Sales bonanza

With many viewers too entranced by the football to bother to cook, fast food companies hope that the World Cup will signal a sales bonanza.

Britain's Men's Health magazine has predicted that a viewer will pile on the equivalent of 1 913 calories if they drink four cans of beer, eat three slices of pizza, half a bag of potato chips and half a pot of dip during a game.

But Don Thompson, the president of McDonald's, is a staunch defender of his company's links withh the World Cup and says that his firm offers a range of healthy food to customers.

"Food that McDonald's serve is the same thing people would get at a grocery store - we have salads, fruits, chicken and beef," said Thompson. "We serve a wide a variety of food."

A spokesperson for Coca Cola said it championed the message that "the key to a healthy, active lifestyle is a sensible, balanced diet and regular physical activity".

Ignorancel

Johannesburg-based dietician Theresa Marias said the real problem was general ignorance.

"People should be well informed about their choices," she told AFP.

Bolani also said that the government needed to counter a lack of knowledge about the impact of unhealthy eating.

"Maybe after the World Cup, the government will start with programmes of educating the public about the dangers of consuming high amounts of junk food and encourage parents to cook for their children," he said.

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