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McDonald's Faces Happy Meals' Lawsuit

Holy fatman eating to much leads to obesity not friggen toys.

There is a case to be made, that the toys and especially advertising encourages children to eat this bad food. Quite frankly I don't know why they do... I took a bite of my baby sisters happy meal burger a few months ago and it tasted of nothingness.

At the end of the day it is ultimately the responsibility of the parent, and so this case will and in some ways probably should fall flat on its face.
 
There is a case to be made, that the toys and especially advertising encourages children to eat this bad food. Quite frankly I don't know why they do... I took a bite of my baby sisters happy meal burger a few months ago and it tasted of nothingness.

At the end of the day it is ultimately the responsibility of the parent, and so this case will and in some ways probably should fall flat on its face.

Well there are a lot of things that influence children, but as your last statement says, it is the responsibility of the parent.

I agree this lawsuit should fail and quickly.
 
Hopefully the judge throws this case out the window. If little Timmy and Little Suzy are fat ****s, its not because of McDonalds or Burger King. It is solely the fault of the parents. Parents buy the food their kids eat and parents drive their kids to different places and parents can tell their kids to play the hell outside instead of sitting on their ass playing video games. Little Timmy and Little Suzie do not have cars and jobs. So they can not drive down to a McDonald and stuff their faces full. Even if they do get an allowance and their parents let them wander the neighborhood on foot or on bicycle I do not think we have to worry about these kids becoming obese seeing how they will burn those calories probably before they even get to a McDonalds. Its calories in verses calories out, so you can get fat eating healthing food too. McDonalds doesn't give their food away for free and even if they did it is still the choice of the individual. These food police Nazis needs to quit trying to control what people eat, **** them.
 
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What McDonald's puts in its meals is none of the government's damn business, unless it is poison..... Oops, I shouldn't have said that. Now I have given the government a reason to make it its business. LOL. :mrgreen:

Seriously, though, this is none of the government's damn business.
 
The toys likely cause kids to have a preference for McDonalds, over other available food choices. As far as im concerned, it is OK to give out the toys, but the advertising should be limited. ie. We should not see TV adds saying things like ''Kids, tell your parents to take you to McDonalds, and receive toys from us''. Advertising for things like this should be during adult viewing hours, so parents can make the choices, before introducing them to their kids.
 
Seriously, though, this is none of the government's damn business.

It is starting to become a national problem, here in Germany. There are so many overweight kids, with bad teeth. It is almost impossible to keep ones kids exposure to junk food opportunities, at reasonable levels, without the added pressure of advertising from places like McDonalds.
 
Not only do the parents have control over what their children eat, they also have control over what their children watch. So if they're that worried about the advertising influencing their children to get them to buy Happy Meals, then maybe the parents should learn how to do 2 things. a) SAY NO b) turn the darn TV off See? It's really easy to not have to get a Happy Meal for your child if you are worried about them eating too much fast food. Plus, by turning the TV off to avoid commercials for Happy Meals, you have the added benefit that the kids will probably get bored and go outside and play.
 
There is nothing wrong with a kid eating McDonalds now and then.

Take a look at the parents of fat kids. Yep, they tend to be fat, too. Look at their cars. Usually haven't been washed in six months, and littered with fast-food bags in the back seat. You look at these folks, and there are bad decisions just dripping from them.

The whole family's eating too much McDonalds, not just the kids.

Gimme a break.
 
There is nothing wrong with a kid eating McDonalds now and then.

Take a look at the parents of fat kids. Yep, they tend to be fat, too. Look at their cars. Usually haven't been washed in six months, and littered with fast-food bags in the back seat. You look at these folks, and there are bad decisions just dripping from them.

The whole family's eating too much McDonalds, not just the kids.

Gimme a break.

The phrase... "Everything in moderation" Doesn't ring true with everyone lol. But I know exactly what you're talking about.

I remember when I was in the states a few years back, and you'd come across an entire family, that would be the size of busses, and in a way it's scary, that EVERY SINGLE one of em, would be massive, inhumanly so.
 
