Originally Posted By dshyates I live in Orlando and I can tell you that fresh citrus is available all over the place, I just don't see why those in Detroit don't just run to the local farmers market and pick up a sack of oranges.
Originally Posted By Marlin Perkins LOL...Ok, you win. They should take the toy out of a Happy Meal. There. That solves everyone's problem, right? Now the poor people of Spanish Harlem can eat healthy. Oh wait, we were talking about SoCal.
Originally Posted By ecdc It's easy to mock this move (and I'm far from convinced it's a good idea myself) but this is a health crisis. Government made Camel get rid of cartoon characters to market cigarettes - I'm not convinced this is all that different. Again, you can argue whether government ought to be able to do that. Personally, I prefer more proactive, voluntary techniques to legislation, but something like this isn't unprecedented. And I think you can argue that our current food crisis is just as bad as the smoking health crisis.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox No, we're talking about Santa Clara, aka Silicon Valley, in Northern California. Try to keep up. BTW... your writing style of jumping from one extreme to the other reminds me of DAR. Are you two related?
Originally Posted By Marlin Perkins My bad, skinner. SoCal should have read NoCal. Anyway... I've jumped from one extreme to the other because you took one simple statement I wrote and expounded on the need for government control and then to the plight of the inner city in Spanish Harlem. BTW, If the folks in Spanish Harlem aren't happy they can always move here to Arizona. Our government has decided to embrace the latino population...literally. There's your big government in action! Hey, maybe the government could send them off to war now. Just a thought. But it isn't up to me. So, I go back on topic which is of the government decision to remove toys from Happy Meals in Silicon Valley. Is there really a huge obesity problem up there? Sad.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox The obesity epidemic in this country -- which is everywhere -- is the reason why Santa Clara took action. They are attempting to address the problem on the front lines, dealing with cheap crappy food that poor working class families are eating, often out of necessity. Since you're offering no viable or realistic alternatives to this situation (relocation to another part of the country when you're barely making ends meet is a joke in poor taste), then it's time to stop the discussion and move on. Not everyone in this country is as fortunate as you to live in White Bread Ozzie & Harriet Happy Land. You have no clue what these urban areas are like nor how Americans are failing to do more than simply survive, so quit pretending like you do. Go wrap yourself up in the American flag, close your eyes, and daydream about the fifties when men were men, women were barefoot and pregnant, and people of color "knew their place" in the world. All will be right again, in your little fantasy dream land.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Just an aside, this is only Santa Clara county, right? The original news story, with the early line "Lawmakers in California have voted to ban toys from being served up with McDonald's burgers and fries" makes it sound like the whole state has done this. It's not an untrue statement per se, since Santa Clara is of course in California, but it does make it sound like a state-wide policy and I'm sure many non-Californians who read this on the wires or online would read it that way. <Brooklyn? Home of Dr. Cliff Huxtable and his adorable upper middle class family? Seriously?> Also home to me. And just for the record, Brooklyn has about 2.6 million people, or nearly as many as the entire city of Chicago. And just as Chicago has desperately poor neighborhoods, extremely well-to-do neighborhoods, and everything in between - so does Brooklyn. It's not all upper middle class by any means. It has some of the poorest areas in NYC. And, like Spanish Harlem, those areas also have a dearth of food options.
Originally Posted By Labuda re # 17: OMG How can people put ANY of those things into their bodies? NONE of them look even *remotely* appetizing!
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<It has some of the poorest areas in NYC. And, like Spanish Harlem, those areas also have a dearth of food options.>> Same for Oakland and San Jose (largest city in Santa Clara County), and other towns around the Bay Area. Marlin tossed out the statistic in an attempt to prove that Brooklynites (is that correct, Dabob?) have plenty of grocery stores to choose from. Hogwash. Those grocery stores are not easily accessible from the poorer sections of town, just like in Oakland and San Jose. I referenced Spanish Harlem because it is poorest section of Manhattan (East Harlem), where fresh produce and healthy food choices are basically non-existent. Local health agencies have been combating rising obesity and type II diabetes for the last two decades, and medical professionals are citing the lack of adequately nutritious food as the main contributor. So go ahead and throw your little tea party hissy fit at what Santa Clara is doing, Marlin. The county supervisors are not telling the fast food chains to ditch the toy entirely. They just want the toy to be offered with healthier foods, that's all. This is similar in motive to restricting the sale of flavored cigarettes marketed through cartoon characters like Joe Camel. The target group for those products were obviously teens. Well... attaching a toy or game to a kid's meal is working the same psychological angle: get the kid hooked on the fast food early in life. No difference. I stand behind Santa Clara County 100% in this matter.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox I agree, Labuda. I can feel my arteries hardening just looking at those photos! This is precisely what's wrong with our country, health wise. Too many people eat this crap way too often. Having something like this once a month or every other month is probably OK. But fast food chains are making huge profits because too many Americans eat their food several times a week. I'm proud to say that I haven't eaten any fast food from McD's, Burger King, Taco Bell/KFC, etc for over two years. And the last time I did, was when I was traveling through Arizona late at night and the only thing open was McD's. And even then, I only ate a Quarter Pounder and a Diet Coke. No fries. I will occasionally eat at In-N-Out (hamburger protein style, no fries, diet coke), but no more than three or four times a year. The amount of calories in these burger meals, especially from fat and carbohydrates/sugar is what's fueling the obesity and cardiovascular disease in our nation. Folks who choose to eat in these establishments or do so out of financial necessity should at least get the smallest amount of food without supersizing and only drink water or milk or diet soft drinks. Ordering a #1 combo at In-N-Out is almost 1300 calories, according to their own nutritional info at their web site. That's insane for one meal! For Marlin and anyone else who hasn't seen it, I cannot recommend "Fast Food Nation" enough. Watch it and see what the "I'm lovin it" lifestyle is doing to our country.
