Why "Happy Meals" Are a Crime

most of you know how toxic mcdonalds food can be
here some semi good news ive found

When it comes to food, everybody’s got an opinion. Same goes for parenting. Mix the two together and you’ve got the makings of a culture war. Witness the recent scuffle between Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama over the White House’s rather tame Let’s Move campaign aimed at ending childhood obesity. So last month, when the Center for Science in the Public Interest announced it was filing a class action lawsuit to stop McDonald’s from using Happy Meal toys to market to children, the fierce and ugly backlash against the mother of two who was brave enough to attach her name to the case was predictable. But I am not interested in debating good or bad parenting. Nor am I interested in arguing over whether this lawsuit is a good idea. How many calories are in a Happy Meal and whether you can ask for carrots instead of fries is irrelevant to me. I am not even going to give you all the scary data about how America’s kids are getting fatter and sicker. Nor do I care whether the cause is fast food or video games.

source www.alternet.org...

Happy meals are a crime, but then again so is almost every type of food these days that is not grown by yourself on your own island on another planet that you have all to yourself.

If it is not grown by your own hand, how can you trust that any food does not have something in it that could one day cause you die in a horrible fashion.

Damned if you do...

I let my kids get a happy meal every once in a while. Its very rare and its a big deal to them when they get one. I am very picky about what they eat and drink because I see what is happening to kids all around the country. They are not allowed to have sugary drinks (unless we go out to eat which is even rarer than a happy meal), sugar turns them into monsters and I don't like it. They must eat a fruit or vegetable (or both) at every meal and since they are used to that, its never a problem. Ask my 3 year old if he would rather have an apple or a cookie and he will pick the apple nine times out of ten.

My children will not be victims of childhood obesity and all that comes along with it. I am in control of what they eat. It is my responsibility as a parent to see that they are eating healthy foods at least the majority of the time. A happy meal here and there is not going to make them overweight.

I think some parents are just plain lazy and it is easier for them to go through the drive thru and get fast food instead of going home and cooking a decent meal. They are setting their children up for a lifetime of devastating health complications by feeding them endless crap day after day.

I don't think that marketing the food to children is the problem when the parents should be controlling the foods they are eating. If people could learn that the key to everything is moderation, then the state of things in general would be a lot better. It also wouldn't hurt if parents could learn to say NO once in a while. At my house, dinner is dinner. You will eat it, or your belly will be hungry later. I do not run a restaurant. My kids are not picky by any means because I never gave them the chance to be.

Its a "Marketing" tactic hardly the place for govt intervention.....
Abortion is a far larger crime and I don't see any emphasis placed on it by the administration.

reply to post by daryllyn


Good for you! And bravo for being a fantastic parent, Seriously for all those fat and lazy parents who are having a fit over not being able to give thier kids 800 calories plus in a little box with a 3 cent toy that chinese slave labor built- they can go to burger king.

Originally posted by xynephadyn
reply to post by daryllyn

 

Good for you! And bravo for being a fantastic parent,

Seriously for all those fat and lazy parents who are having a fit over not being able to give thier kids 800 calories plus in a little box with a 3 cent toy that chinese slave labor built- they can go to burger king.

It's not just the calories or the even the biphenals in the toys made by slave labor or even the decade long or more shelf life, the whole meal should have a toxicity report so these stupid parents can't say "I didn't know I was killing my kid slowly."

Cheers - Dave

The article is very compelling. however, I do agree with daryllyn.

Though, after reading the article, I don't quite understand how the addition of a toy to Happy Meal is considered deceptive marketing.

I know McD's food is not healthy and, that is why I rarely take my children there for meals.

For them, it is the absolute treat and they seem to understand that. They know that bc it is bad, they get it in moderation.

No different than ice cream or cake.

They get it on a special occasions.

reply to post by 46ACE


Abortion / Happy Meal = quite the contrast

i thhink we need to be more responsible in what we feed our kids....so we should keep pressure on fast food giants

We all know how bad the food is and how unhealthy it can be, the parents choose to take their children. I still eat it every now and then and occasionally buy my daughter a happy meal as well.

Although im not sure how much the American menu differs from here in Australia. For happy meals we can choose the normal ( Cheeseburger, small fries and drink ) or there are also options to change it up.

There are chicken and lettuce mini wraps instead of the cheeseburger and also a small bag of cut up apples instead of fries ( although the apple is fresh i have to ask...perservatives?? but still it's gotta be healthier than the fries.

Also poptop apple juice or water instead of a small coke etc.

So at least there are healthier alternatives and they still get the toy.

Is the menu in the states similar?
Edit: i just checked the US mcdonalds site and i could see the healthier happy meal options

Here is the US:

www.mcdonalds.com...

Here are the Australian Happy Meal options:

mcdonalds.com.au...#/happy-meal

Big difference, i always assumed the menu's would be very similar...

i'd rather have McDonald's food than be hungry with no food at all.

reply to post by LargeFries


Your Avatar name goes well with that statement

reply to post by xynephadyn


Thanks

People don't realize what they are doing to their kids when they fill them full of that crap all the time. In moderation, its totally fine but for many it is a daily thing. I don't want my kids to be overweight and possibly suffer from Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes. Their health as children affects them for the rest of their lives, so it isn't something to gamble with.

reply to post by kissy princess


It shouldn't matter, the parents are the ones that pay for it---not the kids. The parents are in control of what the kids eat, or at least they should be.

I don't think taking the toys out will change anything, people will still buy it.

Heeee-yuk! I guess Me am so stewpid that Ah need the guberment to tale me whut to give mah kids!

Okay, political/sarcastic comment over. But seriously, do we need the government to tell us how to feed/raise our kids?
I don't. And I'll be fried in non-trans fatty oils before I let ANYONE, ANYWHERE tell me how to raise my children.

Its not a crime.
Just like i have the freedom to drink everclear, I have the freedom to eat a happy-meal.
If you don't want the products in your body, don't buy it.
Problem solved.

McDonalds are clearly part of the UN depopulation plans. They have unlimited funding from the Fed

Originally posted by 46ACE
Its a "Marketing" tactic hardly the place for govt intervention.....
Abortion is a far larger crime and I don't see any emphasis placed on it by the administration.

edit on 27-1-2011 by 46ACE because: (no reason given)

Yes, lets compare the filling of foods with artaficial sweetners, stuff that tricks you're stomoch into thinking its empty so you want MORE, and contributes greatly to the piling on of the pounds - to Abortion.

Love to see you get bashed, raped, then stuck pregnant with a child concieved of hatred and suffering, when youre too young to be capable of looking after it both financly and mentaly.

Some people are so idiotic when it comes to this, as this poster's comparison of Food to Abortions. Similar to justifying Obamacare's health rationing being ok because the Terminally ill are terminally ill, and are going to die anyway - so why should we give them treatment? Cant see what's wrong with that? Stop reading here, there's no point trying to get you to see anything other than what you want to see.

The governmenet CAN dictate wether or not all the "extras" packed into the food can stay in the food. And if they're able to ban fizzy drinks and candy from school Tuckshops they shuld have every right to trash the happy meal toys, or the happy meal itself.

The pure fact of the addative (cant name it, you'll have to go find it) that tricks the stomoch into thinking its still empty/hungry is allowed in food is complete utter total bull#.

Everything is 'bad for you' these days. We all have to die some day, I'd rather live my life having fun and doing/eating/drinking what I like. I do love a big mac every now and then, though I must say I prefer burger king.