2012 London Olympics Legacy

Do the 2012 London Olympics promote good health?

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will without doubt be one of the most significant premier sporting and cultural events to take place in the capital and will be remembered for decades. 

The Games will bring urgently needed regeneration to parts of East London and bring great opportunities for promoting many positive things such as inspiring children and young Londoners to take up sports and other physical activity. However, healthy physical activity can only be achieved if it is fuelled by healthy nutritious food. Here, lies the appalling mismatch between the top 2012 sponsors Cadbury, McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Heineken who have successfully secured exclusive marketing rights with the Games and at other major sporting events, or secured sponsorship deals with top athletes, which then continue to perpetuate the perverse link between fast food and drink and sporting achievement.

Coca-Cola is one of the International Olympic Committee’s main partners and has exclusive marketing and advertising rights until 2020. According to the Food Commission, a 330ml bottle of Coke contains 35g of sugar, more than half the recommended daily sugar intake for a 10-year-old child. The company has sought to counter criticisms by promoting its diet brand and launching the sugar-free Coke Zero. McDonalds deal prevents any other branded foods being sold at the 40 Games venues. The chain is to build four restaurants on the Olympic site – two in the Park, one in the Athletes Village, and one in the Media and Press Centre – which will serve over 1.75 million meals during the games. The Hackney Citizen has worked out that a fit eleven stone adult visitor to the Olympics would need to run ten miles to burn off the 1096 calories contained in a modest McDonalds meal comprising a Big Mac, medium fries and a McFlurry. In response to claims that many of its products are high in fat, sugar and salt, McDonald’s has also launched healthy options such as salads and fruit juices.

Cadbury signed a £20million deal in 2008 to be a tier two sponsor of the 2012 Games. The deal gives the now subsidiary of American Kraft Foods, the right to sell confectionery and ice cream at the Olympic village. Dr Keith Reid, deputy chairman of British Medical Association’s public health medicine committee, called for food sold at the 2012 Olympics to carry labels so that spectators were made aware of its unhealthy content including fat, sugar and salt levels. However, this does not change the fact that many will be forced to eat

high calorie junk food due to limited choice of healthy foods. I’ve always been intrigued by the prospect of creating work, which has a potential to change people’s perceptions. Not many are aware of the absurd relationship between London Olympics and junk food and

drink companies. As an artist, I feel a sense of duty to highlight this contrasting message we are about to convey to the world. I have used the instantly recognizable Olympic logo to embed images of Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Cadbury and Heineken products to create body of work I entitled ‘Legacy’. I photographed junk food in close proximity to highlight the detailed and undesirable texture of junk food to convey my message.

Wall display - Opt 2