California Official Says Fast Food And Toys Don't Mix

[Tabula Rasa]

Calif official says toys and fast-food don't mix

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2010 AT 8:19 P.M.

 

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A child's "Happy Meal" may soon be a little less happy in Santa Clara County, where a local official wants to prevent fast-food restaurants from giving away inexpensive toys with kids' orders.

 

County supervisor Ken Yeager plans to ask his colleagues Tuesday to order up a law regulating when fast-food outlets can serve toy cars, action figures and other freebies as part of their children's' menus. Yeager says the toys entice young customers to load up on high-calorie fare and may contribute to childhood obesity.

 

Depending on what staff members propose, the law either could ban toy giveaways at restaurants in the county or allow toys only to be included with healthy meals.

 

California Restaurant Association spokesman Dan Conway says "taking the toys hostage" will not keep children from becoming overweight.

Link to article

 

This is the height of lunacy. What's going to be next? They'll want to install a device in toilets to wipe our asses for us because they think we can't manage THAT on our own?

 

It is a parent's job to make sure their kids eat healthy, not the GODDAMNED FUCKING GOVERNMENT!

 

If it weren't for the fact that it'd be abused, I'd heartily recommend a law that heavily fined any politician from the smallest town, to the highest echelons of government, for trying to introduce and pass ridiculous legislation like this bullshit.

 

If they're not going to take their jobs seriously, they need to stay the fuck out of office.

 

Goes off to calm down...

[Dagan]

Of course happy meal toys cause obesity if you eat them, they're made out of PLASTIC!

[Vixentrox]

Big government and government control.

[mwc]

People want this to happen.

 

Let me put it like this...

 

I think that all of you are morons and can't manage your own eating habits. I know this since I watch the TV, the interweb and wherever else and it all says that you are all fat, stupid idiots that can't manage your own eating habits. Now, since I don't want this problem in my country (even before the health care bill) and you are all unwilling/unable to take care of yourselves I guess it will take the government to step in and fix all of you irresponsible people. I'm sorry it has had to come to this but it's for your own good.

 

Now, as far as I go, well, I'm just fine. I eat like shit and don't exercise but I know my limits and I can handle this life style that I have chosen for myself. If something goes awry I'll have no one to blame but myself and I'll be the one to deal with it. So you can just look the other way when it comes to me and how I'm doing things. You are the problem. You need the controls.

 

Is this clear? Now just insert yourself, and each and every individual person, in the place of "I" up there and you'll see how these things work. It's not "me" it's all of "you." I can handle my <whatever> but you can't.

 

It's only when the rules get set and these people find they cover everyone and there's no special exception for them that they suddenly get upset. "What do you mean there's no 'Billy' exemption? I want to eat what I want!"

 

Just like all other kids are stupid, lazy, fat blobs but their kids are just "big boned." Yep. Big old squishy bones. Gotta get those other fat-ass kids in shape but no need to penalize their kids for "how God made them."

 

So people want it this way. And so the government will become this way to please these people. The big mass of people who are all alike in thinking they're unique while no one else is and so someone had best control that mindless blob before they hurt themselves.

 

mwc

[Vigile]

I'm going to preface the following by saying I don't agree with the gov stepping in and telling us what to eat, etc... It's not their place.

 

Just to play devil's advocate though, it probably works. This is why McD's does it. I've seen kids crying and begging their parents to take them their to get happy meals. And parents oftentimes bend to the will of their kids.

 

I'm not saying it will, but would anyone favor something like this if it led to a 50% reduction in obesity amongst kids and with it a 70% reduction in child diabetes? Just for argument's sake of course.

 

Yeah, yeah, I know what all the religious libertarians are going to say. What about the rest of you?

[Vixentrox]

Well let's just institute food laws across the board so the government can monitor everything you put in your mouth. Ration every food item in a government approved manner to "cure obesity". No one will be allowed over a 2000 calorie diet unless involved in heavy labor. Sedentary folks will get less food, just to make sure they don't plump up. But then we could mandate exercise and set up a police force to ensure exercise compliance because you know, government will take care of you and wants to cut down on obesity and heart disease.

[Vigile]

Like I said, I know how you would answer. I'm curious about others not married to an ideology. I'm not arguing in favor of it, I'm just asking for opinion.

[Vixentrox]

Like I said, I know how you would answer. I'm curious about others not married to an ideology. I'm not arguing in favor of it, I'm just asking for opinion.

Yes my response was likely predictable but it is no different than legislating morality. Let's outlaw booze because it is bad for you and society....

[mwc]

I'm not saying it will, but would anyone favor something like this if it led to a 50% reduction in obesity amongst kids and with it a 70% reduction in child diabetes? Just for argument's sake of course.

Lets say, for the sake of argument, that those number are accurate (we both know they're just made up) and that it was made known to everyone that by implementing this law that these changes would actually come to pass without question. The thing that comes immediately to my mind is, knowing this, if people people are unwilling to take these steps to help their own children without these laws...and we're saying that these changes will happen guaranteed...then I would think something is a bit amiss with the parents. Don't you?

