California mom sues McDonald's over Happy Meals

Amie - posted on 12/19/2010

Alright, this thread has gone round and round and round.

Both parents and the corporations are to blame to a degree.

End of discussion.

I'm locking this now since it is getting out of control and going nowhere.

Amie
~ DM mod

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

ttyl

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

I think some one needs to shut this post down before it gets ugly.

C. - posted on 12/19/2010

Excuse me? Knock a little sense into me?? OH.. Shit, Laura.. You just pissed off the wrong girl today. PMS plus nicotine fit plus SHEER STUPIDITY FROM OTHERS.. Goodbye.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

or help with your reading comprehension

C. - posted on 12/19/2010

*Bang, bang.. SPLAT*

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

maybe it'll knock a little sense into you

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

because my whole point is that we need to protect children when their parents don't. That's it. That's all.

C. - posted on 12/19/2010

*SPLAT*

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

didn't say I was better than you...I said I know more about marketing and consumer psychology than you...there's a big difference.

And by saying it should be ONLY up to the parents and that the corporation holds NO responsibility, you are saying that innocent children whose parents are TOO STUPID AND LAZY to feed them right deserve to get type two diabetes, heart disease and die because of technicalities due to obesity!

C. - posted on 12/19/2010

"well...since I've been to college to study it...and I've read countless text books that you have not...I think we all know who's right and who's wrong"



Oh, so you're better than me and always right? I think not. You're way over-thinking this entire thing. SUING someone when it's not the company's responsibility is RIDICULOUS! All it does is send out the message that no matter whose fault it is, suing someone is always the answer..



"here...let me try this again. Children with stupid lazy parents deserve to die. That's your basic point right?"



Oh my GOSH.. That's it.. If I don't come back, it's b/c I've beat my head against a brick wall so hard that I bled to death.. My God.. Ridiculous. You keep writing that same thing WHEN NO ONE HAS SAID IT. THEY HAVEN'T EVEN IMPLIED IT!!!!!!



Keep being ridiculous, go ahead.. Just keep going..

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

here...let me try this again. Children with stupid lazy parents deserve to die. That's your basic point right?

I really should type that out and save it so I can just keep putting it out there,

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

well...since I've been to college to study it...and I've read countless text books that you have not...I think we all know who's right and who's wrong

C. - posted on 12/19/2010

And.. I think common sense is a LITTLE more common than some people think. The stupid ones that don't use it just want an excuse to be stupid.

C. - posted on 12/19/2010

"The problem with the toy is that it activates the REWARD center of the child's mine which ALTERS the way they respond to junk food FOREVER!"

I DID read it, I just don't AGREE with it.

You can easily ask for a Happy Meal and NOT GET THE TOY. I REPEAT, you can ask for 'NO TOY'.

Ugh.. I swear I feel like beating my head on a brick wall until it bleeds. It will be better than reading this nonsense..

Sandra - posted on 12/19/2010

Or "god-I-hope-someone-besides-me-actually-has-it sense."

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

and I'll say it again, since you clearly didn't read it. The problem with the toy is that it activates the REWARD center of the child's mind which ALTERS the way they respond to junk food FOREVER!

Sandra - posted on 12/19/2010

Unfortunately, common sense isn't actually common. It really should be called uncommon sense.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

and yet...innocent children are dying...what is your solution (since hoping people will be good parents isn't working)

C. - posted on 12/19/2010

@Jenny: "Lacye, while this thread is about Mcdonalds the reasoning is equally applicable to any form of junk food from Doritos to Mars bars to Pizza Pops. It is ALL harmful over the long term and should be labelled as such"

Um, seriously? I know that was directed at Lacye, but.. Junk food does not have to come with a warning label: 'Warning: Consuming this product in excess with lack of exercise will cause obesity!'

That just sounds stupid. IT'S COMMON SENSE! This is turning into the most ridiculous thread I have ever come across in the history of me being a member of DM. Common sense will tell you that sugar in excess is bad. High levels of sodium.. Bad. High levels of FAT.. Bad. Come on, now! You are underestimating the common sense of parents, or people in general. They KNOW, they just want to blame someone else for being FAT!

