McDonald's partners with Scripps Research to fight childhood obesity

LA JOLLA, Calif. — The Scripps Research Institute and McDonald's have teamed up to fight childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes. McDonald's will contribute $2 million to The Scripps Research Institute.

 

According to a news release, McDonald's president Ralph Alvarez said the goal is to make a difference in the lives of children.

 

"The collaboration with Scripps Research is an extension of McDonald's long-standing commitment to the well-being of children around the world," Alvarez said.

 

According to Scripps Research, more than 13 percent of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight, and the number is growing at a critical rate. The biomedical research will be conducted under the auspices of the newly created McDonald's Center for Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity.

 

"With obesity often comes debilitating, even fatal Type 2 diabetes," said Richard A. Lerner, M.D., president of The Scripps Research Institute. "These are epidemics that America cannot ignore. The McDonald's and Scripps Research alignment represents advancement in the effort to change the landscape of these severe pediatric health issues, and to find solutions that will benefit future generations of healthy adults in America."