CA County Bans 'Happy Meal' Toys. Says They Make Kids Obese

Santa Clara County in California passed an ordinance which bans restaurants from gifting patrons with toys or other free items accompanying meals. Sadly, if this sort of food legislation spreads, the simple joy a child gets from receiving toys at lunch or dinner will become a faded thing of the past.

But it could get worse - much much worse. Not only would children be prevented from getting a cool toy tie in from family movie fare like Shrek, Star Trek or How To Train Your Dragon, but young adults, teens, college age and just plain older adults will suffer toy withdrawal. Yes, most toys sold with fast food may go to kids, but there are scores of adults who enjoy collecting them. Adults like me.

Yep, I'm proud to say I've amassed tons of them over the years, and not only have I been collecting McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's action figures or toys, but I've got a healthy collection of drinking glasses and other fun stuff. Much of my family - all adults - and many of my adult friends all collect too. If this wave of health oriented legislative bullying takes hold throughout America, we'll all be deprived of a fun, affordable hobby. We'll all suffer because a few dull minded drones equate playful fun with the risky eating habits.

Are these pop culture toys an effective lure to invite patrons - kids and adults - into a restaurant? Duh! Indeed, that's true. It's called creative marketing, powerful advertising, and good business. Once within a Burger King, Taco Bell or wherever, the patron makes the food choice. The toy can be purchased separately. Clearly, the whole notion of a kid being forced to eat the "bad Happy Meal" is simply not supported by the facts.

As a collector, I've come to be awed by the workmanship of these toys. They're constructed of such high quality, and do much of what higher priced toys do. They can't be purchased in a Toys R Us or Target. It's what makes it such fun seeking them out in an eatery. Usually, they come in waves, meaning not all are available initially. You must return to collect them all. Yep, there's that creative marketing again!

Of all pros and cons to this, here's a quote from mom Deborah Dini talking to KPIX-TV, that says it all, "They'll still take their kids to the drive-thru and fast food because it's easy and it's fast," Dini said.

Politicians, here's advice from a peeved off toy collector. Properly analyze a complex problem like childhood obesity before you seek to "cure" it, by arbitrarily targeting successful American businesses. Kids getting fat - and adults for that matter - stems from many variables. Attempting to control business factors, and plain fun factor, of a family dining out strikes me as comical at best, and more than a bit creepy at worst. Calm down, go eat a burger and play with the toy that comes with it. You'll find it's not as evil as you're leading us to believe.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042703768.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/27/health/main6436917.shtml