And the marketing thing.. Oh holy cow.. Anything that kids end up tasting and you could still claim the marketing is GEARED towards children. That's not always the case. It's geared towards people IN GENERAL.. Old, fat, young, skinny.. Doesn't matter. Common sense, people.. COMMON FREAKIN' SENSE! Ugh..

Sandra - posted on 12/19/2010

"According to a recent CDC survey, in 2006, 24% of the nation's high schools and 19% of its middle schools offered on-site brand name fast foods."



My high school & middle school both offered Pizza Hut on campus in the cafeteria & outside at a "snack bar". Along with cup'o'noodles, hostess snacks, chips, and candy bars. And tons of soda. At least they can't sell the soda anymore.....



Edited to add: Shouldn't our children be learning at school? Offering them crap food isn't teaching them how to eat well and take care of themselves..... It's just counter-productive.

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

I'm not even going to lie, I'm just not feeling up to reading all of that. LOL I've had a rough week with the flu and I am still not feeling all too peachy to sort through that.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

and for those who don't bother to open links

McDonald's Marketing Focused On Children, New Report States

* By John Koshuta
NewsTarget, December 7, 2007
Straight to the Source

A new report released by Corporations and Health Watch, earlier this month, exposes the marketing tactics of McDonald's. According to the report entitled "McDonald's and Children's Health: The Production of New Customers, "the world's largest fast food chain uses cartoons, toys, schools, charities and even parents to reach its youngest customers.

Some highlights of the report include:

* A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that low income 3 to 5 year old children preferred the taste of hamburgers, chicken, French fries, carrots or low fat milk if they thought the products were from McDonald's, whether or not they actually were.

* According to its 2006 Annual Report, McDonald's is the leading global food service retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants serving 52 million people in more than 100 countries each day. Its 2006 revenues were $21.6 billion, up 16% from 2004. In 2006, McDonald's spent almost $2.5 million a day on traditional advertising in the United States. About 40% of McDonald's total advertising budget is directed at children.

* A study of 9 to 10 year old Australian youth demonstrated that more than half believed that Ronald McDonald knew what was best for them to eat. An earlier version of the McDonald's children's website told young visitors Ronald was the "ultimate authority on everything" and they were encouraged to send Ronald an email telling him their favorite food items, their favorite sports team, favorite book and their name.

* McDonald's operates more than 8,000 playgrounds around the United States, more than any other private American corporation and far more than any municipality.

* In 2003, 20% of McDonald's meals sold were Happy Meals and they accounted for $3.5 billion in revenues. The fast food giant stands as one of the United State's largest distributors of toys.

* According to a recent CDC survey, in 2006, 24% of the nation's high schools and 19% of its middle schools offered on-site brand name fast foods.

* In 1998, 89% of children in the United States eight years of age or younger had visited a McDonald's at least once a month. In response to this information, R.J. Milano, a McDonald's Vice President stated that their goal for the following year was to reach 100%. He boasted "I'm going to own every kid transaction out there." To counter criticism that fast and junk foods contribute to obesity and other health problems, McDonald's recently launched a contest to recruit mothers for three day paid field trips where they will be given access to the farms "where our fresh ingredients are grown, to our world-class suppliers and to our restaurants.

Among the recommendations for solving the problems associated with this report, the Strategic Alliance, a coalition of nutrition and physical activity advocates in California, recommends that all marketing and advertising of junk and fast foods be eliminated for children and youth. The International Association of Consumer Food Organizations (IACFO) urges governments to restrict or ban all food advertisements to children and prohibit the marketing of soda, junk and fast foods in schools. The IACFO also points to the importance of global action on this issue, noting that restrictions in the developed world often send multinational corporations overseas to the global south where they market unhealthy products with greater ease.

Sandra - posted on 12/19/2010

I posted this 22 pages ago, but since it seems to have been forgotten/ignored/lost in 24 pages....

About specifically McDonald's marketing....

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles...

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

I'm not misunderstanding anything Laura. I never said I was either. In some ways I do agree with you, it's horrible. But I still believe you can't fully put all the blame on the businesses and their marketing.