 

Let me put in another way. A child is bleeding to death. The parent sits there. If they will only take their child for help (or call for help) if a law states they must then I question the parent. If they can acknowledge the problem and address it, no law required, then the parent is doing what they should.

 

Back to the food. We're assuming, for this, that these laws will result in the changes you've proposed. Given that then any parent should then be able to make said changes without the laws just as they would attempt to help their bleeding child. The problem is a guarantee can't be made that says if you change your diet then you will see these changes.

 

mwc

[florduh]

I think they should tax children by the pound.

[florduh]

People want this to happen.

I tend to agree with this. People want to be healthier, richer and happier but hardly anyone wants to take any responsibility for themselves or expend any effort to achieve anything. They have come to rely on the government to protect and help them. That is why we will eventually have a totalitarian Fascist or Socialist state regulating every aspect of our lives.

[Vigile]

Lets say, for the sake of argument, that those number are accurate (we both know they're just made up) and that it was made known to everyone that by implementing this law that these changes would actually come to pass without question. The thing that comes immediately to my mind is, knowing this, if people people are unwilling to take these steps to help their own children without these laws...and we're saying that these changes will happen guaranteed...then I would think something is a bit amiss with the parents. Don't you?

 

Yeah, I just made up the numbers for sake of argument. I probably wouldn't support this legislation due to the fact it's just more government creep that seeps into everyone's lives. That said, I do find it interesting and up for debate. We do regulate companies so that they are forced to behave responsibly and most people don't have a problem with much of it. This here isn't a law that tells people what they can eat but curbs a corporation from focusing entirely on the bottom line without regard to the consequences.

 

I agree that parents should police their own kids. At the same time, if it could be statistically proven, and it probably can't at this time, that such legislation would significantly make a dent on childhood obesity and diabetes it doesn't seem that bad to me (yeah, I tend toward an ivory tower from time to time). A slippery slope, which Vix used, doesn't seem to be very valid here considering the fact that, as I said, we already regulate companies for the greater good.

[mwc]

Yeah, I just made up the numbers for sake of argument. I probably wouldn't support this legislation due to the fact it's just more government creep that seeps into everyone's lives. That said, I do find it interesting and up for debate. We do regulate companies so that they are forced to behave responsibly and most people don't have a problem with much of it. This here isn't a law that tells people what they can eat but curbs a corporation from focusing entirely on the bottom line without regard to the consequences.

 

I agree that parents should police their own kids. At the same time, if it could be statistically proven, and it probably can't at this time, that such legislation would significantly make a dent on childhood obesity and diabetes it doesn't seem that bad to me (yeah, I tend toward an ivory tower from time to time). A slippery slope, which Vix used, doesn't seem to be very valid here considering the fact that, as I said, we already regulate companies for the greater good.

We already, here in CA, have rules that make restaurants post the nutritional content of their food (or have it available on request), outlawed trans-fats and have one city (that I know of but it's name escapes me) that doesn't allow for the building of new fast food joints.

 

At this moment in time McD's is offering their new "mini meals" which are, from what I can tell, Happy Meals minus the toys. The marketing is aimed at adults who want a smaller meal. My wife usually just gets a happy meal, finds a lone kid, and gives them the toy (so there are no hard feelings if someone gets left out). I don't know how widespread these mini-meals are but if parents want to avoid the toy option it's in my area. And the happy meals here allow substitutions for the soft drink and fries with things like milk and fruit (apple/orange wedges or something).

 

I'm pretty sure the other fast foods have followed suit in allowing similar substitutions. I just don't understand what the problem is unless it's the idea that these toys are drawing kids into the restaurants to begin with. I'm pretty sure they don't allow for certain types of ads at certain times or on certain programming so that they can't blanket kids programs with happy meal commercials and since none of this seems to be working they're now attempting to stop what they perceive to be the "problem" at the source and ending the toys themselves. So what next? The playlands? The kid friendly atmosphere? None of these things (even the happy meal) was at McD's when I was a kid and I still wanted to eat there. It's the food. The oddly addictive food.

 

mwc

[Vigile]

Well, like I said, I don't support it. It just doesn't seem like the worst or most invasive legislation every proposed by our monkeys in suits. I tend to get more upset when they try and legislate behavior directly than when they hamstring a corps marketing tactics. This seems more like the Joe Camel issue to me than it does forced community work or other things pols have proposed with a straight face.

[Dagan]

Banning fast food toys is a pointless political move.

 

Like cigarette packages. I don't know what it's like in the USA but here cig packages have gross high-res pictures of rotten lungs, teeth and gums on them. As well, retailers cannot display the cigarettes but have to hide them behind black cabinets. Yet, people still smoke. All the packaging has done is spark a renewed interest in cigarette cases.

 

It's also worth pointing out that no one has to buy a happy meal to get a toy. Recently McDonalds had some toys on promotion that my daughter loved, so we went through the drive-through and bought the set at one go. We didn't buy any food.

[par4dcourse]

My grands tend to grab the toy, take two bites of the burger and a few fries, then disappear for an hour, when the "I'm huuuunnnngggrrrry game begins anew.

[OpheliaGinger]

Like I said, I know how you would answer. I'm curious about others not married to an ideology. I'm not arguing in favor of it, I'm just asking for opinion.

