Yet, Spurlock's film and the recent raft of well received books looking

at the underbelly of fast food consumption by the likes of Eric

Schlosser (Fast Food Nation: What the All-American Meal is Doing to the World) and

Greg Critser (Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World) aside, how imperiled are the fast food companies? The answer,

both in Britain and America, is not very much. In the US, Orlando

congressman Ric Keller's Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act

(better known as the Cheeseburger Bill) won the approval of the House of

Representatives in March. The courts, not Congress, should judge the

frivolity or otherwise of future obesity lawsuits. According to House

leader Tom Delay, &ldquoRonald McDonald made me do it” would no longer be

considered a legitimate basis for any future litigation.

Two weeks ago UK telecoms watchdog Ofcom rule out a ban on television

advertising of food and drink to children on the grounds that a total

ban would be ‘ineffective’ in combating childhood obesity compared to

other alternatives such as promoting exercise. According to Ofcom Chief

Executive Stephen Carter, &ldquotelevision advertising clearly has an

influence and equally clearly there is a need for a tightening of

specific rules. However, a total ban would be neither proportionate nor,

in isolation, effective.” The absence of &ldquoan objective system

categorising defined foods” would result in an absolute food advertising

ban, regardless of the actual nutritional value or potentially positive

contribution to health. Moreover, any ban would undermine investment in

commercial television children's programming, therefore reducing &ldquochoice

and innovation” for younger audiences. Ofcom's research identified

childhood obesity as a multi-faceted problem which will require further

work by a number of agencies, government departments and the food

industry in partnership. According to Ofcom, &ldquothe available research

evidence shows that food promotion has a causal effect on children's

food preferences, knowledge and behaviour, though this is a modest

effect by comparison with more influential factors such as parental diet.”

Of course, this was hardly surprising, given the tenor of a supplicant

speech made by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell to the UK advertising

industry in March. Claiming to be &ldquoon the case”, she ruled out a ban on

junk food advertising, calling instead for a self regulatory brief of

moderation. Trotting out the now ubiquitous party line of &ldquocommon sense

and personal responsibility” (which is fast becoming the mantra of

politicians and fast food defenders alike on both sides of the pond),

Jowell called on advertisers to &ldquokeep your industry and the public

healthy. Use every weapon in your arsenal, every creative muscle.

Everything in Moderation – that's the message. Good luck and make it a

slogan.” Good luck and make it a slogan indeed. It is hard to know how

much of a handle a company like McDonald's, which encourages children to

eat for charity on World Children's Day, has on a concept like

moderation. Or perhaps she was alluding to the sort of promotional

moderation which sees the likes of Cadbury's link chocolate bar

purchases to the provision of sports equipment for schools (Kids!

Emulate your sporting heroes by gorging yourself on food which will make

you fat and unhappy!).