Disney
ditches McDonald’s, part of larger
health plan
Jenna McDaniel
Most people would agree a Happy Meal is just not a Happy Meal without a toy,
so why would they remove our favorite Disney characters from the cheerful little
boxes?
It’s because Happy Meals kill.
Obesity is increasingly becoming a huge problem throughout America. Reports
focusing on health issues are seen regularly in the news. Commercials warning
parents against feeding children food that will eventually cause diabetes and
obesity play in-between our favorite TV shows.
These messages pull at our heart stings for a reason. Obesity is an epic problem.
The question is, is anybody listening?
Somebody just may be. It is possible Mickey Mouse and his big mouse ears are
taking note to these warnings.
The Los Angeles Times recently published an article announcing Disney is ending
a “10-year relationship…not renewing its cross-promotional pact
with the fast food giant, [McDonald’s].” This means the little
Disney toys that made children beg and plead for a Happy Meal will no longer
appear in those colorful boxes. However, this does not mean Happy Meals will
be without toys from other companies.
The article also states Disney and McDonald’s will not be ending on a
sour note. Disney still plans to continue selling products from the golden
arches in the parks, which makes me wonder how serious they are about this
break.
Disney’s decision to divorce itself from a company that is contributing
to the acceleration of child obesity should be applauded. Disney is all about
children and making them happy. Children want the Happy Meals because of the
toy, and taking it out is a step in the right direction. However, it is simply
a baby step because Disney still plans to allow McDonald’s to sell its
food in Disney parks.
When it comes down to it, I doubt McDonald’s cares if kids are eating
nutritious foods. The company wants to make sure that bottom line doesn’t
shrink. It is making changes to the menus, adding more salads and offering
fruit and milk with kid’s meals only because experts and the public are
making noises about the unhealthy food options.
These healthy food choices are still contrasted by meal selections such as
a “Mighty Kids Meal,” which would be the equivalent of super-sizing
a kid’s meal.
According to the McDonald’s official Web site, it claims Happy Meals
contribute to a child’s daily intake of vitamins and minerals. McDonald’s
claims the calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B and C are a part of each meal.
What is not mentioned is the amount of trans fat also included in each meal.
Trans fats are the fats that are extremely dangerous to one’s health.
The article published in the L.A. Times states a cheeseburger Happy Meal contains
4.5 grams of trans fat.
McDonald’s web site also proudly boasts that a kid’s meal, including
a cheeseburger, small French fries and a Sprite, is 670 calories. Yes, I think
super-sizing the crap they are already serving to children is a really good
idea. A Mighty Meal, the super-sized Happy Meal, with its standard double cheeseburger,
small fries and a Sprite is listed at 850 calories, a staggeringly high amount.
Unfortunately, in this country the cheapest food are the processed foods. Processed
goods such as fast food, chips, cookies and sodas are full of sugar, high-fructose
corn syrup, red dye No. 5 and trans fats. These are the foods we see kids eating
on a regular basis at the lunch tables.
Why? It’s because they taste good, and it doesn’t help a cheerful,
friendly character is offering it to them.
Saturday morning cartoon commercials are full of happy, chocolate-loving bunnies,
talking toucans, cookie-stealing munchkins and a cool, cheese-obsessed cheetah.
Kids are bombarded with appeals to these completely non-nutritious foods. What
is absent from these commercials are the effects as the children grow to become
adults.
Problems of obesity and diabetes rarely magically disappear by adulthood. Some
people may even develop diseases, such as adult onset diabetes, as they reach
their 30s.
It is a frightening thought that one day an overwhelming amount of Americans
could be obese or overweight. This, however, is not a completely unlikely scenario.
Those in the younger generation are going to grow up to be adults. With them,
they will bring their health problems.
We have seen using cartoon characters and little toys to excite children about
food is effective. What needs to change is the type of food these characters
represent. Otherwise, our society is stuck in a rut of greasy, unhealthy food.
Eating healthy on a basic level is not valued. This is a mentality that needs
to change. We have to be educated about the dangers of eating unhealthily.
Disney has made a bold move to disconnect from the golden arches. I think it
is time for other companies to follow suit, re-thinking what the ramifications
are of the food they are feeding the younger generation. Mickey is not the
only character with big enough ears to hear the pressing problems we are facing.
Jenna McDaniel is a sophomore art education major.
|
