SANTA CLARA, CA – A popular staple of McDonald’s menu is now illegal in one county!
Happy Meals will be a little less happy in the Santa Clara County. Happy Meal toys and other promotions that come with the usually high-calorie meals will soon be banned unless local chains of the fast food powerhouse meet nutritional guidelines that were approved Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors.
Happy Meals usually entice children to consume the unhealthful food by the addition of a toy. “This ordinance prevents restaurants from preying on children’s love of toys,” said supervisor Ken Yeager, sponsor behind the measure. “This ordinance breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes.”
Santa Clara County supervisors voted 3-2 to ban the plastic “rewards” as promotions in meals with more than 485 calories. The ordinance will ban restaurants from giving away toys with meals that more than 485 calories, more than 600 milligrams of sodium, more than 35 percent of total calories from fat or more than 10 percent of calories from added sugar. It will also limit toy giveaways on single food items with more than 200 calories or more than 480 milligrams of sodium. The ordinance is believed to affect about a dozen restaurants in the area.
A poll commissioned by the California Restaurant Association showed that 87 percent of county residents apposed the bill. Supporters of the bill, however, cited studies that showed that one in four children of the county are overweight or obese. They say that the toys are magnets that attract the kids to the food.
The ordinance will take place in 90 days and is punishable by a fine of up to a $1,000. The enforcement of the bill will be up to the Board of Health.
This is stupid. and its the parents fault for their kids being FAT not theirs.
I do not think it is the governments business to take care of the children. The health of the children is the responsibilty of the PARENTS. Not the government. The obese children are not the problem, the parents allowing the children to eat at McDonalds and other fast food resturants are what causes the over weight and obesity. If the government wishes to have a healtheir, younger generation, they need to get programs out that will educate children, AND PARENTS, of the risks of being over weight and/or obesed. Programs that will support playing outside and getting involved in sports will also help with the problem of over weight. It won't do much good if they fine the food company for "making" the children over weight. If they wish to "fix" us of over weight children they need to educate the parents about it.
This is not cool! I do not even like mcdonalds. However, We need to stop the government of taking control of every aspect in our lives. I do not want to live in a police state!
Parents…Just let the kids play at the built-in playground after eating their happy meals to burn off those calories they ate!!! How simple is that? And let them take home their toys!!! They deserve a reward for having to grow up in this messed up place and being around so many idiots.
i think this is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. it is infringing on the rights of a commercial food business and is illegal almost. considering the fact that any business at all that is selling legal items may it be food, toys, clothes, etc. They have the right to give away what they want with whatever they are selling as long as it is within legal limits. And if you want to know why the little kids are so fat, its because they sit in front of a tv or computer eating ice cream or junk food all day and the parents don't make them get off their butts and exercise. it is the fault of the parents and child as to why the children are fat or overweight and not the fault of the business. and if the government don't like then talk to the parents.
First, some of you need to read and comprehend at the same time. They're only eliminating the toy…kids can still eat the happy meal. This isn't regulating WHAT kids are eating. It's a means of encouraging better eating habits…an act that should not be frowned upon. It's all good intent.
Happy Meals have unnatural ingredients in addition to being terribly unhealthy–both short and long term. This food is basic programming for children to begin including these foods in their fundamental eating habits.
Foods that don't institute the chemical pleasure that, say, a McDonald's hamburger does, become more and more repulsive. The unnatural ingredients are drugs by definition. People keep coming back for more because their brains have dependency on those chemicals. These effects are proven if you want to do research and educate yourself. The statistics on obesity and other weight-related diseases among children is alarming. Kids in the U.S. are developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, liver dysfunction…and not because of genetics. It comes from lack of excercise and extremely poor eating habits. It's a concern for people out there who are seeing these effects on a daily basis, which is why they are seeking a solution to this real problem.
So get over your notion of all this government regulation. There's no ulterior motive here…
Oh, and quit priding yourself on being skinny and responsible…this article clearly isn't about you…unless you're collecting toys from McDonald's.
Are you kidding me? What has happened to America? We are going downhill!!!!
Perhaps before you go and start complaining about how dumb people are, you should hit spell check.
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