The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPInet.org) is threatening to sue McDonalds for offering toys with their Happy Meals. This consumer advocacy group is accusing McDonalds for deceptive marketing and committing illegal business practices by luring small children with toys. What??? The toys in the Happy Meals are making kids fat??!
A food industry watchdog group is threatening to take McDonald's to court over its practice of including toys with Happy Meals.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest announced Tuesday that it will file a lawsuit against McDonald's, calling the practice of marketing toys with junk food "illegal" under consumer protection laws in Massachusetts, Texas , the District of Columbia, New Jersey and California.
"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? Who don't even understand the concept of advertising," Michael Jacobson, executive director of CSPI, said in an interview with ABC News' Yunji de Nies.
"It's not just a meal. It's the technique you're using to get kids to buy a meal," he said.
In a media statement e-mailed to ABCNews.com, William Whitman, vice president of communications at McDonald's USA, said, "We couldn't disagree more with the misrepresentation of our food and marketing practices made by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Since 2006, we have been a part of the Council for Better Business Bureau's voluntary initiative to address the importance of children's well-being.
"In the U.S., McDonald's primarily advertises the four-piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal, which includes Apple Dippers, low-fat caramel dip and 1 percent low-fat white milk," Whitman said in the statement. "Happy Meals are right-sized for kids, a concept that has not changed since its introduction in 1979."
Pediatric nutritional experts said they certainly recognized the food marketing power of toys adapted from movie characters and TV. But not all agree with the CSPI's campaign against toys in Happy Meals. Link
Another frivolous and baseless lawsuit! Pathetic and Stupid!
CSPI is blaming McDonalds for using toys to lure 4-6yo kids to pester their parents to buy them Happy Meals ... resulting in an obese child.
First of all, I didn't know 4-6yo children have their own money to buy Happy Meals. This is insane logic.
The purchase of Happy Meals are the responsibility of ...... the parents (or adult guardian) who voluntarily and freely walked into a McDonalds Restaurant and ordered the Happy Meal. These are same adults who are also responsible for saying "Super-Size me". If humans have no will-power to stop engorging themselves with food, blame the fast food corporation????
Attention CSPI, take note: the cause of Obesity = lack of a balanced physical activity and exercise
It is pure math. The caloric intake is greater than what the body burned in physical activity.
To blame toys as the source of obesity is like saying Twinkies is the cause of criminal behavior.
This watchgroup is misleading the public and directing the responsibility from the parents to the corporation. Who is suppose to raise the kids and monitor what they eat?
If CSPI can prove scientifically that the elimination of these toys will significantly reduce the high incidence of childhood obesity in the US - then I will listen.
Otherwise, get a life!
Some McDonalds restaurants have indoor mini-playground in their restaurants - is this too a lure?
And what about these other double standards?
- chewing gum in baseball cards
- doctors offering candy after an office visit
- toys in sugar-coated cereal
- a toy in a cracker-jack box
Maybe this group should outlaw Halloween!
Comments
Here is the proof:
RSS feed for comments to this post