GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING – Some nutrition advocates are picking a fight with Georgia’s favorite fast-food restaurant.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit health group, wants Children’s Hospital of Georgia in Augusta to rethink its decision to allow a Chick-fil-A restaurant to open near its ground floor entrance, where a McDonald’s recently closed.
The group posted three billboards near the hospital that show a young girl in an oxygen mask, lying in a hospital bed. She appears to be sleeping while hugging a stuffed bear.
PCRM poses the question, “Children’s Hospital: Can a Greasy Fast-Food Meal Help Her Heal?” and mocks Chick-fil-A’s slogan with a link to EatMoreChickpeas.com.
Chick-fil-A and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia both declined to comment on the billboard campaign.
Anna Herby, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with a doctorate in health sciences, said PCRM focuses on promoting health through preventative medicine like diet.
“A big problem in our country when it comes to nutrition is eating too much meat,” Herby said. “So we do talk a lot about reducing meat, [and] replacing meat with plant-based proteins, especially beans, because we know those are so healthy.”
But the group’s opposition to Chick-fil-A goes beyond its sale of meat. A popular side dish is mentioned as well.
“French fries,” Herby said. “I mean, obviously, we want to stay away from fried food because fat is such a huge contributor to chronic diseases (such as heart disease and diabetes).”
“A high-fat diet interferes with the body’s insulin production and contributes to obesity,” Herby said. “Fried foods are just so high in calories; you’re just getting a ton of calories and not a lot of nutrients.”
Jeannie Johnson understands the need for proper nutrition when caring for anyone, especially a chronically ill child, but she said she gets it that sometimes the body just needs comfort in the form of food …
