ban of happy meal toy
San Francisco’s controversial Healthy Food Incentive Ordinance goes into action in banning the “free” giveaways within the children’s fast food happy meal in December of 2011. The ban targets the Happy Meal toys, which claim that children are unable to make healthy decisions on their own.
Some may ask, what’s wrong with advertising to the kids? Opponents argue that children are too young to even know the health risks of what eating cheeseburgers, French fries, and sugar packed soft drinks can do to you. With this, more and more children are becoming obese, perhaps even for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, fast food advocates that any amount of fast food that is consumed can lead to health problems. San Francisco’s law and other laws like this one are attempting in protecting the country we call home.
San Francisco’s Ordinance was meant to pressure the fast food restaurants in changing their menu with healthier alternatives for the children. McDonalds started offering options like milk and apple slices with their Happy Meal, they have also reduced the amount of French fries received. This law only rohibits fast food restaurants from including the free toy in the Happy Meals that do not meet the specific nutritional standards. While this law was taking place, McDonald’s has taken steps in improving the nutritional quality of the Happy Meal, but they still did not meet the standards set in the city’s regulation, and thus they could not include free toys in the meals. Instead of changing the content of the Happy Meal or even eliminating the toys all together, McDonalds has already found a way around it. Now McDonalds will be charging 10 cents for the addition of a toy, but you must buy the Happy Meal. The additional 10 cents goes to the proceeds of benefitting the Ronald McDonald House Charity, for children with cancer.
Some may ask, what’s wrong with advertising to the kids? Opponents argue that children are too young to even know the health risks of what eating cheeseburgers, French fries, and sugar packed soft drinks can do to you. With this, more and more children are becoming obese, perhaps even for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, fast food advocates that any amount of fast food that is consumed can lead to health problems. San Francisco’s law and other laws like this one are attempting in protecting the country we call home.
San Francisco’s Ordinance was meant to pressure the fast food restaurants in changing their menu with healthier alternatives for the children. McDonalds started offering options like milk and apple slices with their Happy Meal, they have also reduced the amount of French fries received. This law only rohibits fast food restaurants from including the free toy in the Happy Meals that do not meet the specific nutritional standards. While this law was taking place, McDonald’s has taken steps in improving the nutritional quality of the Happy Meal, but they still did not meet the standards set in the city’s regulation, and thus they could not include free toys in the meals. Instead of changing the content of the Happy Meal or even eliminating the toys all together, McDonalds has already found a way around it. Now McDonalds will be charging 10 cents for the addition of a toy, but you must buy the Happy Meal. The additional 10 cents goes to the proceeds of benefitting the Ronald McDonald House Charity, for children with cancer.