Happy Meals Banned?!

[Today]

Source!

CNN is reporting the San Francisco board of supervisors will formally approve a ban on most McDonald’s Happy Meals today, thus addressing the most serious issue facing the otherwise untroubled city. The board isn’t just tepidly endorsing this measure – they’re expected to produce enough votes to over-ride a promised veto from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

The ordinance is intended to control the distribution of toys with unhealthy food, which has become known as the “food justice movement.” Unjust burgers and fries must be replaced with healthy fruits and vegetables by December 2011. San Francisco hopes other cities will follow its example and impose food justice from coast to coast, herding Happy Meals into redneck flyover country, where they belong.

This is not the first discussion of using government power to control the diets of Americans. The ObamaCare bill famously included provisions requiring fast-food restaurants to display nutritional information on all menus, including drive-through menus. First Lady Michelle Obama has waged a vigorous War On Food, which she occasionally interrupts to enjoy a juicy hamburger, or a plate of Chesapeake Crab Agnolottis with roasted sunchokes, dripping with delicious calories. I just realized you’re probably reading this right before lunch, and your stomach is probably growling. Sorry about that.


CNN describes the nanny-state thinking that led San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar to initiate the food justice proposal:

Mar said the ordinance would be "a tremendous victory" in fighting childhood obesity. His fifth-grade daughter is in the 6-to-11 age group in which rates of obesity have quadrupled the past 30 years -- coinciding with the lifespan of the Happy Meal, he said.

"I do believe that toys and other incentives attached to foods that are high in sugar, fat and calories are a major reason for the alarming rise for childhood obesity in this country," Mar said last week. "This is a very modest ordinance that is an incentive for the industry to take responsibility for healthier choices for children and parents."

There’s no question that children were healthier before the invention of the hamburger in the early 1980s. Modern parents have absolutely no means of providing a healthy diet for their children, or teaching them a measure of self-control. It is therefore important for massive city and state bureaucracies, already teetering on the edge of insolvency, to spend taxpayer money enforcing that discipline for them… increasing the climate of hostility toward business in California, which appears ready to begin hunting corporations for sport.

The voters of San Francisco can make their own decisions about their board of supervisors, and should also be expected to live with the consequences. The voters of other cities should keep their ears peeled for any mention of “food justice.” This kind of madcap legislation will not bolster California’s case when it goes looking for federal bailouts of its collapsing state and local governments. No matter how broke they are, governments looking for something to do will always succeed.

 

[Hyper_Ridley]

I hope the Sanfransico board knows that this won't stop parents from buying cookies at the store, or having a barbeque with hamburgers at the Super Bowl, or getting candy on Halloween. Or do they plan to ban those too?

 

[Lore]

This is hilariously stupid; McDonalds has plenty of alternatives to french fries, and actually, you almost always see apples instead of fries in most happy meal ads.

Besides, it's up to the parent to just say "no" to fries or to the meal itself when a kid asks for a happy meal for the 13th time in a week. In fact, the responsibility for curbing childhood obesity should belong to the parents, not the government.

 

[Suntan Luigi]

Unhealthy garbage + kiddie toys = **** move. Seriously, I want to hardcore troll a CEO, don't they have enough money that they need to fatten up little kids too?

 

[Jim Morrison]

I remember asking for Happy Meals. Then my parents said no and I cried and they just put me on their ignore list.

Now I'm not fat.

 

[El Nino]

Yeah, and San Francisco just recently passed a measure that would outlaw sitting and lying on public sidewalks. Now they're trying to control people's diets. The elements of freethinking and liberalism that made the city famous have kind of been turned on their heads.

Gavin Newsom is on my **** list for writing and endorsing the no sit/law measure, and so is the SF board of supervisors for this food justice non-sense, so it's funny that they're at opposite ends on this issue. On one hand, I hope Newsom vetoes it, but if he does, I know his reasoning isn't because he respects individual freedom. His aim is to strengthen the economy by supporting businesses, including corporate fast food chains such as McDonald's. I am no fan of McDonald's, but I still disagree with this ban. Unfortunately, that means I have to tepidly side with Newsom.

