Group asks hospitals evict McDonald's over health image

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Group asks hospitals to evict McDonald's over health image

Nutritionist Rebecca Scritchfield reacts

This is a rush transcript from "Your World," April 11, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST OF "YOUR WORLD": Next time you go in for a checkup, McDonald's may have checked out. Nearly two dozen hospitals being urged to evict the fast food giant from all of their buildings. The group behind the push says that the company that is McDonald’s promotes harm, not health.

Nutritionist Rebecca Scritchfield says McDonald's has no place in hospitals.

Rebecca, good to have you back.

So you are happy if McDonald's is heaved out on his little clowny behind, right?

REBECCA SCRITCHFIELD, FOUNDER, ELITE NUTRITION: Well, I mean, let's be honest.

Hospitals are notorious for serving poor food. And that's absurd. Sick people are here and they are serving fast food. I think that hospitals absolutely have an obligation to recognize they are supposed to represent wellness and do what they can to offer a variety of healthy foods to people, not just a fast food court like at a mall.

CAVUTO: But who is to say that this isn't for people who visit the hospital. They can have anything they want, can’t they?

SCRITCHFIELD: I think a lot it is for people who visit the people.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: What do you care if people visiting the hospital are getting McDonald’s?

SCRITCHFIELD: They’re getting their comfort food.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Right. Well, it is not all comfort food. Thanks to people like you, now they’re given salads and all this other stuff, so you should be happy.

SCRITCHFIELD: Fruit.

CAVUTO: Right.

SCRITCHFIELD: Well, I do think the bigger issue is what the hospitals is arguing and what they could be doing.

For example, we are supposed to be getting half our plate fruits and vegetables. When they are serving hot food, make sure that you are serving non-starchy vegetables, instead of things like fries and white rice. Limit the number of fast food chains at a restaurant -- or at the hospital and work with the fast food chains to serve healthier stuff.

I do think hospitals absolutely need to take a look inside and say, hey, if we are supposed to be helping people be healthy and we are treating sick people, maybe she we need to make sure our environment is a healthy one.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: I’ll tell you this. The last time I was in a hospital -- and I’m more familiar with this than you would know -- the food I had there was crap, it was horrible.

And, by the way, I could have had anything I want. It was hardly like dietary row. And yet you could have all the junk in the world if you were so inclined. So McDonald’s is there.

SCRITCHFIELD: Yes.

CAVUTO: And I could just say, well, I will have a McDonald's salad.

So, in other words, why stop at McDonald's? Why pick on them? Why not make a broader statement then if you are going after one, go after them all? I just think you cannot pick and choose who is your likely enemy of the day.

SCRITCHFIELD: You know what? Neil, I 100 percent agree with you on that.

I think they are picking on McDonald's because they are the big fish and they will always have a target on their back. I don't represent McDonald's or anything like that or the advocacy group.

CAVUTO: Understood.

SCRITCHFIELD: But I would agree with you there. I don't think they should pick on McDonald’s. And I think what they should do is just look at their whole wellness profile. Cleveland Clinic does a great job. They have no fryers, no trans fat.

CAVUTO: You might be right.

But if you were, I tell you, even unable to walk, if there were a McDonald's available, I would drag myself to it, rather than the food that they subjected me to.

SCRITCHFIELD: You would wheel yourself there.

CAVUTO: Yes, I would.

SCRITCHFIELD: Follow your nose to that.

CAVUTO: I would drag myself to that McDonald's, because otherwise I would die. I think I would just die.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: But thank you very much, Rebecca. Always good having you.

SCRITCHFIELD: Thanks, Neil. OK.

CAVUTO: All right.

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