BOSTON -- Ronald McDonald, the colorful frontman for the fast food chain, will be slimming down in a new ad campaign that the company says is aimed at promoting a healthier lifestyle.

View Image: New, Slimmer Ronald

"The [new advertising] showcases Ronald getting kids up off the couch and outside, and moving with a variety of cool sports activities, including bike riding, snowboarding and playing basketball," said Elissa Rogovin, account director at Bishoff Communications, the firm that handles McDonald's public relations in Massachusetts.

"To keep up with this active lifestyle, Ronald McDonald went shopping and picked out a whole new wardrobe. These new outfits complement his fun, energetic style," said Rogovin.

Ronald's new threads include a warm-up suit, basketball, soccer, football uniforms, and a tuxedo for formal events. He will keep his red shoes. The streamlined version of Ronald is aimed at promoting a healthier lifestyle, company officials said.

In the past, McDonald's has been accused of misleading the public with its advertisements. In 2003, a lawsuit brought against the company alleged it was responsible for obesity in a group of New York teenagers. The group claimed that commercials led them to believe McDonald's food was healthy when in actuality it was harmful to their health.

With the 2004 release of Morgan Spurlock's film "Super Size Me" the company, along with the fast food industry in general, came under fire once more for what critics said was the harmful nature of its food.

Saving the fast food giant's reputation is just one motivation behind Ronald's makeover, said Anne Roggeveen, marketing professor at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.

"They want consumers to perceive them as being healthy, since that is the new trend. They also want to respond to customers after the bad publicity from that film," said Roggoveen.

McDonalds is also introducing more health-conscious options such as the fruit and walnut salad and the option to replace fries with fruit in Happy Meals. But can a trip to McDonalds be considered healthy?

"You can pick carefully, but food prepared in the home is always going to be better for you," said Jill Shuman, registered dietitian and visiting lecturer for Tufts' Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

"Like most food decisions, McDonald's has items that can be considered healthy. You can decide to get a salad and not put dressing on it," said Shuman. "The bigger problem with fast food is that once you start adding fries or a shake, you're not eating well anymore."

Whether this new ad campaign will mislead kids or inspire them is yet to be determined.

"It really depends on Ronald's message," said Shuman, "If they take it away from the restaurant and tell kids about the relationship between food and activity, that could be good. If he explains the difference between a regular burger and a quarter pounder and how much activity it takes to counteract that difference, that would be great."

The new advertisement will begin airing June 10 in the United States as well as several other countries. It will be supplemented with in-store educational materials, such as table tents and tray mats, that explain the concepts of healthy living.