All of CA is going to hell in a handbasket anyway. Might as well enjoy the ride. Whee.

 

[Luigitoilet]

This is hilariously stupid; McDonalds has plenty of alternatives to french fries, and actually, you almost always see apples instead of fries in most happy meal ads.

Besides, it's up to the parent to just say "no" to fries or to the meal itself when a kid asks for a happy meal for the 13th time in a week. In fact, the responsibility for curbing childhood obesity should belong to the parents, not the government.

This really sums up the whole situation perfectly.

 

[JOE!]

well yeah, Happy meals were overcentralizing the mcdonalds menu, and hard-countered tons of picks for kids to choose from to the point it'd be choose a happy meal or you're not cool

 

[global-wolf]

One of the most sarcastic articles I've read in a while... the author gets his point across though.

 

[MikeKirby]

Aw HEH-UHLZ NUH! Nuh-uh you can get rid of the Happy Meal!! Where am I gonna get my Hot Wheels now??? Parents do YOUR job and watch yo kids! Plus save some green while your out not buying them burgers all the time, gosh.

 

[Mota]

Scapegoats yay. Politicians placing blame on Happy Meals to ease guilt, and makes it look like they're actually doing something. I'll just make my way over to Burger King, Hungry Jacks, and KFC for my toy+burger combo.

Politicians are old farts who are out of touch with society. Gay rights yo, but nooo

 

[Sephiroths Masamune]

How is it constitutional to limmit buisnesses?

 

[Jim Morrison]

Dunno, how constitutional is manipulating children and their parents.

McDonalds isn't just manipulating the children into wanting their food, it's also getting the parents to buy it to satisfy their child.

 

[Sephiroths Masamune]

Do you get the fact that it's a choice to buy the happy meal? It's not like the happy meal is giving off some kind of hypnotic wave that makes you buy it.

Dunno, how constitutional is manipulating children and their parents.

McDonalds isn't just manipulating the children into wanting their food, it's also getting the parents to buy it to satisfy their child.

Your mixing up morals, and the constitution. We should have the freedom to choose to buy a happy meal. Having the government step in and say we can't isn't protecting anyone, all it's doing is bullying the public.

 

[Jim Morrison]

Toys make kids want it, kids make parents buy it. Not everyone can be a great parent.

 

[Sephiroths Masamune]

Whos fault is it that the parents buy the meal?The corperation who sells it? Or the people who choose to buy it?

And saying that not all parents are great, isn't a reason to ban the kids meal, it's a personal problem with the family.

 

[Claire Diviner]

Another one of these?! What's up with the government nowadays? Banning Happy Meals - something that's been around for a few decades - on the strength that they believe it's unhealthy for children, despite McDonald's ads promoting healthier options for children, is just asinine! If you ask me, this is probably a stunt to turn the public's attention away from the more important matters. Also, notice they're attacking McDonald's but doing nothing to Burger King, Wendy's, or KFC (to name a few)! Ugh!

 

[Geist]

I came in here planning to say something sarcastic, but quickly realized anything sarcastic worth saying has already been said. So uh...

...

yeah.

Go justice

 

[E123Omega]

I came in here planning to say something sarcastic, but quickly realized anything sarcastic worth saying has already been said. So uh...

...

yeah.

Go justice

Well done.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

I couldn't finish this I swear I am boring when it comes to food I like dull boring tastes in most cases even if I just ate some candy. This is ******** this is limiting freedom of what people can have. WHy for the health care bill. Some caes yeah it's what you freakin eat and how you don't do much but somtimes it's just in their genes.

 

[Luigitoilet]

I couldn't finish this I swear I am boring when it comes to food I like dull boring tastes in most cases even if I just ate some candy. This is ******** this is limiting freedom of what people can have. WHy for the health care bill. Some caes yeah it's what you freakin eat and how you don't do much but somtimes it's just in their genes.

Stop not making sense.