I recently learned that NYC is making health guidelines for Happy Meals, asking that the meal contain no more than 500 calories and 600 mg of sodium. This comes after San Francisco has banned the Happy Meal, stating that meals with toys should be healthy.
Sigh... where do I start?
First, McDonalds is meant to be a once-in-awhile guilty pleasure. We all know the food is not the best for you. I see nothing wrong with letting my kids enjoy their french fries and chicken nuggets, as long as they're eating well the remainder of the time. My kids eat McDonalds about once a month, sometimes twice, like when we are on road trips. The article says the average child eats Happy Meals three times a month, nearly once a week! Personally, I think that's too much. McDonalds should be a treat, not a weekly part of a child's diet.
Second, forcing a business to revise their menu is not going to solve the problem. Buyers will just order an extra side of fries when their children inevitably start screaming for french fries. Or, parents will buy larger sizes that come without the toy and with the fries, which will lead to more overeating by children. Or, parents will opt to not go to McDonalds any more. This decision is going to hurt McDonald's business and do nothing to stop the consumption of junk food.
Third, and I may get crap for this but, how is it fair to allow adults to eat Double Quarter Pounders with Cheese and large fries, while withholding the same treats for kids? I'd feel pretty guilty eating fries in front of my child, while he only gets apple slices. As a once-in-awhile treat, that kinda sucks. It would be like being the child at the lunch table in school who gets carrots, while everyone else has a cookie. As the parent, I make the conscious decision to allow my boys to eat McDonalds. And when I am ordering for them, there had better be a guilty-pleasure option on that menu.
Fourth, it's not necessarily McDonalds fault for offering these choices. The parents need to make healthful decisions for their kids, and that means frequenting McDonalds a little less. They know the food is junk, so the obvious answer to stop including junk food in their child's diet is to stop buying it for them. It's that simple. Parents need to wake up and take charge instead of blaming corporation after corporation for their own stupidity and laziness.
And lastly, the article did not mention what the children were eating the remainder of the time. If the families go to McDonalds, then they are more than likely going to Burger King, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, etc. McDonalds is shouldering a lot of responsibility for just being one piece of the puzzle. If the kids can't get the regular Happy Meals, then they will move on to the next place that will give them what they want. The idea here isn't to withhold the bad food- it's to educate the parents on how to consume that food. People are going to get what they want from somewhere. Wouldn't it make more sense to teach parents how much is appropriate?
Annnnnnd, done with rant. :) I'd be interested on your take of this situation! Is McDonalds the devil? Who should take responsibility for childrens' health? Should they be to blame for providing food that is known to be unhealthy? If so, what about other business who make money selling items that are harmful to our health?
4 comments:
I could not agree with you more! Moderation is the key here! Although, living in CA I like being able to see the calorie/nutrition counts... it usually helps me choose between meals. We as parents (and humans) need to take responsibility for OUR actions. McDonald's isn't putting guns to people's heads and forcing them to eat their food.
Did you ever notice at the grocery store check outline they sell tons of candy bars and sodas? How about the cereal isle? You can find cocoa puffs, chocolate cheerios, Trix, pure sugar. How about Bascon Robbins? Dunkin Doughnuts? They sell high calorie treats. Should we shut all of this down to protect our children from eating high calorie, high fat foods?
Wake up! It's all around us. It is up to us as parents to teach our kids about making choices and having balance. McDonald's is not the enemy. They offer cheap, fattening food that people like to eat. It's our choice. We can reach for a snickers bar, a Mountain Dew or a Big Mac. We can't police all of that, and why should we? Everyone deserves a treat now and then. It's about making good choices! Now I'm ranting!
No one is socially responsible anymore. People are too damn lazy to do anything about it except raise a stink and blame someone else. I hate people.
Next thing you know there'll be a BMI scanner at the drive through...Yes, you can partake. No, not you...you need to put down the fork.
And you already know the type of people that cause it...they should all be shot.
Wow, this got me really angry.
Personally I dislike McD's on many levels...but I really can't stand that it costs less to eat fast food, whether it be McD's or Taco Bell, than it does to eat fresh produce at the grocery store.
That said, I see your point. Banning the Happy Meal is not going to stop people from eating poorly, treating their bodies poorly, then ending up with a medical condition that we all end up paying for in the form of higher insurance rates. There's a whole societal thing going on here and I don't have the answers.
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