It is starting to become a national problem, here in Germany. There are so many overweight kids, with bad teeth..

Which is the fault of the parents, not McDonalds.
 
I'm curious...those of you who think the lawsuit should be tossed: Would you feel the same way about, say, cigarette companies advertising to children? Back in the early 1960s, they used to show Fred Flintstone smoking Winston cigarettes during the commercial breaks. And as recently as the 1990s, there was the whole controversy about Joe Camel. I'm just wondering if you think there is a clear distinction between that and McDonald's, and if so, what that distinction is. Or do you think that the cigarette advertising should be legal as well?

Not trying to bait, I'm genuinely curious. I really don't have an opinion on the McDonald's case yet, but in any case it doesn't sound like an open-and-shut frivolous lawsuit to me.

I guess the main distinction (at least from my perspective) is that cigarettes are illegal for minors to consume, and McDonald's isn't. But that's a bit shaky of a defense IMO, because the plaintiffs are not alleging that McDonald's tried to get them to break the law by advertising their toys...only that McDonald's tried to get them addicted by advertising their toys.
 
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I'm curious...those of you who think the lawsuit should be tossed: Would you feel the same way about, say, cigarette companies advertising to children?

Neither should be allowed to advertise to children, but neither of them should be held liable for having done so while it was legal.
 
Holy fatman eating to much leads to obesity not friggen toys.

Wait.. you're not supposed to eat the toy?

I find it funny that they are suing McDonald's. I would personally blame the parents for letting their children eat so much junk. I don't have kids of my own but I take care of kids a lot and the one thing you have to learn is to be the boss. It's okay to let them get their way every once in awhile but you need to be firm and make them understand that your word is final, and tears don't sway you. If the parents let their kids have a happy meal every time the kid screams for one then it's not McDonald's fault. Just like if an Alcoholic buys beer from a store, is it somehow the stores fault? Pretty sure the responsibility lies with the person.
 
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Wait.. you're not supposed to eat the toy?

I find it funny that they are suing McDonald's. I would personally blame the parents for letting their children eat so much junk. I don't have kids of my own but I take care of kids a lot and the one thing you have to learn is to be the boss. It's okay to let them get their way every once in awhile but you need to be firm and make them understand that your word is final, and tears don't sway you. If the parents let their kids have a happy meal every time the kid screams for one then it's not McDonald's fault. Just like if an Alcoholic buys beer from a store, is it somehow the stores fault? Pretty sure the responsibility lies with the person.

The other night I was doing homework with my girlfriends kiddo. He wanted to watch TV and started bawling his eyes out over it. I simply told him "I don't care if you watch TV or not. I do care if you do your home work or not." He was so worked up he was like "Winston, I'm trying to stop and I'll finish my homework." It took him a few minutes but he calmed down and finished his homework. Then we watched some Godzilla like thing.
 
I'm curious...those of you who think the lawsuit should be tossed: Would you feel the same way about, say, cigarette companies advertising to children?.
Unless McDonalds is selling rum cake and pot brownies to little kids it is not the same.

Back in the early 1960s, they used to show Fred Flintstone smoking Winston cigarettes during the commercial breaks
Not everyone who watches cartoons are children and most likely it was done to get the adults to buy smokes.


And as recently as the 1990s, there was the whole controversy about Joe Camel. I'm just wondering if you think there is a clear distinction between that and McDonald's, and if so, what that distinction is.

Distinction? McDonalds= food/legal for everyone to enjoy ,Cigarettes =tobacco/nicotine/not legal for minors.

Or do you think that the cigarette advertising should be legal as well?
Cigarette advertising should be legal.


.only that McDonald's tried to get them addicted by advertising their toys

Unless McDonalds puts crack n their food or put doses of nicotine in it, food is not addictive. A child simply liking a cheeseburger and fries or a cheese burger and apple slices is not a sign of addiction but merely the fact the child finds those things tasty.
 
