Happy Meal Banned

[DeafCaroline]

I was a rebel parent when my kids were younger, I didn't drive them everywhere. Oh what a mean mom I was! I made them walk, ride their bikes, skateboard or rollerblade to get where they wanted to go. I did not drive them to school - I walked with them until the oldest was 9 or 10 and after that the walked themselves. The same was done if they wanted to go to a friend's house. We spent a lot of time walking or riding our bikes or skating. When they were little it was sometimes a struggle for them to make the longer distances but it wasn't long before I was struggling to keep up with them haha. Now they are both very active (despite the fact that they can drive wherever they want). They still walk, blade, skate, take fitness classes, golf, etc. ... and they also still enjoy a little fast food now and again. I don't think it is the fast food industry that is making our kids obese. I think the answer is much more basic. Give kids back the freedom of getting places on their own two legs.

When I was growing up, all the kids played outside when they weren't in school. Nowadays? I never see kids playing outside of their houses anymore, the streets look abandoned, even on weekends, it's depressing.

 

[kokonut]

you're still avoiding my question - I asked if you really think Happy Meals are nutritious. You still haven't answered and I know why. If you said yes, you'd look like a buffoon, if you said no, you would be admitting to being wrong and you NEVER do that.

Typical.

I said it provides a healthy component. Which meals are you talking about? The hamburger itself or the whole thing? I gave my kids Happy meals. They liked it. It's not like we go out to McDonalds every day or week. It's a special treat when we eat out and it's not always at McDonalds. And my kids are still healthy, strong and slim.

The food McDonald serve is nutritious. Though not my place to eat. I prefer other places, as do my kids. Again, YOU! (mean the govt YOU!) don't decide for me on how to choose our food for our kids.

 

[Journey]

Caroline, play outside? Oh the horrors ... it might rain or snow or be windy or too sunny. A ball might roll away and they might (gasp) have to cross a street themselves to retrieve it. I think in the name of 'protecting' children, we are doing much more harm in the long run. I agree, it is depressing.

 

[kokonut]

When I was growing up, all the kids played outside when they weren't in school. Nowadays? I never see kids playing outside of their houses anymore, the streets look abandoned, even on weekends, it's depressing.

You must be in a bad neighborhood. My neighborhood is full of kids. They're always playing outside. In fact, we see kids play basketball alot on the street using a portable basketball backboard near my house. And when it snows, they come out in droves! And the popular nearby park with the swings, play set, slides, basketball court and large expanse of land for frisbees throwing and such is usually overtaken by kids running the show. We have picnics over there from time to time whenever the weather is nice.

 

[blondon704]

When I was growing up, all the kids played outside when they weren't in school. Nowadays? I never see kids playing outside of their houses anymore, the streets look abandoned, even on weekends, it's depressing.

I make my daughter go out on pretty days. I have to fight her to not go out when it is raining. She loves her video games she loves her drawing art books but even those she will take outside (and draw trees and flowers and such). My neighborhood has 3 other little girls the same age as my oldest and they all play outside together. I think we all feel the same. If I had a fence I would take my younger ones out but we live on a sort of busy street. When they get older however their butts will be outside like I was.

We rarely do drive thrus. When i was growing up my mother wouldn't allow us any so we only had them on the rare occasion when someone else would be watching.

 

[DeafCaroline]

I said it provides a healthy component. Which meals are you talking about? The hamburger itself or the whole thing? I gave my kids Happy meals. They liked it. It's not like we go out to McDonalds every day or week. It's a special treat when we eat out and it's not always at McDonalds. And my kids are still healthy, strong and slim.

The food McDonald serve is nutritious. Though not my place to eat. I prefer other places, as do my kids. Again, YOU! (mean the govt YOU!) don't decide for me on how to choose our food for our kids.

wow...firstly I didn't ask if you think some component was healthy, I asked if you think HAPPY MEALS are healthy, again, you're exercising your typical side-stepping and twisting my question to suit you. and I never once said the government should step in and intervene, so not sure why you kept saying that in response to me twice.