Emma: I love Subway by the way. Healthy or not, that's my kryptonite. LOL

Jodi - posted on 12/19/2010

@Layce

I understand what you are saying, that we can't control what people are buying to put in their cupboards at home. You are right. But restricting marketing will put less pressure on the lazy parents to buy the crap their kids beg them for.

Stifler's - posted on 12/19/2010

While I don't think advertising is more of the problem here than people not knowing how to cook... I do think advertising on fast food should be cut down. Especially Subway ads late at night in places where there are 24/7 outlets. Oftentimes I've been pregnant and sitting around at 11PM after eating a whole dinner about 4 hours before and Subway ads come on every 5 minutes and make your tummy grumble!! If I was more ignorant on the 6 grams of fat deal I'd be getting in my car to go buy a foot long.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

what are you not understanding? That's why it needs to be against the law. period.

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

I hate to say it Laura, as long as there are children, that is exactly where the marketing is going to be pointed towards. As all of you have said before, they are more susceptible than adults are and if the kids whine enough, then the parents are going to give them what they want.

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

I was just emphasizing my point. God I hate typing on here sometimes. LOL. you don't ever get the point across as well.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

Lacye...we don't want fast food banned! just predatory marketing to children

Jodi - posted on 12/19/2010

There is a medium between outlawing a food chain, and putting restrictions on marketing.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

jinx...Sandra owes me a coke

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

no you don't. but it's food. a necessity. The government isn't going to come into a person's home and say "this isn't healthy. You can't have this". It's personal invasion.

Sandra - posted on 12/19/2010

@ Laura. Lol.

Sandra - posted on 12/19/2010

You don't need junk food.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

and we're not asking to have the restaurants BANNED...I LOVE big macs...I just want to change the way they are allowed to market to children

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

you don't NEED junk food either

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

You don't need cigarettes or alcohol. that is a want not a need. but you need food. They aren't going to outlaw a food chain.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

and marketing cigarettes and alcohol to children IS illegal...they DID something about it...it's not ridiculous to hope that they will expand the laws to protect children from ALL predatory marketing

Jodi - posted on 12/19/2010

And you don't know they won't do anything. Australia has codes addressing predatory marketing to children. They aren't perfect, but they do address some of the issues. It's not a pipe dream.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

so was slavery...should we not have stopped that???

Jodi - posted on 12/19/2010

Because it is a debate........?

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

Well then by all means force the government to take the kids away. Send them to foster homes. Yeah that's a much better alternative. I'm not saying what the businesses are doing is right. It's not, but this has been going on since the first time a man traded another man something. It's not going away. Why sit here and bitch about it when there's nothing the government is going to do about it because they are making money off of it too! Same with alcohol and cigarettes. They are making the money too! It will never change.

Jodi - posted on 12/19/2010

Lacye, how many ways do we have to point out that these parents are stupid and lazy, they don't have the brains to educate themselves. The point has also been made that no-one is "blaming" the corporations. It IS the fault of the parents. BUT stupid is stupid is stupid. Laws are there to protect people from their own stupidity. For us, it may be common sense. But common sense is not so common.

Jenny - posted on 12/19/2010

For one very good reason IT'S NOT WORKING. Children are dying prematurely. Obesity is one of the main killers out there. Many parents cannot handle the responsibilty are quite simply sucking at it. We are punishing the kids for the rest of their lives for the mistakes of idiot parents. That is immoral to me. We, as a society, can do better than that.



I'm talking about labelling products, that's all. Not banning, not restricting access. Just not allowing predatory marketing and forcing them to be forthright about the harmful effects of their products.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

we'll start by advertising cigarettes in text books, we'll use them to help counting oooh...or pay doctors to make commercials for them like the good ole days

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

so we should repeal ALL the laws that are in place to protect children AND consumers from unfair business practices then? wow...that would be turning back the clock hundreds of years.

Lacye - posted on 12/19/2010

Then the parents should have educated themselves better. That's what I've been saying all along. Why blame a company that is doing what it is supposed to do, get you to buy their stuff so they can make money. It's not their responsibility to stop kids from buying their products. It's the parents.

Isobel - posted on 12/19/2010

and no kid ever died from one cigarette either