Happy Meal toys could be banned in Santa Clara County

Happy Meal toys could be banned in Santa Clara County

www.latimes.com

Convinced that Happy Meals and other food promotions aimed at children could make kids fat as well as happy,

Believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, the proposal would forbid the inclusion of a toy in any restaurant meal that has more than 485 calories, more than 600 mg of salt or high amounts of sugar or fat. In the case of McDonald's, the limits would include all of the chain's Happy Meals — even those that include apple sticks instead of French fries.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Now the government is going to not only interfere with the business practice of a private corporation, clearly one who engages in practices they believe enhances their firm's value.

Pretty much everyone knows that fast food is unhealthy. Everyone knows that its intake should be avoided or limited, yet clearly the folks in Santa Clara don't believe their residents can use appropriate judgement. They are also convinced that parents can not manage their children to either not eat at MacDonalds or should they eat at MacDonalds, don't accept the toy.

I personally have kids and probably once or twice a quarter go to MacDonalds. I will not take the Happy Meal toy. I am not about to have yet more junk in my house that will be in pieces within the span of an hour. I also find the meals, which are almost 100% plastic to be environmentally offensive.

That being said, there are no kids of an age to go to a MacDonalds who are not taken there by and adult and if we get to a place where we need to take steps to guide parents what to feed their children, we're off the deep end.

The fact that MacDonalds continues this practice is yet another issue. Obviously they find it a good business practice and it is totally optional, hence they should be permitted to give the toys away.

For the crowd of stooges who will argue that eating is the only viable choice for many folks, we've got many threads providing outstanding advice how to eat cheaply and eat healthy foods, if money is the issue, order for your kids off of the dollar menu, its cheaper

www.latimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

OK let me get this straight.

So, since they "believe" this food makes their "kids fat"; they want to remove the Toy?

How the hell does this effect the "fat making" qualities of the food???

Make all the arguments about this being not right, fine.

But my argument is that it doesn't even make any sense. It's absurd and retarded.

The toy has nothing to do with the health quality of the food....

reply to post by muzzleflash


You make a great point. I guess what they are thinking is that since people in California are so friggin' stupid that they need to be told how to handle every area of their lives by the government, that maybe their offspring, sharing the same genetics, are so stupid they may "accidentally" eat the toy in their happy meal. LOL!

reply to post by muzzleflash


You make an excellent point. Plastic is 0 calories. Maybe they should give them a bag full of toys and have them eat those.

These fools in California are spending time with this nonsense when they're government is imploding.

What ever happened to personal choice? I mean I don't see the clown out there with a gun holding it to the parents and saying you will eat here or I will hurt you. I don't see any strong arm tactics on the part of McDonalds, to get customers in to buy and purchase their products. What I do see is the Government getting involved where they should not.

reply to post by muzzleflash


Maybe because the kids want a happy meal or whatever the equivalent because of the toy, and they will eat whatever came with it because of it. Removing the toy from unhealthy foods will make the kids not want it just for a toy to play with.

reply to post by sdcigarpig


Well maybe Ronald is doing a mind meld on them and forcing them to buy Happy Meals. You know how week minded Progressives are. They think TV commercials force them to go out and buy every thing they see on TV.

The fact of the matter is that they resent McDonalds because they turn a profit, and their is nothing more evil to Progressives then someone profiting. Their simple minds don't seem to understand that they need people to profit so they can actually get the taxes out of them they need to implement their socialist dreamland.

Santa Clara?
Isn't that Epic Beard Man territory?

Take away away the baby toys and you will soon get Epic PO Baby.

reply to post by Phlegmi


Yeah I guess that would make sense if somehow all California parents became mute and couldn't just tell their kids "NO!, you are not getting a happy meal." Oh the magic of NO!

Plus they can choke on them also..

reply to post by kulbrz


If you give your kid under 3 a toy they can choke on you are an idiot. If you kid is over 3 and chokes to death on a happy meal toy, that is natural selection in action.

Why do we feel the need to limit the choices of 97% of the population, based on the mental limits of the three percent that would play kick ball on a busy freeway?

