FacePalm of the Week: San Francisco Bans Happy Meals

I know, it’s the day after the election and you’re probably expecting me to have a “FacePalm of the Week” for all the idiots (yes idiots), proud they didn’t vote.  Well, I’m here to surprise you.  No those people don’t get a facepalm.  No those people get something else from me:  A Kriss ‘Fuck You’.

I get it; people say that they are “tired” of “voting for the lesser of two evils.”  Ignoring the fact that most people make decisions based on the “lesser of two evils” EVERY DAMN DAY *Jon Stewart Voice*, while Democrats have their flaws, I’d be remiss to claim them even 10% as “evil” as what we’re facing now with John Boehner as Speaker of the House and Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul.   And the really annoying thing about the “I didn’t vote crowd”?  They actually want more progressive and liberal movement from the President.  Apparently they aren’t satisfied with small steps so they’d rather take 10 steps back in the hopes that one day this country will magically leap frog forward into the land of Liberalism.  I haven’t figured out if that’s STUPID or just DELUSIONAL yet.

Anyway, I say all that to inform you that I’m kinda in a shitty mood because the increased gridlock in the country from Republicans being total shit muffins means more things to write about for me, meaning more Insanity and more depressing realizations that this country is full of dumb asses.  So to give my brain a rest before the impending tidal wave of fuckery, I’m going to focus on some stories that aren’t too political.  Like this:

San Francisco’s board of supervisors has voted, by a veto-proof margin, to ban most of McDonald’s Happy Meals as they are now served in the restaurants.

The measure will make San Francisco the first major city in the country to forbid restaurants from offering a free toy with meals that contain more than set levels of calories, sugar and fat.

The ordinance would also require restaurants to provide fruits and vegetables with all meals for children that come with toys.

“We’re part of a movement that is moving forward an agenda of food justice,” said Supervisor Eric Mar, who sponsored the measure. “From San Francisco to New York City, the epidemic of childhood obesity in this country is making our kids sick, particularly kids from low income neighborhoods, at an alarming rate. It’s a survival issue and a day-to-day issue.” (Source)

Listen, I’m all about looking out for the kids but banning Happy Meals is fucking stupid.  A lack of toy in a cheap, non-nutritional meal isn’t going to stop parents from buying it for their kids.  I’ve railed against the lack of care of fast food companies when it comes to how their foods are making people in this country obese.  A breakfast sandwich shouldn’t have 2000 calories in it.  The Double Down shouldn’t have 4 digit levels of sodium.  I would like Fast Food companies to be more responsible in the foods they offer but pointless measures like “banning Happy meals” do absolutely nothing.  And here’s why:

Under the ordinance, scheduled to take effect in December 2011, restaurants may include a toy with a meal if the food and drink combined contain fewer than 600 calories, and if less than 35% of the calories come from fat.

600 calories?  Really?  That’s the threshold?  I mean first it makes me wonder just where the fucking Happy Meal sits on the caloric intake scale now but 600 calories in one meal isn’t really helping.   If San Francisco wanted to really tackle childhood obesity they’d pass ordinances requiring more grocery stores and less fast food chains.  Now THAT would be real change.  Give people a chance to have the option of buying food and cooking for themselves.  Without that, they’re still going to be eating at places like McDonalds.