Article Of The Week: Santa Clara County Says No To Fast Food Toys

This article is about a new law being passed by board of supervisors in Santa Clara County, which prohibits fast food being sold with toys. This law is no in effect in this county but will it be worldwide? The ongoing debate is: is the government outreaching its jurisdiction or is it okay to control the manipulation of little kids with toys. The board has also decided that they will give the food companies 90 days to suggest an alternative legislation.

            This is the kind of debates I like between right or wrong. In this case I agree with both sides. The government is preventing obesity by approving this law but it outreaching itself. On the other hand I think that the restaurants have the choice of selling their products any way they want at least if they aren’t breaking any reasonable law. As the article says in the end how is buying the food the 4 year old or their parents?

As of the board I think it is a good intention of preventing obesity but it isn’t the correct way to do this. Although most children do want the kids meal because of the toy that doesn’t mean they have to buy it. If this law is passed they would just remove the toy from the meal and sell it separately.  Parents would still end up being the meal because you’re not just going to buy a toy at McDonald’s right? This is still not going to prevent people from getting fat because as long as parents can control their kids, there will always be child obesity.

As for the restaurants I find it unjust because there toys are just merchandise techniques it like ads or the kids park. You can’t sell meals at restaurant where they are parks because these will make kids eat their food. It is an outreach that the government won’t allow them to attract people or kids with toys. A reasonable alternative would be too limiting the things they are doing with the toys but with all kids’ meals.

As I said before I do agree with both sides but I think there is a middle point to be reached like the alternative law I just proposed. But both sides have to give in and meet each other half way