Joe Wicks, known as The Body Coach, has stated that his four children have never consumed McDonald's, and he has not patronized the restaurant in more than ten years. Wicks, an advocate for avoiding ultra-processed foods, promotes cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients.
In a recent interview with Times Radio, Wicks shared that his children—Indie, eight; Marley, six; Leni, four; and Dusty, two—have not had the opportunity to eat at McDonald's. He also admitted to a personal hiatus from the chain, noting that his last visit was in 2015 on the night he met his wife, Rosie. They had stopped at a 24-hour McDonald's in Wandsworth because she wanted to eat there. "So that was the last time we had McDonald's," Wicks recounted.
He previously expressed his views on mealtime habits in an appearance on This Morning, suggesting that parents should avoid offering snacks between meals. Wicks advised that if children refuse a meal, parents should offer to reheat it later after a period of play, as hunger often encourages them to eat. He believes that the constant availability of snacks can lead to children grazing throughout the day, which is not ideal given their small stomachs.
This stance on food comes after Wicks faced backlash for his Channel 4 documentary, which aimed to highlight how ultra-processed foods marketed as healthy can still be detrimental. Critics accused him of demonizing foods and promoting eating disorders. Wicks later shared on Emilie Lavinia's Well Enough podcast that he was surprised and hurt by the negative reactions from parts of the fitness community, admitting the experience affected his confidence and preparedness for such pushback. He indicated that the intensity of the backlash underscored how normalized unhealthy eating habits have become, making people resistant to messages about consuming less processed food.