Originally Posted By Marlin Perkins Skinner, Thanks for your assumptions and insults! Before I climb back into my white bread box--ah, my perfect world, I will just say this; the country I love is one of free choices. If I had the money, I'd open an organic grocery store in Spanish Harlem so those poor folks can get a veggie or two. You'd think some company would have tapped into that by now. Maybe the government can open some fruit stands. Don't they have canned veggies or grains either? Dang. Nothing but Twinkies and Boone's Farm. I'm just saying, taking the toy away isn't even a good step at solving any problems either. McDonald's will just increase the portions or offer another incentive. So, basically, it's just more failed government working hard to control. Bye bye.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Brooklynites (is that correct, Dabob?)> That is correct! Although the term "Undisputed King, Emperor and Ultra-Grand Poobah of the Greatest of all New York Boroughs" is acceptable when referring to yours truly.
Originally Posted By DAR <<BTW... your writing style of jumping from one extreme to the other reminds me of DAR.>> You don't like my writing style that's your problem not mine, ass.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Skinner, Thanks for your assumptions and insults!>> My pleasure. <<If I had the money, I'd open an organic grocery store in Spanish Harlem so those poor folks can get a veggie or two. You'd think some company would have tapped into that by now.>> It's too expensive. You would lose your total investment. The main problem is getting produce or frozen goods shipped into these areas, and offering it at a price that the local residents could afford. No way citizens of the Barrio can afford even farmer's market level of pricing, without some kind of subsidy to the producers. <<I'm just saying, taking the toy away isn't even a good step at solving any problems either. McDonald's will just increase the portions or offer another incentive.>> They are not taking the toy away. Why do you keep repeating a falsehood here? The County is requiring minimal nutritional requirements for these kids' meals with prizes attached to them. The current Happy Meals do not meet those requirements. If the kids want the toy badly enough, they'll have to settle for more nutritional food rather than junk.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<That is correct! Although the term "Undisputed King, Emperor and Ultra-Grand Poobah of the Greatest of all New York Boroughs" is acceptable when referring to yours truly.>> LOL!!!
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<You don't like my writing style that's your problem not mine, ass.>> Excellent example of what I was describing. Thanks for not disappointing me, DAR. I never stated I hated your writing style. You're jumping to conclusions again. I was merely pointing out that Marlin has the same annoying habit that you do, moving from one extreme of the spectrum to another when discussing a particular topic. Nothing in the middle ever gets addressed. It's black-and-white, up-or-down, all-or-nothing. That's what I was referring to in my post. But thanks for assuming the worst and calling me ass.
Originally Posted By TINK-MOBILE Where do you think the toys are made and who do you think does all the labour work for very minimal wages.. 1. Taiwan...Sweat Shops 2. Phillipine Sweat shops 3. China 4. Canadaian Factories 5. United States Factories
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 I think that removing the toys from the Happy Meals will do very little to stop people from eating fast food on a regular basis. Kids do not choose to go McDonalds, their parents do, and I am willing to bet that it has more to do with convenience, price, and, in many cases, laziness than the toys their children get. My son gets to eat fast food once or twice a month as a special treat (he loves Mcnuggets) but that is all. If we truly want to curb childhood obesity we need to change the behavior of parents and the price and availability of healthy food instead of focusing on the toys that come in the meals.
Originally Posted By markymouse "Just an aside, this is only Santa Clara county, right? The original news story, with the early line "Lawmakers in California have voted to ban toys from being served up with McDonald's burgers and fries" makes it sound like the whole state has done this. It's not an untrue statement per se, since Santa Clara is of course in California, but it does make it sound like a state-wide policy and I'm sure many non-Californians who read this on the wires or online would read it that way." I noticed that too. Another example of journalists making things bigger than they are. And it goes one step beyond. A detail that is only occasionally referenced in news coverage - this regulation will only apply in the unincorporated parts of Santa Clara County. I haven't done a survey, but I'm pretty sure there aren't a whole lot of McDonald's in the fields and hills of the unincorporated parts of the county. So this really is more about making a statement.
