McDonald’s Happy Meals just got less happy in San Francisco.
On November 2, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors passed the law that bans toy giveaways with unhealthy restaurant meals for kids, effective December 1. Movie characters, Barbie dolls, Lego pieces, and Hot Wheel cars will be replaced with plain ol’ crayons (if the kids are lucky) unless the kid’s meal has less than 600 calories, contain fruits and vegetables, and include beverages without excess fat or sugar.
The law is designed to promote healthier eating habits and lower the disturbingly high obesity rate among children. Even though the law applies to all restaurants, it is not surprising that McDonalds, having had its Happy Meal Toys since 1979, is the most outraged. “We are extremely disappointed with today’s decision. It’s not what our customers want, nor is it something they asked for,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said in a statement.
While I am supportive of the intentions of the law, I don’t think that restaurants should be the ones to get punished. McDonalds is not to blame for children’s bad eating habits – they’re only doing business. Children are not to blame for their own bad eating habits – they don’t even know what a calorie is yet. Parents are to blame – they’re the ones that determine their children’s eating habits. If parents don’t buy their kids Happy Meals, the kids won’t have Happy Meals.
So where is the law that bans parents-who-take-their-kids-to-McDonalds?
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