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Selling bad food, gently down the stream

Editor, Index-Tribune:

Thanks to Kathleen Hill for mentioning the McDonald’s maneuver of charging a dime for the Happy Meals toy, so that they don’t have to meet San Francisco’s new nutrition standards for kids’ fast food.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has been trying to raise our awareness on junk food ads to children. Check out their website: commercialfreechildhood.org.


I was inspired to update some nursery songs (you know the tunes):

Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top,
computer and TV ads make mom and dad shop,
researchers know that gaming can sell,
junk food that makes our children unwell.



Or, Sell, sell, sell bad food,
gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
make children watch the screen.


What irony (unintended) that the dimes from all those “meals” will go to Ronald McDonald House. Hmmmmm.

Is it just bad luck that kids get serious diseases at much higher rates now than ever before?

Is it merely a coincidence that kids are more malnourished than ever, even though they are plump? If children ate better would they even need Ronald McDonald House? 



Lauren Ayers

Sonoma