The latest target in the battle over fast food is something you shouldn't even put in your mouth.
Convinced that Happy Meals and other food promotions aimed at children could make kids fat as well as happy, county officials in Silicon Valley are poised to outlaw the little toys that often come with high-calorie offerings.
The proposed ban is the latest in a growing string of efforts to change the types of foods aimed at youngsters and the way they are cooked and sold. Across the nation, cities, states and school boards have taken aim at excessive sugar, salt and certain types of fats.
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.
McDonald's Happy Meal bad for children.
Ken Yeager, the Santa Clara County supervisor who is behind the effort, says the toys in kids' meals are contributing to America's obesity epidemic by encouraging children to eat unhealthful, fattening foods.
First the clown, now the toys. What is next?
"This clown is no friend to our children or their health," said Deborah Lapidus of Corporate Accountability International, a group that sponsored the poll and protests outside McDonald's around the country.
"He is a deep-fried Joe Camel for the 21st century," she said.
Many of those surveyed had favorable feelings about red-headed Ronald, yet 47% thought it was time for him to go.
So now the Government wants to run your life since you can't runs yours or your kids.Joe Camel
Daily smoking rates began increasing steadily again in 1988, the same year R.J. Reynolds introduced Joe Camel in its advertising for Camel cigarettes, the CDC said.
"After Joe Camel was introduced, then the promotional-type strategies kicked in," rewarding
smokers with coupons and trinkets that encouraged them to buy more cigarettes, Giovino said. "A lot of parents weren't aware of Camel cash and that stuff, but kids were."
Joe Camel was retired last year, after critics including President Clinton said the character was
a blatant example of cigarette marketing aimed at children.
Those figures mean more than 3 million kids between the ages of 12 and 17 are lighting up, according to
the national survey by the Centers for Disease Control's Office of Smoking and Health.
Ronald and the toys will be gone and kids will still be eating Happy Meals.
Just more Government control and less personal freedom.
Should Ronald McDonald Retire? The liberals want to run your life.
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A national poll conducted by MediaCurves.com among 301 viewers of a video clip highlighting potential government regulation of toys in fast-food kids’ meals found that majority of parents (82%) reported that the U.S. government should not regulate toys in fast-food kids’ meals. In addition, the majority of parents (77%) indicated that child obesity rates would stay the same if toys were banned from fast-food restaurant meals. Further results can be seen at: http://www.mediacurves.com/NationalMediaFocus/J7792-FastFoodKidsMeals/Index.cfm
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