McDonald's faces lawsuit over Happy Meals

[jason]

A watchdog group says giving away toys with Happy Meals contributes to childhood obesity and threatens to sue. McDonald's cites healthful menu choices.

Weeks after a Silicon Valley county became the first in the nation to ban toys from McDonald's Happy Meals and other food promotions aimed at children, a public health watchdog group called on the fast food giant to remove the playthings from all its meal packages.

Citing toys aimed at promoting the latest "Shrek" movie, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that the plastic promotions lure children into McDonald's restaurants where they are then likely to order food that is too high in calories, fat and salt.

The organization on Tuesday served the fast food giant with a letter expressing its intent to sue if toys are not removed. The letter is legally required in several states, including California, before lawsuits can be brought under consumer protection statutes.

more McDonald's faces lawsuit over Happy Meals - latimes.com

 

[Caleb]

Wow, I doubt it will work. Mc's has been having toys since I was a kid. It's a parent's choice to say NO - you will not eat there. It's just a toy. Next thing they will be suing cereal companies for the toys in the sugary cereal boxes.

 

[Sammie]

This is a little over the top in my opinion. Caleb is right - it's the parents who need to take control of what their kids are eating. If a parent raises their child eating fast food two or three times a week who is at fault? The fast food joints? The kids? The toys? Heck, no. The parents!

My kids don't eat fast food. If they bugged me for a toy in a Happy Meal they saw advertised I would go buy the dang thing at Walmart...and then give them something healthy to eat when I get home.

 

[jason]

My wifes brothers all work for McDonalds. They told me they stopped putting toys in their happy meals in California already. They also said a lot of stores will sell you the toy without the meal.

I understand parenting is hard, but I still say the blame on this one is with the parents. They should be able to say no, and not go to fast food places. Fast food in our house is more of a treat or last resort if we have been out all day.

 

[Kenny]

I agree this is ridiculous. If your kid is overweight it is the parent's fault not the fast food industries and certainly not some 2 cent toy that's going to break 5 minutes after you get it.

 

[BigJohn]

Gee, McDonalds is doing something to sell more product? There's a shocker. I hate when people don't take personal responsibility for the choices they make. It's the parents who are buying the happy meals for their kids.

 

[DaddyBob]

Crazy parents. These are the ones who blame the teachers that their kids are shooting their classmates, blame the church because their child is a teen-age parent and blame mcdonalds because their son or daughter is almost as big as they are. DUH.