The McDonald's Un-Happy Meal

Back in 1977, McDonald's sought to create a better family eating atmosphere for its customers.  Bob Bernstein, the head of McDonald's advertising agency (Bernstein-Rein), came up with the idea (after watching his child at the breakfast table repeatedly examine the daily cereal box with great interest) for a pre-packaged meal, containing food portions designed specifically for a child, with interesting packaging and the promise of a treat inside (much like cereal or Cracker Jacks).  The Happy Meal was born, and in the 33 years since, has become an American institution.

On November 2, 2010, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance which I shall re-name the Un-Happy Meal Ordinance.  Essentially, the ordinance requires any meal with which a toy is distributed to meet certain dietary standards, including the inclusion of fruits and/or vegetables, less than 600 calories, and the omission of any "excessively" sugared or fatty drink.  In fact, the best summary of the legislation, along with the comments of the Board, McDonald's and others, is at the San Francisco Citizen.

Upon seeing this new San Francisco ordinance, I decided to take the Internet out for a spin and figure out whether this has been done before, and whether there are other attempts to legislate dietary intake.  Imagine my surprise when I found the following:

-- The National Policy and Legal Analysis Network To Prevent Childhood Obesity
-- Santa Clara Happy Meal Ban
-- L.A. Ban on New Fast Food Restaurants in Impoverished Neighborhoods
-- The New York Obesity Tax

These are just a few examples.

Yes, obesity is a problem among Americans.  30.6% of Americans are obese (next closest country is Mexico...yes, I was surprised as well).

Yes, childhood obesity is a problem. 11.9% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are obese.  More disturbing is that 19.6% of children from the ages of 6-11 are obese.

Yes, childhood obesity, and obesity in general, affect minorities more than Caucasians.

Yes, obesity is related to over $190 billion in medical expenses.

No, your government should not take away Happy Meals.

America is a complicated country.  Ultimately, taking a toy out of a Happy Meal is not going to solve our problem.

Over the last twenty years, we have developed into what we commonly refer to as the "sound-bite society."  While usually used to describe our intake of news, the reference holds for so many things we do.  Eating has become one of those things...between working parents, school, activities, etc., we essentially eat on the go.  Further, we are more closely related to technology than ever before: television, the Internet and gaming systems now keep us, and our children, inside the home and parked on the couch.  And no one has proven to me that you eat healthier at home than you do out (though common sense tells me this is true on a very broad basis)...I grew up in a house where everything came out of the microwave, and I ate junk food all day long.  Funny, though, I was extraordinarily thin my entire life despite that.  Why?

GO OUTSIDE KIDS.  RUN AROUND.  RIDE A BIKE.  PLAY BALL.  EAT SOME DIRT.  You will be healthier and thinner for it.

PARENTS: step away from the Twinkies, potato chips, soda, etc.  YOU ARE THE PARENT - DO NOT ASK YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO STEP INTO YOUR SHOES BECAUSE YOU CANNOT DRIVE PAST THE MCDONALD'S DRIVE-THRU.  DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS DRIVE THE BUS.  SAY NO.

Or, we can take the more foolish road.  Yes, Mr. Government, please take the toys out of Happy Meals.  Yes, Mr. Government, please raise taxes on the foods that are bad.  Yes Mr. Government, please keep fast food chains out of my neighborhood.  Yes Mr. Government, please raise my children.  Yes Mr. Government, please regulate my television, my radio, my food, my speech, my thought...me.

Let's not go down this slippery slope.  Keep the government out of our food...

And give me a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal with a boy's toy please.