Pressure group LowPay NotOK blasts fast food chain McDonald's for advising staff to return gifts and eat smaller portions when in debt. Courtesy:LowPay NotOK

MCDONALD'S has shut down a website that warned employees about the dangers of eating fast food and advised them to return gifts if they needed cash.

It was the latest in a series of gaffes involving the site, including a series of budget tips

Visitors to McResource Line no longer find any advice, just this message: "We are temporarily performing some maintenance in order to provide you with the best experience possible. Please excuse us while these upgrades are being made."

McDonald's, in a statement posted on its website, confirmed it had axed the McResource Line website, although some of the information is still available through a telephone hotline.

"A combination of factors has led us to re-evaluate and we've directed the vendor to take down the website. Between links to irrelevant or outdated information, along with outside groups taking elements out of context, this created unwarranted scrutiny and inappropriate commentary. None of this helps our McDonald's team members."

It appears the suggestion that its own food was not good for its employees was the final nail in the coffin.

"Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced, and readily available alternatives to home cooking. While convenient and economical for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt and may put people at risk for becoming overweight," read one post, which included a picture of a hamburger and fries - staples of the fast food chain.

Another post labelled a meal with a cheeseburger and fries as an "unhealthy choice". A separate post writes, "it is hard to eat a healthy diet when you eat at fast-food restaurants often,” adding a warning about portion sizes.

The site also carried advice about not eating too many fries.

"In general, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease must be very careful about choosing fast food because of its high fat, salt, and sugar levels," the post said, adding that items from fast-food places are "almost always high" in calories, fat, sugar and salt.

Last month, the company offered advice to its workers - many of whom earn minimum wage - about tipping. The list included suitable gratuities for au pairs, personal fitness trainers and pool cleaners, and was later removed from the site. It also offers the cheerless suggestion of returning unopened items after Christmas, to save money.

Other McBudget tips included:

SING AWAY STRESS: Singing along to your favourite songs can lower your blood pressure

BREAK IT UP: Breaking food into pieces often results in eating less and still feeling full

CUT OUT DEBT: You may also want to consider returning some of your unopened purchases that may not seem appealing as they did. Selling some of your unwanted possessions on eBay or Craiglist could bring in some quick cash

QUIT COMPLAINING: Stress hormone levels rise by 15 per cent after ten minutes of complaining

PACK YOUR BAGS: At least two vacations a year can cut heart attack risk by 50 per cent

