Corporate Responsibility

The United States is experiencing extensive increased numbers of obesity cases and overweight children across the states. The cases for health related problems associated with poor eating habits especially consuming food products and services from fast food industries such as MacDonald is rampart. The research study report indicates the high rate of deaths reported among children are associated  to poor eating habits; thus a call for action in order to  reduce obesity and overweight issues contributed by fast food industries. MacDonald Inch is one of the companies that have been reported for not being socially responsible for their actions because of misleading customers about their products and services. The litigation involves Pelman vs. McDonald Inch on the ground that the corporation intentionally misleads their customers about the health products and services they offer through their false advertisements. The plaintiff argues that the consumption of fast food from MacDonald Corporation could have partially contributed to the overweight, obesity and heart disease; thus deterioration of health. The respondent denied the allegation by arguing that they are not accountable for the decisions made by the plaintiff to consume their fast food products. 

Discussions
MacDonald Corporation and other fast food restaurants should be held accountable for selling harmful products, failing to caution consumers of the risks of a high-fat diet, and misleading advertising. This is because high consumption of products and services from fast food industries has become the major cause for health problems in the United States. The research on business ethics demands corporations to be socially accountable for their actions or activities. Therefore, MacDonald and other fast food companies have failed to conduct their business in a socially responsible because corporate responsibility strategy demands organisations not only to focus on making profits but also take into considerations the social aspects of their customers. Organisations should not only work towards increasing profits but also ensure that their activities or services they offer should not create any harm to the surrounding environment or the society as a whole.

MacDonald and other fast food industries have been frequently ranked among the producers of unhealthy food, which have contributed to varied health problems to children (Mello, Rimm, and Studdert, 2013). These fast food companies should be judged for making deceptive advertisements arguing that their products and services offer health solutions to consumers and yet they create more health problems. Wharton (2005) argues that obesity have raised many difficult marketing questions regarding the issue of junk food and deceptive advertisements made by fast food industries. Childhood obesity, which is linked by consuming sugar-laden fruit juice, chips, Oreos and other non-nutritious snack foods have raised a major health concern in the U.S government. The new government research pointed some of the culprits behind the cause for increased childhood obesity. MacDonald Company was among the identified company with pending litigation about their deceptive advertisements and not being socially responsible for their actions, which has left many children with health problems. 

Although the major aim of the company is to make profits, they should carry out their business with ethical concern of not causing harm to their potential customers. The decision made by the U.S government for fast food industries to stop advertising harmful products to kids has raised some concern within fast food industries. These companies advertise their product knowingly that there is something wrong with the advertisement; thus they deserve to be judged negligent and warned about such actions. Although it is not easy for marketers to change their products overnight because they will run risk of changing their products and also lose customers, they should supersize because supersizing has gone from denoting something positive to denoting something negative in popular culture (Wharton, 2005). The U.S. judge dismissed obesity lawsuit for Pelman vs. McDonald and this was after the proceedings where the company attempted to defend themselves arguing that they offer consumers what they want (Wald, 2003). The argument was that the company knows what consumers want but they also know it is harmful; thus the responsibility lies not only to the marketers but also to consumers (New York Court, 2013).

Companies have attempted to change their marketing strategy because they always understand what their customers want. Many consumers are pleased with these strategies and options; thus companies cannot dictate to consumers what to buy or not to buy. However, it is the role of both companies and consumers to be held accountable for their actions (Mello, Rimm, and Studdert, 2013). The court case of Pelman vs. McDonald is one of the challenging United States proceedings; thus the government can warn companies to be socially responsible for their actions; thus failure to comply with the government laws will lead to judgment. The company cannot warn consumers about the dangers of a high-fat diet since they are after making profits but they can change their action by ensuring that the health of customers are highly taken into considerations. Therefore, it is also the role of consumers to make effective consumption choice wisely by consuming products, which are not harmful to their health.