DISNEY has joined the healthy eating revolution by banning junk food at its theme parks in Europe and the United States.

The entertainment giant said that it would also veto any plan to use its characters to promote unhealthy food or drinks.

The move comes after the ending this year of a decade-long deal with McDonald’s to promote its films with Happy Meals. Cars and Pirates of The Caribbean II were used to promote the burger firm this summer.

Robert Iger, the Disney chief executive, said that the move came in response to comments from parents about the eating habits of their kids. The company was “well aware of the huge responsibility we have, given our reach and our ability to impact people’s behaviour and opinions”, he said. “It was the right thing to do.”

Under the proposals, the company’s theme parks, including Disneyland Paris, Disneyland and Disneyworld in Florida, will no longer sell burgers or chips. They will instead start to serve vegetables and fruit juice or low-fat milk, rather than soft drinks.

Mr Iger said that Disney was considering the licensing of characters to produces of healthier food. The company was also planning more storylines featuring healthy eating and exercise.

However, one American consumer group said that the moves did not go far enough, particularly with television commercials on the Disney Channel.

Other critics said that companies such as Disney were trying to avoid lawsuits and possible federal regulations over childhood obesity.

Several other large US companies have taken measures in recent years to promote healthier food choices. McDonald’s has added sliced apples and entree-sized salads to its menu and scrapped super-size portions for French fries and soft drinks.

At the same time, firms such as Kraft Foods and Pepsi have removed transfats from their products and introduced more products aimed at healthconscious consumers.

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