Is the Happy Meal Toy Ban Crossing the Line?

In November, San Francisco supervisors outlawed the practice of handing out toys in some fast food kids’ meals.

Now New York may be following suit, with the introduction of a similar bill by a councilman who told the New York Times he was motivated to write out of guilt he feels for feeding his own children Happy Meals.

Most people wouldn’t argue that there’s been a rise in childhood obesity and that it’s not a good thing. The number of adolescents who are obese has tripled since 1980 and it's more than doubled in younger children, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Statistics released from the Centers for Disease Control also revealed that almost “17 percent of U.S. children and adolescents between the ages of 2-19 are obese.”

While those Golden Arches down the street might be convenient, they are far from healthy. The typical Happy Meal (i.e. cheeseburger, a small order of fries and a small soda) packs 23 grams of fat and weighs in at 640 calories, which, according to HealthyChildren.org, is almost 50 percent of the daily calorie recommendation for a five-year-old child. 

Most would agree something should probably be done about it. But there are a lot of differing opinions out there about what should be done and who should do it.

We want to hear your opinions, too. Is the government overstepping here? What are your thoughts about the toys in Happy Meals? Do you believe they lure children into unhealthy eating habits? If a ban like this were enacted in Los Angeles, do you think it'd influence how often you'd visit fast food restaurants?

Let’s have a talk about it. Tell us in the comment section below.