This is too delicious. Surely it is now inevitable that there will be eating bans, or designated eating areas well separated from the designated smoking areas of course. All that we can hope for is that Lizzie the dense will outlive Charles the more dense. The Greek bandit must be very proud.

John Lowbridge, Madisonville, Kentucky

McDonalds now has a number of low fat options on its menu. However, even with traditional hamburger and chips, it's a question of moderation and fequency.
The great thing about McDonalds is that it still offers
nourishing meals in a dine out situation at an extraordinarily cheap price which allows low-income
parents to be able take their families out for a meal once in a while as a treat and as a change from dining at home.
Without McDonalds many families would probably never be able to afford to do so. McDonalds is frequently criticised and it's probably mainly the well-off who do most of the
complaining, and who have plenty of other expensive
dining out options. Other good things about McDonalds:
hygenic food preparation; usually visually attactive places which are kept clean; plenty of extras for children such as attractive packaging, cheap toys & safe bright playgrounds;
free newspapers to read. Where else can you get an icecream for 50p? I say: Well done McDonalds!

Joan Moira Peters, (British Citizen, temporarily abroad, administering my late father's

From an expatriate Brit., and more glad of it every day:
The welfare prince passes another of his nugget products of his inbred deficient intelligence. I suppose that when one is bred and conditioned to slurp at excessive will at the public teat one ingests all manner of wisdom with regard to what everyone should to. Is there any hope that the Brits. will awake to the lunatic anachronism of royalty? Good grief. This testament to the depradations of unearned and unwarranted privilege, or his dissipate offspring, could be afforded the power of the throne. It is power, no doubt. How many of the emetically unimaginably wealthy do not seek to exercise political power? Ban the whole crew of them is a superior proposition.

John Lowbridge, Madisonville, Kentucky

But fish&chips is even better?

Sascha, Germany,

To Paul in Scotland:

Not ALL Americans are fat and lazy. Only the ones that chose to be. I have sworn off fast food for 6 years now. Its the PERSONS choice what makes them fat or not. Dont blame restaurants, or Americans. Please keep in mind it is a decision of the individual, and generalized statements such as stereotyping America as being lay-about and lazy. The same could be said about the UK, considering they have to consider BANNING the food to keep people from eating it.

Erin, Greenville, US

As an American, I am embarrassed to see the destruction that the McDonald's Corporation is spreading around the world. Prince Charles has every right to express his opinions about what he cares about. He obviously doesn't eat at fast food restaurants more than once in a great while, if ever. I hope his sons are equally health conscious.

Ruth Brown, Washington, DC USA

Let them eat Cornish pasteys.

H Greeley, Guymon, Oklahoma

Bans don't work. Prohibition of alcohol in the US in the last century showed us. But we could ban ALL ADVERTISING. Nothing on TV. Nothing on radio. Nothing in print media. Nothing on billboards, on race cars. Nothing on the fence in baseball parks. NOTHING ANYWHERE! You could not even put a sign on the stores.

This could work for tobacco also.

Gerald G Maloney, Euless, Texas

This is all well and good.
But, the issue of nutrition (being taken out on McDonalds) is only half the problem. Obesity, both adult and child, which leads to diabetes is also attributable to lack of exercise, prevalant among many "indutrialized nations", or put another way, affluent countries. Shouldn't Prince Charles outlaw CARS?? This would serve three goals: 1. get people exercising, as they'd have to possibly pedal their lazy carcasses to the store or work, or take public transit; 2. it would rapidly cut our greenhouse gas emissions. and 3. it would greatly reduce our dependency on foreign oil. This would be triply more beneficial than just watching diet. And I do that, 200 mi per week bicycle commuting.
How about that, Prince??

Jacques, Rancho cordova, USA California

Banning just McDonald's is too simplistic as is the idea of banning any other fast food chain.

Banning or restricting certain aisles of supermarkets would be a better idea. As would restricting the supply of processed crap masquerading as food.

