Taking the 'Happy' Out of Happy Meal
by Amanda Lanum
San Francisco is considering banning toys in McDonald's Happy Meals if the meal doesn't meet certain nutritional requirements. Meantime, the Center for Science and the Public Interest is saying it'll sue McDonald's for having toys promote Happy Meals because it's "deceptively marketing" unhealthy food to children. McDonald's says those claims have no merit and that parents decide what's right to feed their children, not the marketing tool.
These things come as an artist, Sally Davies, has released photos of a six-month long project (http://news/guelphmercury.com/News/article/683288.) She bought a Happy Meal, set it up on a plate, and took a picture everyday to show that it didn't decompose. It's not even moldy. McDonal's seems to believe it's not possible because they say McD's doesn't use preservatives, that all their ingredients are fresh.
With an alarming number of obese kids, and even adult obesity growing, I understand the desire for some watch groups to want to "save people from themselves." But at what point do people say, it's my responsibility to decide what I put into my body and what I let my kids put into their bodies? Do you agree with these efforts to monitor fast food, or do you think groups, government and organizations should stay out of it; the choice belongs to individuals?
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