An international coalition of academics and health officials called Wednesday for UNICEF to end its partnership with McDonald's, accusing the corporation of undermining U.N. efforts to promote healthy diets, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports. "McDonald's is the global leader in the marketing of junk food that is creating soaring rates of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes and that is disrupting traditional ways of food preparation in families and cultures," said the coalition in a letter to UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. Bellamy and McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Jack Greenberg last month announced a partnership to raise money for children's charities, culminating with McDonald's World Children's Day on Nov. 20, the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The coalition called on UNICEF to cancel the event and to stop "lending its good name" to the fast-food giant.:
