"Plus-Sized Elf" Character Elfuda Named Ambassador for the Japan French Fries Association - Collaboration Visual
Source for the visual is the official website. According to Crunchyroll, the voice actress for Elfuda (sometimes translated as Erufuda), Ayasa Ito, will also serve as a guest judge at the Japan French Fries Championship 2024.
Series premieres July 6, 2024. Synopsis from AniList:
Naoe-kun, a massage therapist, is about to head home for the day when he’s saddled with a rather strange patient. This lovely lady has emerald eyes, pointy ears, and grew up in the forest–everything about her screams “elf,” except for one thing: her bodacious body. It turns out she left her world but loves junk food in this one, and now her obsession has caught up with her. Can Naoe-kun help this lovable elf girl lose the weight–and keep it off?
I can't be the only one that thinks a "french fries association" associating itself with obesity is kind of crazy, right? You'd think they would've thought this through better...
They're in the top 10 for the lowest obesity rate worldwide. An overweight person isn't someone with a problem there, it's just someone who knows their food.
Yeah, I was surprised by this too. The character almost always has a box of fries in her hand in the manga, so it makes sense that she is associated with fries. However, like you said, if this is a trade association meant to promote fries, then it is questionable whether this is actually helping.
It's a little funny, but I don't see it as a misstep. It's probably just a popular (I assume) character who's associated with fries, and them being realistic in assuming that it's common knowledge that over-indulging in fast food causes weight gain.