I know this shouldn't bother me, but it does. The Food Police have arrived! My daughter's county in California has outlawed toys in Happy Meals, claiming that they lure children by encouraging them to "bug" their parents to take them to the fast food places that entice them to eat poorly. Now, there is an organization called The Center for Science in the Public Interest that is threatening to sue McDonald's, nationally, if they don't voluntarily take toys out of children's meals.
Look...this whole thing is going just a little too far! First of all, if burgers and fries weren't popular meals in America, companies wouldn't sell them. Isn't all of American economy based on supply and demand? (That's the excuse the oil companies use for gouging the public at the gas pump, anyway.) My ex-husband didn't get a toy with his meals at all-you-can-eat buffets, but that didn't stop him from going back to the serving table five times for helpings of fried chicken!
Since the children that are being "lured" are...uh...CHILDREN, they have to be driven to the fast food places by their parents. By this proposed law suit, is the CSPI assuming that parents have no control over their children? If given the opportunity, my grandson would eat out every night. When they were living here, we had ONE night a week of fast food--and that was Fridays when we didn't have time between school and soccer games to eat at home. He easily ran off the calories that he consumed during soccer!
There were three fast food places of choice: McDonald's, Burger King, and Chick-fil-A. Why? They all gave "toys" in their kids' meals, but the bigger draw was the fact that they had play places. The inside playgrounds have to be huge liabilities for the companies involved, but I was grateful for them! During long winters when there is zero opportunity for children to burn off energy outside, letting them scramble all over the playscapes with other kids (we actually supervised ours) did wonders for all of us! I suppose those "lures" will disappear, too...due to the Food Police.
Have you ever looked at the offerings on children's menus at NON-fast food places? Mac and cheese (high in fat); hot dogs (high in fat); grilled cheese sandwiches (high in fat); fried chicken fingers (high in fat). Side dishes of applesauce or chips or french fries. The Food Police aren't targeting those places because they don't offer toys...but they DO offer crayons and placemat activity sheets. Should those be outlawed, too???
Has anyone looked at school lunch offerings? Meals are balanced...but filled with fat. I personally have seen them put whole pounds of real butter in the trays of vegetables, for taste. Why? It's "government" butter. Supports the farmers. I guess I mention it because of the inequities of the Food Police targets. There is a domino effect. Like dictating that the "curly," expensive light bulbs become the norm. They have mercury in them...and (in my house, at least) burn out just as fast as the other ones. You gonna save your burned bulbs to take for toxic disposal????
If the Food Police have their way, Long John Silver's would be out of business because virtually everything on their menu is fried; the meat industry in this country would become bankrupt; and back yard barbecues would have to be licensed. I'm sorry...I went along with seat belt laws, child restraint seats, and outlawing DDT. They took phosphorous out of laundry detergents. Great. No smoking in restaurants? I'm all for it. But targeting child "incentives" as bad is just un-American!
If Mickey D's gets hit, then there can be no prize in Cracker Jack, no Chuck E. Cheese's ("where a kid can be a kid"), and no play places. God forbid that we should attract attention to all that is wrong with the world! But is it really wrong?? Happy meals have been served for at least 40 years. No one has complained until now.
Revolt, America! I intend to voice my solitary opinion everywhere I can. We are being assaulted by those who THINK they know what is best for us. Now what we eat is being legislated! I follow my doctor's advice, but I REFUSE to let government get in the way of my right to eat!
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