Well there are a lot of things that influence children, but as your last statement says, it is the responsibility of the parent.

I agree this lawsuit should fail and quickly.

Yeah. I am so sick of these lame ass lawsuits. Also it is not like Mickey D's does not have more healthy options. I mean get your kid a salad, fruit, milk. Even a grilled chicken breast sammy
 
Not only do the parents have control over what their children eat, they also have control over what their children watch. So if they're that worried about the advertising influencing their children to get them to buy Happy Meals, then maybe the parents should learn how to do 2 things. a) SAY NO b) turn the darn TV off See? It's really easy to not have to get a Happy Meal for your child if you are worried about them eating too much fast food. Plus, by turning the TV off to avoid commercials for Happy Meals, you have the added benefit that the kids will probably get bored and go outside and play.

Well, it is still better, if kids are not constantly bombarded with junk food and advertising.

Yes, they can go out and play, and while they are playing they will receive junk food gifts on a daily basis in the playground. Everybody gives kids candy. Even the shop staff hand it out, when parents take their kids to the supermarket, restaruant staff hand it out...

And, yes I know already that there are lots of parents who consider themselves to be perfect, and claim to not feel any pressure from advertising and society, and that they will have all the perfect solutions to share about how the other less perfect parents can make themselves and their own kids perfect too. And, just because I feel like having a childish moment, I say ''Liar Liar, pants on fire'', to those parents. ;)
 
PS. The law suits are ridiculous though. Parents should not blame everything their kids do, on things like McDonalds. Though advertiseing makes it more difficult for parents to guide their kids, it does not make it impossible.
 
Neither should be allowed to advertise to children, but neither of them should be held liable for having done so while it was legal.

Yeah, that is what I think too.
 
Well, it is still better, if kids are not constantly bombarded with junk food and advertising.

Yes, they can go out and play, and while they are playing they will receive junk food gifts on a daily basis in the playground. Everybody gives kids candy. Even the shop staff hand it out, when parents take their kids to the supermarket, restaruant staff hand it out...

And, yes I know already that there are lots of parents who consider themselves to be perfect, and claim to not feel any pressure from advertising and society, and that they will have all the perfect solutions to share about how the other less perfect parents can make themselves and their own kids perfect too. And, just because I feel like having a childish moment, I say ''Liar Liar, pants on fire'', to those parents. ;)

I manage my children just fine, limit their TV time and have no problems saying "no."
That's why we are the (alleged) adults and they are the children.

It's part of the job.
You accept it, when you agree that you want to continue the pregnancy.
 
Which is the fault of the parents, not McDonalds.
That is way to simplistic a way to consider it. Parents and children live within a society. Parents dont want their kids to feel different to the other kids, or left out, because this is traumatic for kids. So, it is a good thing if not everything is available to the kids in general, to avoid the situation where some of them have it, and others not.
 
I manage my children just fine, limit their TV time and have no problems saying "no."
That's why we are the (alleged) adults and they are the children.

It's part of the job.
You accept it, when you agree that you want to continue the pregnancy.

Sigh! Self righteous parents are bloody awful. As well as that, they are self proclaimed good parents, rather than being good parents, based on a standard applied to parents in general.
 
Sigh! Self righteous parents are bloody awful. As well as that, they are self proclaimed good parents, rather than being good parents, based on a standard applied to parents in general.

For goodness sake, you're supposed to be the adult.
Do we really need to .gov to step in because some people can't act like adults?

You made a claim, that was false, equating proper child management with perfection.
 
That is way to simplistic a way to consider it. Parents and children live within a society. Parents dont want their kids to feel different to the other kids, or left out, because this is traumatic for kids. So, it is a good thing if not everything is available to the kids in general, to avoid the situation where some of them have it, and others not.

i rarely got fast food when i was a kid, but surprisingly, i'm not traumatised.
Barring medical conditions, the only reason kids are fat is 'cause parents don't feed them properly.
 
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