McDonalds' Happy Meal: Hazardous! Why Would Any Parent Let Kids Eat Fast Food?
McDonalds has a lot of expertise at marketing. Calling a meal for kids a Happy Meal has genius income potential. And how many parents have rewarded a kid for something or stopped a tantrum by saying "Let's go get a Happy Meal?"
However, using such a clever name for food for children is also a bit evil on the part of McDonalds. Kids all over the world are now addicted to fast food due to growing up craving a special Happy Meal.
Heavy Preservatives Used in Happy Meal by McDonalds
Sally Davies took a series of pictures of a Happy Meal that reveal how this "food" does not decompose. She left it sitting out on a table for six months. At the end of the six months the Happy Meal looks almost exactly the same but it got smaller and its texture is harder. The food did not show signs of rotting, notes the HuffingtonPost.
The preservatives used in fast food are toxic. Fast food is full of artificial chemicals. They damage health at the cellular level. The long-term impact of eating modern foods laden with chemicals is not yet fully researched.
The city of San Francisco is pondering a move to stop the inclusion of toys in the Happy Meal. They want McDonalds to lower the calories in the meal and add vegetables and fruits. McDonalds is fighting this. They wouldn't want to do anything to help kids be healthier.
35% Sugar in a Happy Meal
McDonalds' food is dangerous to the health. Even when it is just a special treat it sets kids up for a lifetime craving for unhealthy food. McDonalds allows up to 35 percent "total sugar by weight" in a Happy Meal, notes CBS News. That's too much sugar for any kid.
Lawsuit Against McDonalds for Deceptive Marketing ?
The Center for Science in Public Interest is considering suing McDonalds for "unfairly and deceptively" markets Happy Meal toys to kids, notes CBS. CSPI states that the toys in Happy Meals "violate state consumer protection laws."
Will Whitman of McDonalds states "We are proud of our Happy Meal which gives our customers wholesome food and toys..." Ha ha ha. How can McDonalds use the word "wholesome" in regard to the fast food they serve? McDonalds cares about money and not about people.
Food that does not decompose has a toxic level of chemicals in it. To see a photo of a McDonalds' Happy Meal that was left on a table for six months and still does not show signs of decomposing go HERE.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/13/mcdonalds-happy-meal-photos-6-months_n_761364.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/03/happy-meal-toy-san-francisco-possible-ban_n_748456.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/23/health/main6608981.shtml
Published by Julia Bodeeb
Winner, Pulitzer Center Global Issues contest (Washington, DC), semi-finalist: The Nation's poetry contest. Published in newspapers, magazines and many online websites. Sold jokes to a major comic. Over a... View profile
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19 Comments
Post a CommentMy son told me when he was almost 13 he hated McDonald's. He outgrew it I guess. I have shown him some articles of the things going on with this company. He now does not want to eat their food anymore. It is fattening, too salty, and high calorie. You can get all your suggested calorie intake within one meal nearly. The only thing we will go to McD's for is a drink if we need one. We go to other places sometimes to eat. Besides that, the cost of a value meal is not that much of a value when you buy for a family of 3 or 4 and can spend the same at a good resturant and get better food.
Why is the lawsuit going after the toys in a mcdonalds happy meal? It should be targeting all food companies using toxic preservitives. Or maybe it should target the FDA for turning a blind eye. Just look at school lunches, unless you pack your kids a lunch and they actually eat it they are being fed just as poorly as if it were mcd's
Oh Alison, to say that McDonald's is a "responsible corporation" is ridiculous. Their food is extremely unhealthy. You say "poor people" can afford McDonalds, well they won't be able to afford the above the insurance bills for the heart attack. And Walmart pays women less than men so yes I dislike that company too.
The photo evidence of McDonald's food failing to deteriorate over time was completely unscientific. You didn't mention the suspicious lack of pickles, mustard and ketchup on the hamburger in he photos. As a baker of bread I can assure you that bread set out to air dry doesn't mold. It just dries to a hard state and many bakeries will paint baked loaves with shellac for decoration and display because it will keep forever. This isn't newsworthy. McDonald's sells hamburguers and french fries. They aren't particularly healthy no matter where you eat them. McDonald's is a responsible corporation and an American icon. Toys is Happy meals is as American as Apple Pie - also unhealthy. You'll probably boycott that next. I'll bet you hate Walmart too. American companies like McDonald's and Walmart sell items to Americans at low prices that poor people can afford. They employ millions and are consumer friendly. There is nothing hazardous about McDonald's food eaten in moderation. No doubt your h
Trailing thought- telling your kids they can't sometimes makes the object more desirable. Putting them in a position where they come to the conclusion themselves that they don't want the "food" McDonald's sells is far more lasting and effective IMHO. It's been about 7 years since my kids turned away from McDonald's and never looked back.
The best antidote to McDonald's advertising is Supersize Me. My kids saw it at elem ages and never wanted that food again. Recently at a party at my house, the little girls were talking and 2 others said the same thing happened to them- they stopped eating McDonald's food when they saw Supersize Me. For parents who think the movie is too mature, I would balance that concern against the health effect or try to view the sanitized school version.
Great work on this! I wish more parents agreed...
Wow! I didn't know this. Thank you for the information. Well done.
Yeah, it's not the best stuff. But I don't know that I'd go as far as saying that McDonald's doesn't want kids to be healthy or that they wish ill on kids. They DO want to make money and people like buying cheap stuff that "tastes good" (even if it is toxic). The sad truth is that if McDonald's changed all of their food items to salad, broccoli, etc....kids would whine to their parents and they'd end up taking them to Burger King. :)
Wow, what an eye opener. We have a blended family of 5 children so financially we can only "treat" them to McDonald's 2 or 3 times a year. It doesn't sound like a treat anymore. Thanks for this info!