 

I don't think I'm married to an ideology (I wasn't given a lib/socialist/commie etc. ring), but I have heard an argument made that if the economy [artificially] makes junk food more expensive and the healthy stuff the cheap option, we would have a much healthier people.

 

When I wasn't a vegetarian, my mum and I would used to get happy meals (because the portion was much smaller) and give the toys to our neighbor that has 8 kids.

[Vomit Comet]

Here's what I would change:

 

1. No more subsidies for corn. No more bullshit ethanol scam (corn is a shitty source for it compared to others). The only corn that gets grown is sweet corn; you know, the kind that people actually eat. Free market my ass. There's no such thing when it comes to who's gettin' hooked up by Uncle Sugar. Well, since that's the reality, give the subsidies to fruits and vegetables instead so that the prices go down.

 

2. No more high fructose corn syrup; if something needs to be sweet, use actual sugar.

 

3. Cows eat grass. Period. Exceptions made for expensive "specialty" varieties (Kobe is part grain part grass, I believe), which will be taxed accordingly. Also get rid of nasty hormones and antibiotics, feedlots, etc.

 

4. Improve nutrition education drastically. "Preference" is, oftentimes, a euphemism for "ignorance", as elitist as that assertion comes across. The USA lags terribly behind the entire rest of the industrialized world when it comes to nutrition education, and it's a major reason why we're so conspicuously fat. Oh, and don't let agri-business come within 500 yards of the Food Pyramid and other official guidelines.

[mwc]

2. No more high fructose corn syrup; if something needs to be sweet, use actual sugar.

HFCS is just already fructose and sucrose which is something the body will do to the sucrose (sugar) anyhow but I'm partially with you. Just stop putting sweetener in everything. It's everywhere. If you want real sugar talk to the sugar people. It's probably the most (or one of the most) protected food items in the US.

 

mwc

[lunaticheathen]

I'm with VC on the corn, all the way. It not only drives up healthy produce into the "luxury" market, which is bullshit, it also kills our topsoil, and has been the main cause of many food shortages across the globe. Not to mention a while culture of unfair, bottom-line driven farming practices that are killing us, from high fruit/vegetable prices, to lethal feed-lot meat production. That's the real problem, the luring of children into fast-food hell with cheap plastic Chinese toys is just a symptom of the disease.

Attacking the toys IS a silly political ploy. It's also like just giving someone with pneumonia a cough drop and ignoring the need for real medicine.

[Vomit Comet]

Down with King Corn!

[Vomit Comet]

HFCS is just already fructose and sucrose which is something the body will do to the sucrose (sugar) anyhow but I'm partially with you. Just stop putting sweetener in everything. It's everywhere. If you want real sugar talk to the sugar people. It's probably the most (or one of the most) protected food items in the US.

 

1. My brother is in biochemistry. He says they put HFCS in everything to disguise the taste of preservatives and other chemicals. Gross!!!

 

2. Ever had 7up or Coke from Mexico? They still make it with cane sugar, and in the old-fashioned glass bottles, and the difference is incredible. Also, in Italy they still make Coke with real sugar. My girlfriend tried Coke here and was like "what the...?"

[mwc]

1. My brother is in biochemistry. He says they put HFCS in everything to disguise the taste of preservatives and other chemicals. Gross!!!

Can't comment on that. I'll take your word for it.

 

2. Ever had 7up or Coke from Mexico? They still make it with cane sugar, and in the old-fashioned glass bottles, and the difference is incredible. Also, in Italy they still make Coke with real sugar. My girlfriend tried Coke here and was like "what the...?"

Yep. You can buy it at my local WalMart.

 

But neither of these change how the US regulates sugar. If you think corn is a protected food research sugar. We can't just import more because we feel like it. Get rid of those restrictions and it will be cheaper to use sugar instead of HFCS...so they will.

 

mwc

[Vigile]

HFCS is just already fructose and sucrose which is something the body will do to the sucrose (sugar) anyhow but I'm partially with you. Just stop putting sweetener in everything. It's everywhere. If you want real sugar talk to the sugar people. It's probably the most (or one of the most) protected food items in the US.

 

1. My brother is in biochemistry. He says they put HFCS in everything to disguise the taste of preservatives and other chemicals. Gross!!!

 

2. Ever had 7up or Coke from Mexico? They still make it with cane sugar, and in the old-fashioned glass bottles, and the difference is incredible. Also, in Italy they still make Coke with real sugar. My girlfriend tried Coke here and was like "what the...?"

 

Both times I've visited the US since living in Russia I got sick from the food there. My stomach started hurting immediately, I'd get gas, cramps, diarrhea, and my blood pressure would shoot up. I eat at McD's and KFC here in Russia on occasion and never have any problems with it; McD's is way better over here btw; KFC not so much.

 

I don't have a real clue what's going on but the food there doesn't agree with me anymore. My wife has the same problems.

[OpheliaGinger]

Farmers used to diversify their crops, but now they just grow corn. I live where cotton used to be king but now all I see are corn fields. Wait...OH SHIT...It's He Who Walks Behind The Rows!!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!