Calif. County Moves to Ban Happy Meal Toys

First-of-its-kind ban aimed at tackling child obesity
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 27, 2010 1:01 AM CDT
Calif. County Moves to Ban Happy Meal Toys
Fast food companies spent $360 million in 2006 on the toys included with kids' meals.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, file)

California's Santa Clara may soon be the first place in America to ban the little toys that come with McDonald's' Happy Meals and other fast-food promotions. County officials say the move—which would outlaw free toys with any meal that has over 485 calories or high levels of salt, sugar, and fat—would go a long way towards tackling child obesity, although the proposal has met fierce opposition from the restaurant industry.

"People ask why I want to take toys out of the hands of children," the president of the county's board of supervisors tells the Los Angeles Times. "But we now know that 70% of the kids that are overweight or obese will be overweight or obese as adults. Why would we want to burden anybody with a lifetime of chronic illness?" (More childhood obesity stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X