment on
40 those individual dentists and doctors, but----
41
42 Q. I am asking you if you can try and be a little bit fair
43 minded. Suppose an average dentist or an average doctor,
44 might actually know, first of all, who ronald mcdonald was
45 and who he represented; can we agree that he might?
46 A. Yes, I think that he or she would.
47
48 Q. Can we also agree that your average dentist ought to know,
49 or probably does know, that if a child eats too many sugary
50 products, it may rot its teeth?
51 A. Yes.
52
53 Q. Can we also agree that any doctor worth his salt will know
54 that children ought not to eat too much fatty and sugary
55 food -- or any adult, for that matter, either?
56 A. They should know that.
57
58 Q. Yes. Can we agree that the average doctor will know the
59 importance of a balanced diet?
60 A. In fact, they should know that, but I do not agree that
