NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – San Francisco’s already done it, and now New York may follow suit. New York City Councilman Leroy Comrie thinks the city should consider a ban on “Happy Meals” and similar fast food promotions aimed at kids unless those meals meet certain nutritional standards.
Nutritional standards, like 500 calories or less. How many calories are in a Happy Meal anyway?
According to McDonald's, a Happy Meal with Chicken McNuggets varies from 390 to 500 calories.
A happy Meal with hamburger varies from 450 to 590 calories, and a Happy Meal with cheeseburger varies from 500 form 640.
So, the biggest calorie culprit McDonald's has to offer in a Happy Meal is 140 calories over this Councilman's limit.
How many calories does a average child need daily? According to the American Heart Association , children aged 4-8 need 1200 to 1400 calories a day, children aged 9-13 need 1600 to 1800 calories daily, above the age of 14 need 1800 to 2200.
Even for the youngest kids, two Happy Meals a day are no big deal, for the 9 year old kids, three a day won't hurt.
Sez the councilman:
It comes as no surprise that these ads and meals are also targeted in low income and minority neighborhoods that are already at risk for childhood obesity.
Ok, if that's true, how many low income minority families can afford two or three Happy Meals a day... per kid? Not very many it seems to me.
As usual for his ilk, this councilman cannot resist the chance to insert racism into the conversation. Same old song, same old dance.
After studying the articles from McDonald's and the American Heart Association, I conclude that the McDonald Happy Meal with Chicken McNuggets(390-500 calories) should - in all fairness - be removed from this councilman's hit list since they already comply to his demands.
To be honest, my conclusion is that this councilman should be tossed out of office. He's an idiot that can't understand hard things to learn... like numbers. Even if he can add and divide, he's playing the blame game to the hilt... Blaming the big evil corporation for the failure of irresponsible parents to control what their kids eat.
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