Paris ? The French division of McDonald’s has run ads that included a surprising suggestion: Kids shouldn’t eat at McDonald’s more than once a week.

The advertisements, quoting information from specialists, aim to show that “McDonald’s meals are part of a balanced weekly diet,” said Euro RSCG, the agency that came up with the ads, which appeared this spring, mostly in French women’s magazines.

Alongside quotes from specialists addressing obesity and diets for children, the ads described how McDonald’s hamburgers are made of 100 percent real beef and cooked on a grill free of additional oil.

One ad placed in Femme Actuelle in April quoted a nutritionist who said, “there’s no reason to abuse fast food, or visit McDonald’s more than once a week.”

A spokeswoman at McDonald’s France declined to comment and referred all questions to the company’s advertising agency.