As for what you said: "The food McDonalds serve is nutritious." - wow...ok.

 

[Jakey]

I said it provides a healthy component. Which meals are you talking about? The hamburger itself or the whole thing? I gave my kids Happy meals. They liked it. It's not like we go out to McDonalds every day or week. It's a special treat when we eat out and it's not always at McDonalds. And my kids are still healthy, strong and slim.

The food McDonald serve is nutritious. Though not my place to eat. I prefer other places, as do my kids. Again, YOU! (mean the govt YOU!) don't decide for me on how to choose our food for our kids.

From what I've seen nobody is telling you what to feed your kids!:roll:

I don't think there's anything wrong with eating McDonalds once in a while but where would the healthy component be?? As long as you don't overdo it eating at McDonalds isn't too bad but I don't think you could go as far as to say its nutritious!

 

[blondon704]

You must be in a bad neighborhood. My neighborhood is full of kids. They're always playing outside. In fact, we see kids play basketball alot on the street using a portable basketball backboard near my house. And when it snows, they come out in droves! And the popular nearby park with the swings, play set, slides, basketball court and large expanse of land for frisbees throwing and such is usually overtaken by kids running the show. We have picnics over there from time to time whenever the weather is nice.

I wish we had a park!! The only park we have close to us is a known drug area where people will drop off their stashes in the slides... sad. I agree with DeafCaroline.

 

[DeafCaroline]

You must be in a bad neighborhood. My neighborhood is full of kids. They're always playing outside. In fact, we see kids play basketball alot on the street using a portable basketball backboard near my house. And when it snows, they come out in droves! And the popular nearby park with the swings, play set, slides, basketball court and large expanse of land for frisbees throwing and such is usually overtaken by kids running the show. We have picnics over there from time to time whenever the weather is nice.

Actually, I am talking about the US - in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia...in all those states, I've never seen kids get together and just play outside of their homes unless it was some church-organized activity.

I live in a very nice neighbourhood and yes, kids do play outside on my street.

thanks for jumping to conclusions and stating that I must live in a very bad neighbourhood.

then again, what should I expect from a guy who thinks McDonalds is nutritious.

 

[Journey]

You must be in a bad neighborhood. My neighborhood is full of kids. They're always playing outside. In fact, we see kids play basketball alot on the street using a portable basketball backboard near my house. And when it snows, they come out in droves! And the popular nearby park with the swings, play set, slides, basketball court and large expanse of land for frisbees throwing and such is usually overtaken by kids running the show. We have picnics over there from time to time whenever the weather is nice.

You don't have to be in a bad neighbourhood to see how kids have moved indoors over the past couple of decades. If you could take aerial pictures of North American neighbourhoods on any given day after school hours, one from 2011 and one from a couple of decades ago, you would see a very visible difference.

 

[kokonut]

wow...firstly I didn't ask if you think some component was healthy, I asked if you think HAPPY MEALS are important, again, you're exercising your typical side-stepping and twisting my question to suit you. and I never once said the government should step in and intervene, so not sure why you kept saying that in response to me twice.

As for what you said: "The food McDonalds serve is nutritious." - wow...ok.

You said when you first asked me, "If it's a McDonald meal, yeah, it's junk. You really think it's all healthy and nutritious?" Not about whether I think Happy Meals are important. Two completely different things here.

You asked about the health and nutritious question.

I gave my answer.

And, yes, they do serve nutritious food. Milk is quite nutritious, wouldn't you say? Salad? Apple slices? And you say McDonald's doesn't serve nutritious food? BTW, "nutritious" can mean a lot of things. It's the over-indulgence in such food that should be the bigger question rather than the food itself.

 

[kokonut]

You don't have to be in a bad neighbourhood to see how kids have moved indoors over the past couple of decades. If you could take aerial pictures of North American neighbourhoods on any given day after school hours, one from 2011 and one from a couple of decades ago, you would see a very visible difference.

Do you have some example aerial pictures to compare with?

 

[kokonut]

Actually, I am talking about the US - in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia...in all those states, I've never seen kids get together and just play outside of their homes unless it was some church-organized activity.

