Those at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) have created a map that shows which U.S. hospitals serve fast-food in their facilities, many of which are children’s hospitals.
That’s right. After receiving your pacemaker, you can order a double cheeseburger and a large pack of greasy fries. Some hospitals even offer delivery services, bringing your saturated-fat-and-cholesterol-laden burger directly to your room for you.
According to the PCRM:
“For the fifth hospital foods report, Physicians Committee experts examined more than 200 public hospitals, many of which receive government funding and treat medically underserved patients. The researchers identified hospitals with fast-food outlets, which sell meaty, cheese-laden products known to jeopardize the health of the communities the hospitals are meant to serve.”
They continue that the journal Public Health Nutrition found that eating fast-food “exacerbates obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases” due to the high levels of calories and saturated fat. The hazards of eating meaty, cheesy fast-foods have been well documented, and yet hospitals around the nation are allowing this food to be served to their patients.
The most common fast-food chains found in medical facilities are McDonalds, Wendy’s, and Chick-fil-A. The map below shows the location of hospitals with these particular fast-food chains:
While the problem has been recognized for quite some time, some hospitals are incapable of extracting these fast-food outlets from their buildings before the end of their contracts. McDonald’s is a particularly troublesome tenant to evict, as a case with Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic proves.
It had tried to terminate their contract with McDonald’s, but were unsuccessful. In the meantime, it has been able to remove sugary beverages and trans fats from their campus offerings. However, Bill Barum, director of hospitality, was quoted in a 2012 NPR report as saying:
“We’re just going to live with it. When the contract ends, we’ll have the opportunity to re-examine the space.”
Unfortunately, according to this same NPR report, while some hospitals are looking to end their contracts with fast-food chains, others are just now signing on.
Six of these fast-food-serving hospitals were found to be children’s hospitals. The Children’s hospital of Georgia is one of the facilities that offers “McDelivery”, allowing patients to receive their food in their rooms.
PCRM staff director, Cameron Wells, states:
“Seeing this in a children’s hospital—that’s the most vulnerable population. Fast-food is not going to help children get better.”
As those at True Activist point out, any informed adult would likely agree with this sentiment. “Just as cigarettes are banned from hospitals, so too should the junk food that is likely contributing to—if not causing—people’s medical problems.”
Froelich, Amanda. True Activist. Apr 8, 2015. (http://www.trueactivist.com/these-states-serve-mcdonalds-in-their-hospitals-infographic/)
Gordon, Elana. NPR. Apr 9, 2012. (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/04/05/150091951/fast-food-chains-in-cafeterias-put-hospitals-in-a-bind)
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Hazardous Hospital Foods: How Fast Food Jeopardizes Public Health. Retrieved from http://www.pcrm.org/media/good-medicine/2015/winter2015/hazardous-hospital-foods
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