Will NYC ban Happy Meals from McDonalds and other similarly marketed kidsÂ’ meals with a toy? New York City Council Leader Leroy believes that any kids meal that targets childrenÂ’s food with a teasing toy should be a healthy choice for the children rather than highly fattening burgers or nuggets with French fries.
The council leader has proposed an ordinance to ban these unhealthy kidsÂ’ meals. There are six other NYC council members that agree wholeheartedly with Comrie.
Why has it taken health organizations and city councils so long to figure out the marketing ploys of fast food restaurants? This regulation should have taken place 20 years ago when the Happy Meals first became popular with children.
Will NYC ban Happy Meals? Not exactly. The ordinance would cause those kids' meals to not exceed 600 milligrams of sodium or 500 calories, and other restrictions will also apply if the ordinance is passed in NYC.
Would it hurt children to get a happy meal with a burger and apple slices as long as they had the toy? Certainly children would not pass up their beloved kidsÂ’ meal with a toy just because the French fries were missing from the cool kid packaging.
What do you think? Would your children toss the apple slices, just eat the hamburger, and then scream and cry for more food? Quite possibly! Would you then run back through the McDonaldÂ’s drive-thru just to grab some fries to shut your kid up? Quite possibly! However, with time, your children will get used to the healthy options if you refuse to succumb to their cries for fries.
Comrie told ABC News, “It would be a tremendous help to parents and families if they could have a healthy option with the toy, because the kids want the toy. The kids scream up and down for the toy.”
Some people have complained about ComrieÂ’s excessive weight. He weighs over 300 pounds but admits that he has eaten way too much fast food, and that is why he is so against children and Happy Meals. He has learned his fast food lesson and wants to save other children from future weight problems.
Obviously, McDonalds is screaming about this proposition. The Vice President and General Manager for the New York region of McDonalds, Mason Smoot, made this statement: “On average, kids eat at McDonalds about three times a month; that means about 87 other meals are eaten at home, school, or elsewhere. That adds up to a discussion larger than toys.”
Regardless of which children eat at home, proper measures should be taken to stop McDonalds and other restaurant conglomerates from monopolizing childrenÂ’s food choices. Healthy options should be available for the little tikes. What is your opinion about the potential ban on Happy Meals in NYC?
© Bella Rose 2011
(Photo source: Baby Bites)
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
Comments: 7 ( 1 removed by Charis R. )
Obviously a lot of people eat McD's or there wouldn't be so many of them, along with the other fast food places.
If they ban the toys it won't really change much... I ate McDonald's when I was little back in the 50's and there was not toy.... and it was a big big deal to me and my sister. My parents didn't take us often.
I don't think it's about the toy... Look at Red Robin.... bottomless fries with your burger...and no toy and not fast food. You can pin point fast food and think banning the toy will make a difference but it won't. Fries are fries and an excuse to have ketchup.