it time to retire Ronald McDonald? Not according to the top brass at McDonald's.



The fast-food giant hit back at a group of 550 doctors and health-care professionals who took out ads in U.S. newspapers demanding that the company do away with its redheaded clown mascot and its other marketing towards kids.



"Stop making the next generation sick -- retire Ronald and the rest of your junk-food marketing to kids," said Dr. Steven Rothschild, an associate professor of preventative medicine at Rush Medical College in a release on Wednesday.



But their efforts may have had the opposite effect.



At the company's annual shareholder meeting at McDonald's headquarters outside Chicago, where doctors were able to confront the executives and accuse them of gnoring political efforts to curb childhood obesity, they were hit with a wall of angry resistance, according to the Associated Press.



McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner said that the newspaper ads had prompted an outpouring of support to his office, with parents and customers asking Skinner "to defend their right to choose."



"We believe in the democratic process and our government officials believe in the democratic process," he said to applause from the audience of McDonald's shareholders. "This is about choice, this is about personal, individual right to choose in the society we live in. That's where we play, that's where you play, and we have every right to do so."



Skinner dubbed its corporate spokesclown, "an ambassador for good" and noted that he is the face of Ronald McDonald House Charities.



"He does not advertise unhealthy food to children," Skinner said. "We provide many choices that fit with the balanced, active lifestyle. It is up to them to choose and their parents to choose, and it is their responsibility to do so."



When another shareholder said he was disappointed that Ronald wasn't at the meeting, Skinner replied: "Ronald hasn't been here because he's out in the field busy doing work and fighting through the protesters."



Skinner also said that store remodelings and an expanded menu, including smoothies and oatmeal, will broaden the restaurant's appeal.



When a shareholder complained that the oatmeal had too much sugar, Skinner shrugged it off.



"It's oatmeal, people," he said.