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No More Happy Meals
Posted on07. Sep, 2010 by admin.
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No More Happy Meals: In the fight against rising childhood obesity and Type II diabetes, cities and counties are targeting fast food kids’ meals that include toys.
Fast Company/Flickr
Earlier this year, Santa Clara County made a bold move—banning Happy Meals—making it the first local government in the nation to do so. As the nation looks at ways to reverse rising childhood obesity and Type II diabetes, other cities and counties are beginning to target fast food marketing efforts on a local level.
The L.A. Times reports: “Happy Meal toys and other promotions that come with high-calorie children’s meals will soon be banned in parts of Santa Clara County unless restaurants meet nutritional guidelines.” The report quotes Santa Clara Supervisor Ken Yeager saying, “This ordinance prevents restaurants from preying on children’s love of toys to sell high-calorie, unhealthful food. This ordinance breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes.”
Watch a YouTube video clip of SmartTrend news coverage: “Santa Clara County Board Supervisors Look to Ban Toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals”:
Most recently, San Francisco is joining the movement—looking at banning toys in fast food kids’ meals—and making it the second county in the nation to take on the Happy Meal and other fast food kids meal packages.
San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar is taking the effort one step further though, introducing “Healthy Meal Incentive” legislation which would allow restaurants with kids meals meeting certain nutritional standards to include toys. Mar explains, “The Healthy Meal Incentive legislation would encourage restaurants to provide healthier meal options. To provide an incentive item, meals must contain fruits and vegetables, not exceed 600 calories or 200 calories for a single food item and must not have beverages that have excessive fat or sugar.”
A group nicknamed “The Food Police” (the watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest) is jumping in and threatening a lawsuit with McDonald’s over including toys in kids’ Happy Meals, dubbed the “Food Fight over Happy Meals.”
Watch a YouTube video clip of ABCNews coverage: “The Food Fight over Happy Meals”:
To learn more visit:
L.A. Times -- “It’s a sad day for Happy Meals in Santa Clara County”
Treehugger -- “McDonald’s Happy Meals banned in Santa Clara County”
San Francisco Weekly -- “Eric Mar Unleashes on the Happy Meal. But what about public school lunches?”
