Ok, so last week got away from me and I meant to share with you ways in which you too can take action to turn the tide of obesity in the United States. As mentioned, check out the Value [the] Meal campaign Retire Ronald.This campaign is asking McDonald’s to:

1. Stop using their marketing to undermine parents and manipulate youth

2. Stop interfering with public policy for better health

3. Develop healthy products, not “healthier” but healthy…nutritionally defunct salads and apple slices dipped in caramel don’t count

If you’d like to take action now, sign a petition asking McDonald’s to stop using the clown to manipulate young minds into wanting their junk food. Contact the Retire Ronald organizers at: retireronald@stop corporateabuse.com to schedule a house meeting in your location so you can share the effort with your community. Give to the campaign to help keep it going! This effort takes staff and resources to implement. I’ve met two organizers behind the campaign and can tell you they are highly organized, extremely well spoken, and can get the job done! When I donated, it was toward their skilled advocacy as well with confidence in Corporate Accountability International‘s great track record with success.

If you have a shred of doubt that the marketing of McDonald’s truly uses insidious manipulation tactics to target kids- check out the book Kidfluence where the author discusses “Pester Power” and “Nag Influence.” There is also apparently a Kidfluence documentary.

Another blogger out there shared a great idea that’s been floating around! Junk Food Taxation, check it out.