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How Happy is the Meal You're Paying For?

How Happy Is the Meal YOU'RE PAYING FOR? A LOOK AT THE INGREDIENTS OF MARKETING MEALS TO CHILDREN Happy Meals, when they debuted in June 1979, cost only $1. They basic idea behind the meal has stayed the same, but public perception of McDonalds' most famous product has shifted. In recent years in particular, legislation and litigation has brought the Happy Meal, and the signature practice of including a free toy, UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY. One TROUBLING STATISTICS Childhood obesity has MORE THAN TRIPLED in the past 30 years. 1980 7% of children aged 6-11 were obese. 2008 20% of children aged 6-11 were obese. Two THE FAST FOOD BEHEMOTH 37% of kids surveyed choose McDonalds as their fast food chain of choice. No other fast food chain gets more than 10% of the vote. Наррy Мeals in annual sales $3 BILLION alone represent for McDonalds. This alone is more than the total sales revenues for: Burger King Dairy Queen Wendy's BURGER KING DQ WENDY'S $2.5 BILLION $2.5 BILLION $2.4 BILLION Arby's Denny's IНор $1.2 BILLION $760 MILLION $350 MILLION Three BACKLASH San Francisco introduced the Healthy Food Incentive Ordinance, banning toy giveaways NOVEMBER 2011 with children's meals if they don't meet certain nutritional standards. Only meals that meet these standards may include a toy giveaway: Less than 640MG of sodium. Must contain Less than 1/2+ 600 a cup of fruit. calories. Must contain Less than 3/4+ 0.56 a cup of vegetables. of trans fat. Less than Less than 35% 10% of total calories coming from fat. of total calories coming from saturated fat. Cheeseburger Happy Meal with fries and Classic Coke provides: X 830MG of sodium. 510 cups of fruit. calories. X 16 cups of vegetables. of trans fat. 31% of total calories coming from fat. 10¢ McDonald's gets around San Francisco's ordinance by charging 10 CENTS for toys. McDonald's does offer low-fat milk as a Happy Meal beverage option, as well as "Apple Dippers" instead of fries. Only 11% MILK of parents order the apples instead of fries. Following the happy meal toy ban have come talks of regulating the sale of sugar and sugary drinks in much the same way as alcohol. Those in favor of regulating sugar cite a UCSF study asserting that sugar is as harmful as tobacco or alcohol. Four MARKETING TO KIDS McDonald's is the world's largest distributor of toys. Through Happy Meals, McDonald's gives out 1.5 BILLION toys per year. That's more than Toys R Us. 87% 80% & of kids age 6 and 7 of kids age 8 and 9 say the toy is a big incentive to ordering happy meals. "CHILDREN ARE ENCOURAGED, BY RESTAURANTS, TO CHOOSE SPECIFIC MENU ITEMS WHEN THEY ARE LINKED TO FREE TOYS" - HFIO Experts say children are particularly sensitive to marketing because their developmental stage (especially at ages 8 and younger) has not yet enabled them to recognize intentional promotion. In 2010 a Sacramento mother sued McDonalds over Happy Meal toys. She alleged that McDonald's toys circumvent "parental control and teach children unhealthy eating". The Center for Science in the Public Interest joined in the lawsuit to encourage the fast food giant to stop marketing to children. Five GETTING HAPPIER In the face of criticism, McDonald's is planning to change the nutritional content of the Happy Meal. "HAPPY MEALS WILL HAVE FEWER CALORIES AND INCLUDE A SIDE OF FRUIT" "CHICKEN NUGGETS NOW HAVE LESS SODIUM" "THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING. WE'RE COMMITTED TO GIVING YOU MORE DELICIOUS CHOICES TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS TO COME" MCDONALD'S NUTRITION PAGE While the Happy Meal has been a staple of American childhood for years, rising rates of obesity and diabetes in children have parents and doctors rightfully concerned. Only continued pressure will force McDonalds to change a Happy Meal formula that's brought billions in sales. END Brought to you by FRUGAL DAD SOURCES: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/02/earlyshow/series/main5492900.shtml http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm http://calorielab.com/news/2010/12/09/mcdonalds-happy-meal-statistics/ http://adage.com/article/news/marketing-mcdonald-s-happy-meal-bigger-panera-ihop/147271/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arby's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dairy_Queen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHOP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny's http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/san-francisco-happy-meal-ban_n_1121186.html http://www.eatbettermovemore.org/sa/policies/policy_detail.php?s_Search=meal&policylD=361 http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/meal_builder.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/business/28mcdonalds.html http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/business/mcdonalds-happy-meal-to-get-healthier.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/02/sugar-toxic-regulation_n_1248397.html http://www.advisory.com/Daily-Briefing/2012/02/02/Sugar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's#Children.27s_advertising http://factresource.com/2010/fact-mcdonald%E2%80%99s-is-the-largest-toy-distributor-in-the-world/ http://factresource.com/2010/fact-mcdonald%E2%80%99s-is-the-largest-toy-distributor-in-the-world/ alorielab.com/news/2010/12/09/mcdonalds-happy-meal-statistics/ http://www.eatbettermovemore.org/sa/policies/policy_detail.php?s_Search=meal&policylD=361 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/15/business/la-fi-mcdonalds-lawsuit-20101215 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/15/business/la-fi-mcdonalds-lawsuit-20101215 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/15/business/la-fi-mcdonalds-lawsuit-20101215 http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/nutrition_choices.html

How Happy is the Meal You're Paying For?

shared by kthorspear on Feb 27
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With iconic products, especially food products that are marketed primarily to children, I think it’s beneficial to take a moment to investigate how products this recognizable and loved have become s...

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