Kirstie, North Shore, New Zealand

Great news. Behind the ban all the way. The food containers contribute to to much litter and the food is just as good as the rubbish contributes to.I have just had a McDonalds put up at the top of my road, it used to be a clean road, now i would say that McDonalds should be charged adverisement fees as its all you can see. The food is discusting and so is the service. Why ban McDonalds? Why keep it? We dont need fast food, this is just another level of lazyness.

Dan, Dudley, England

Prince Charles is absolutely right, and I am absolutely delighted to see a member of the Royal family not afraid of being politically correct for a good cause he believes in. His "Inconvenient Truths' about obesity or the environment are ones we must all listen to. Good for him.

Ainhoa, London,

Give everyone a coupon for a free blood glucose measurement 2 hours after they've eaten a "healthy" meal at a McDonalds. People need to do a reality check. The fast food industry is in the same league as the cigarette manufacturers.

Tom Claverie, Tilburg,

I have mixed feelings about Charles, especially after his failed marriage to Diana and their subsequent divorce. He is, however, in my view a very well educated, knowledgable and well informed person who like any other Brit has the right to speak out about those things he most deeply cares about.

I personally believe, as an American, that the McDonald's Corporation has done quite enough damage to the health of American citizens without taking their junk food and marketing it to people around the world. I never eat in McDonald's restaurants, and judging by the way Charles looks in his late fifties, neither does he.

Ruth Brown, Washington, DC USA

Prince Charles has got it right. He's been braving negative attacks for years and years by those with self-serving economic agendas to tell it like it is on subjects that concern us all. I really appreciate his efforts to protect people's minds and bodies and the aestheic beauty of the planet.

Mari, New York, USA

Lets ban alcohol, think of the damage that does to society, lets start with ban on Scotch whiskey!
SA, USA

Stewart, LA,

And since it's a soapbox I'm helping to pay for, I'd much rather see him use it than not, whatever his views.

David, Reading,

It's high time someone - anyone - spoke out against the ills that fast foods have begun to generate here in the UK. Do we want our brethren to end up a population of overweight, health-stricken lay-a-bouts as they have in America? Title or no title - I tip my hat to the Prince of Wales for being the first of many that should come forward to address this epidemic in the making!

Paul, Kircukbrightshire, Scotland

Yes I'm sure the changes made to McDonalds food labels vastly improve the nutritional value of the food....what a joke.

McDonalds is not healthy food, but fast food designed for mass profit. Any McDonald's spokesperson who says othewise is either deluded or thinks the general public are stupid enough to believe them.

Whether Prince Charles made an off the cuff remark or not doesn't make his comments any less true.

Jenny, Leeds,

LET THEM EAT CAKE.

Not a thing to lose your head over but quite revolutionary.

Bernard Parke , Guildford,

Let them eat cake !!

Not a subject to lose your head over or though quite revolutionary.

Bernard Parke , Guildford,

A socialist inevitibility. We at the top know what's best for you in the masses. No need to curb or control your own appetites. It is the responsibility of good government to do it for you. No more Mc Donalds, eliminate chips from fish and chips. Put a collar on all the masses, not ourselves of course because we are enlightened, and if less than 1000 steps are taken in a given day you get an electric shock in the ass. This will give a new meaning to the expression.

david, kemah, Texas, USA

Excellent news and timely contribution to this debate - disgusting food, too much litter, horrendous shop fronts, daft uniforms, too many fat people waddling around taking up all the pavement space.

Jon Lord, Manchester,

Rather than ban McDonalds, why not restrict the width of the entrance doors?

Nicky Kingaby, Bristol, UK

This man should keep his views to himself, he is an abject failure at everything he does, and only has a soapbox because he was born with a title.

Ben, London, UK

McDonalds is not food to eat every day granted, but to ban it is excessive and draconian.

Perhaps better to educate people regarding moderation.

This was clearly lacking in the parent/child who is 89kg at aged 8!!!

Simon Smith, London,