Christina Kennedy / Wiki Commons
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has announced that they plan on suing McDonald’s for giving out toys with their Happy Meals. According to the group, this practice goes against consumer protection laws in four states and Washington D.C.
Executive director of CSPI, Michael Jacobson, gave an interview to Yunji de Nies of ABC News, detailing the group’s views.
“Dangling a toy in front of a kid to try to get them into your restaurant is unfair and deceptive, because it’s targeted at kids who are what, four years old, six years old?,” said Jacobson. “Who don’t even understand the concept of advertising. It’s not just a meal. It’s the technique you’re using to get kids to buy a meal.”
CSPI conducted what they call a study, by anonymously visiting 44 McDonald’s restaurants across the country. During those visits, researchers ordered 75 Happy Meals without requesting a side dish or drink. What they say as a result of the data collected is that 93% of the time, McDonald’s employees automatically gave french fries instead of asking parents or pointing out healthier choices.
Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for CSPI, says of McDonald’s practices, “we’ve asked them not to promote unhealthy meals with toys and to have the default side dishes and beverages be the healthy choices”.
She says that Disney’s choice to make the healthier choice the option given when the customer doesn’t specify has resulted in parents sticking to the healthier options two-thirds of the time.
McDonald’s issued a statement disagreeing with the CSPI, saying that the ad campaign in the US specifically focuses on the lower calorie Happy Meal choices.
“McDonald’s is committed to a responsible approach to our menu, and our Happy Meal offerings,” said William Whitman, spokesman for the fast food giant. “We have added more choice and variety than every before, a fact that has been widely reported and recognized.”
3 Responses to “McDonald’s Happy Meals Being Cooked by Nutrition Watchdog, Lawsuit is Expected”
Please leave the Happy Meals alone. Not every one is anti McDonalds and a lot of us will still take our children there regardless of what you say or do because it’s fun and as a treat is no were near the horror anti fast food people say it is.Just let my kids be kids and stop trying to us them to further your political agenda.
This has to be one of the stupidest lawsuit’s I ever heard of. Not that McDonald’s food is particularly healthy but still, suing them to take away a kid’s little toy, I suppose they could sue doctor’s for giving kid’s lollipops. That’ll teach’em. As regards eating right there is an interesting article here,
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2010/01/100-year-diet.html
that makes the case that people should just not eat anything that wasn’t a food a 100 years ago. Sure get’s rid of all the aspartame, trans-fats, GM foods, etc., that they try and pass off as foods these days.
Wow this is a great resource.. I’m enjoying it.. good article