The Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a suit over a year ago in order to ban fast food chains from using toys to "lure" kids into their wicked den of unhealthy food:
Michael F. Jacobson, the group's executive director, said in a strongly worded statement Thursday that using toys to lure kids to unhealthy fast food was "a predatory practice" that involves "unscrupulous marketing techniques."
"McDonald's must stop exploiting children at some point."
The judge just tossed the lawsuit out, probably because it's not McDonald's fault when a child turns out to get sick or obese from an unhealthy diet. It's a classic case of scapegoating: We have a problem, and we need someone to blame. Unfortunately, blaming fast food for "predatory practices" only makes sense if parents are too stupid to realize that a burger and fries are not good for you. But parents are not that stupid--they are the ones providing kids with the meals, and they are doing so for rational reasons. Fast food is quick, cheap, and sometimes it's dang tasty--and for years, McDonald's has been increasing the happiness with a free toy! This isn't preying on children; it's serving up joy in a box!
If fast food restaurants are to blame at all, it's for folding to the pressures of healthy do-gooders by going for "healthy" options like shaker salads, fruit cups, milk, and juice. Five pieces of fruit in a cup full of high-frutctose corn syrup is not going to make a dang bit of difference when the rest of the meal is deep fried chicken nuggets and a fake wheat bun. The same thing goes for the diet soda dad used to wash down the supersize order of fries.
Fast food is not health food. It never will be, AND THAT'S OK. When you want to splurge on some raunchy food once in awhile, go for McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, and the like. But don't for a minute think that you will ever be able to make these places a consistent part of a healthy diet. They are, by definition, TERRIBLE for you, and EVERYBODY KNOWS IT!
If we're going to blame fast food for obesity, how about pointing a few fingers at sunscreen companies for making SPF 5 tanning oil? Encourages skin cancer. Maybe department stores should be banned from selling TV's and gaming systems until families show proof that all kids in the household are earning passing grades in school. It's TV's fault that kids aren't taking care of business in the classroom.
Or maybe we can quit scapegoating fast food companies. There is a major health problem in this country, no doubt. However, the answer is far more complex than demonizing a few restaurants for putting toys in a happy meal. Blaming McDonald's is easy. Changing habits is far more complicated.
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I totally agree with this post. Its true that toys in "Happy Meals" lure kids to want to eat the fast food. How do you not want to blame the fast food resturants? I disagree with that part because, if you sell toys with your unhealthy foods, kids would be totally excited about being able to eat junk food and another plus, they get a free toy! Other than that this post speaks the truth!
ReplyDeleteHey , good post english answer man.I think that Mc. Donalds and fast food resteraunts like so are VERRY bad for you. But they are soo good!It does seem like they are encouraging the kids to eat their unhealthy food by giving toys with the meals. But i dont think they care. They probly just want the costomers and money. But if i was the parent i would just take my kids once every few weeks or so. Just so that nothing bad happens.Parents just want to go somewhere easy so they dont have to take their kids to a resturant. Good job english answer man , this was a good post.
ReplyDeleteDear English Answer Man,
ReplyDeleteYour blog post about, "Are Happy Meals Exploiting Children", really got my mind twisting and turning different ways trying to figure out whose to blame. To give it more deep thought the only person whose to blame is yourself because you were the one who ordered that raunchy food and gave the cashier the money in the first place then started to get it to be a habit and can't change/stop it. So before you pull up into the driveway of a fast food restaurant, you would probably want to give it some thinking and say, "Do I really want to order this food for myself?"