[edit on 27-4-2010 by BoneyMaroney]

reply to post by dolphinfan


Ones own judgement is not always a good thing, as just look at how fat people out there, there are. Salt is something you should never put into your food,a nd limit it, i have found losing weight it helps alot getting rid of salt.

At least america too is becoming the nanny state. We in europe already have this nanny culture.

reply to post by andy1033


This is where natural consequences come into play. If you are fat and you keep eating food like the world is going to run out tomorrow then you are fat and unhealthy and no one will have sex with you and you don't reproduce more fat people then eventually your arteries clog and your fat ass is no more. It is nature. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

[edit on 27-4-2010 by BoneyMaroney]

reply to post by BoneyMaroney


You know that the obesity epidemic in the US is not due to people that can not stop eating, it has to do with the food supplies in our nation.

Do you know that most meats and poultry including dairy products produced in the US are banned in Europe? because the unhealthy additives, hormones, antibiotics and preservatives Link to all kind of health problems, from diabetes, hypertension, cancer and degenerative diseases.

Still this toxic items are given as food choices to the American public to eat and consume.

Our own food suppliers are the ones that are making Americans, Dependant to big pharma and causing most of the obesity epidemic in the nation.

In America food laws to protect manufactures, and makes them more important than us the consumers.

reply to post by marg6043


Well lets just make excuses for everybody. Do you know a lot of fat people that exercise everyday and eat a fairly balanced diet?

Personally, I don't even eat that healthy but I keep moving and I dont have a bit of trouble maintaining my weight. When I feel myself put on a few pounds and the jeans get tight I just cut back on fries and sodas and bam I lost ten pounds in a few weeks.

You dont help anyone by blaming external things for their problems. There are plenty of people in this country that are fit and health who eat the same foods as the obese. The obese just eat way more of them.

It is simple physics, you cannot grow more mass than you consume.

reply to post by marg6043


One more thing. Why do they keep making laws that control what I do just because some people lack self control and/or common sense? Why don't they go to the source and make a law that after a certain percent body fat you get your jaw wired shut or if your kids is a butter hog then you get placed in the middle of the city square and people can come by and kick you square in the ....?

[edit on 27-4-2010 by BoneyMaroney]

[edit on 27-4-2010 by BoneyMaroney]

reply to post by BoneyMaroney


Next time you got shopping dear make an habit of researching what is in the food you eat, then look at the list of potential health benefits and dangers most of the manufactured food in this nation poses to what you call healthy people.

In America quality of life is declining as soon people hit the 40 + year mark.

If you think that been hook to statin drugs, diabetic drugs and hypertension drugs is healthy then wait when you be in that age group.

Americans are not getting any healthier as they age. . .

reply to post by marg6043


I do research the foods I eat and then I weigh the benefits/consequences against the pleasure/pain of eating them. Common Sense!

I am 42 years old, and I am perfectly healthy other than a few sore joints and bones from past body abuse. I believe all the things you describe are the natural effects of aging and modern day people have a lot less effects. I am way healthier than my parents at this age, and they are way healthier than their parents were at their current ages.

As you get older, it is natural to have some aches and pains. It has been that way since the dawn of time.

Plus, I still look good at my age and typically date women around half my age, and I can still give them a run for their money.

I'd like to know WHY is it they are picking on McDonalds??? Lets be truthful here..Most fast food places, Burger King, etc., give away toys with thier food..so are they going to ban them too?? AND lets look at products at the grocery that have toys inside..cereal, snacks..etc..Guess we will have to ban them too..maybe we should ban some types of doggie biscuits..they also come with toys...
This world has gone NUTS...
ALSO....after we ban toys with purchase of food at a fast food joint and food in the grocery..maybe we should look free gifts for adults..
Buy this or that and get FREE shipping
Use your Visa and get FREE points
Use your card and get FREE gas
Seems to me the above is tempting adults to abuse their credit, which is not good for them or their families..yep..I think we should make a list that INCLUDES whats not good for adults...

[edit on 27-4-2010 by MissysWorld]