I live in a very nice neighbourhood and yes, kids do play outside on my street.

thanks for jumping to conclusions and stating that I must live in a very bad neighbourhood.

then again, what should I expect from a guy who thinks McDonalds is nutritious.

You said,

When I was growing up, all the kids played outside when they weren't in school. Nowadays? I never see kids playing outside of their houses anymore, the streets look abandoned, even on weekends, it's depressing.

You used a past example to the present which can only meant in your area. And now you're talking about the U.S.? You live in CANADA!

 

[DeafCaroline]

Do you have some example aerial pictures to compare with?

You're disagreeing with Journey that kids are playing outside less than they used to and actually asking him to supply aerial photos to prove this?

Are you really that absurd?

 

[DeafCaroline]

You said,



You used a past example to the present which can only meant in your area. And now you're talking about the U.S.? You live in CANADA!

Yes I do live in Canada but I travel to the US every 2-3 months and stay on average between 2 and 4 weeks. Have been doing this for the past 3 years. Am I not allowed to make an observation on what I've noticed on my travels to the US? (Of which by the way, is PRESENTLY ongoing).

 

[saywhatkid]

As for what you said: "The food McDonalds serve is nutritious." - wow...ok.

The food CAN be nutritious, but most people tend to overeat and order the least healthy choices. If I liked a particular item, only to find it banned because parents have obese children and gov't stepped in, I would be bummed. Worse yet, I would be paying for the gov't involvement.

Why can''t people take a good look at their own kids and decide that the kids health means more than watching the second half of the Alamo Bowl or harvesting crops in Farmville?

 

[Journey]

Do you have some example aerial pictures to compare with?

I said, "If you could ...". :roll:

 

[Banjo]

Yes I do live in Canada but I travel to the US every 2-3 months and stay on average between 2 and 4 weeks. Have been doing this for the past 3 years. Am I not allowed to make an observation on what I've noticed on my travels to the US? (Of which by the way, is PRESENTLY ongoing).

You know, I often go to a state park. There are a lot of cabins where the children NEVER do anything but play on their Nintendo DS and watch movies on their portable DVD players the whole day. This means they stay on a bench or chair the whole day. Whenever I'm at a state park, I'm always busy doing something. Like going hiking, scenery sighting, bird watching, visiting museums, antique stores, playing mini-putt, swimming, etc. I set up a campfire at night.

To make matters worse, when I go to the beach at the state park, I see kids sitting on their lawn chairs texting the whole time. I never text nor use the phone during my stay at a state park. There is no reception unless you go near the border of the park. I've never had the need to text someone while I stay at a state park.

 

[DeafCaroline]

The food CAN be nutritious, but most people tend to overeat and order the least healthy choices. If I liked a particular item, only to find it banned because parents have obese children and gov't stepped in, I would be bummed. Worse yet, I would be paying for the gov't involvement.

Why can''t people take a good look at their own kids and decide that the kids health means more than watching the second half of the Alamo Bowl or harvesting crops in Farmville?

You know what? You're absolutely right, it should be up to the parents to make sure their kids eat properly but the parents are not exercising their voting powers to make sure junk food is not being served in schools and they should keep jaunts to fast food joints a treat, not an everyday outing.
But they don't and meanwhile childhood obesity has quadrupled in the last 30 years, doctors have never seen this much diabetes in kids before and it's very concerning.

I do agree governments should not exercise how parents feed their kids but in this case, all they did was ban free toys with Happy Meals, they didn't ban junk food itself.

So, what should be done if parents continue to do nothing and the rate of obesity keeps going up and children incur diseases that normally don't happen to people till they're much older? If parents are directly responsible for giving their kids diabetes and other serious health problems, should there be no intervention at all, whatsoever?

 

[Journey]

You're disagreeing with Journey that kids are playing outside less than they used to and actually asking him to supply aerial photos to prove this?

Are you really that absurd?

He's a she ;-). I thought it was common knowledge that kids are playing outside less and are chauffeured more but apparently kokonut disagrees with our experiences.