Disneyland follows California’s “nanny” state effort to control what we eat. McDonalds restaurants to be out of the Anaheim Theme Park by Sept 2nd.
Apparently McDonalds has too many calories in their food choices. The AP report on this story did state that Disneyworld, Florida will still contain McDonalds fast food restaurants in their theme parks.
Juice readers. Where should we draw the line with our government telling us what we can, and cannot eat?
In LA the city council just imposed a Moratorium on fast-food restaurants in south LA due to their concern of our obesity.
What next? No Del Taco or Taco Bell’s permitted in Santa Ana?
“What next? No Del Taco or Taco Bell’s permitted in Santa Ana?”
Please, spare us the false choice. This isn’t about eliminating all fast food restaurants from a particular area. This is a reaction to the fact that these establishments choose to set up shop in VERY high concentrations in urban areas. It makes perfect sense, given the obesity problem, to limit the ADDITION of these fast food restaurants in areas where there are already plenty.
What does Disneyland have to do with the state of California?
Disney is a private company, and as such they have the prerogative to allow or disallow specific businesses on their property.
If you don’t like it, don’t go to Disney. Vote with your wallet…
I agree! Most children in the United States are heavily obese. Many are suffering from diabetes. It makes sense to limit access to such dangerous food.
What about Santa Ana?
According to the LA Times, “A study by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy showed that among the 10 largest cities in California, Santa Ana has the highest percentage of obese children: 34.8%
Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/24/local/me-santaana24
Someone should pressure the SAUSD Board to change food options in the schools…
We have an international building code in place. Would you refer to that as a “nanny state” thing?
Think of it as helping to create a healthier world with less of our money funding insurance companies.
Oh dont worry about the School Districts’ being regulated. They are one of the most heavily regulated industries around and the change to nutritious food was made last year statewide. Of course the trouble when dealing with children is that if they don’t like how it tastes they won’t eat it. Then their blood sugar gets too low and they cant pay attention in class – but they won’t get too fat! Anyway our schools are no longer set up to cook food only to reheat it so the option of good homecooked food is no longer available in our neighborhood schools.
Low fat bread at the circus, fiddle on.
I remember a measure about banning soft drinks in the schools but given the amount of funding the soft drink corporations give them, the idea was struck down.
A lot of students depend on lunch cards because their parents possess a low income bracket. Which makes sense…but have you noticed the amount of money a typical teenager spends on junk food (regardless of lunch cards)?
If it were up to me I would craft school lunches according to the amount of calories and nutrition a typical student needs.
There is no way around from prohibiting them from consuming whatever they want but at least giving them better options makes sense.
Education plays a big roll too. Kids need to be aware that their eating habits are killing them. They need to know more about heart disease and diabetes…diseases that only Adults may get later in their lives. Its sad to hear that a 12 year old has the potential of acquiring a disease that a 50 year old person usually gets.
Larry:
Hey–get back to Mission Viejo and the float controversy. Let MacDonald’s solve their own problems.
I want to know if Mr. Anger Management–Lance MacLean is going to be on the float throwing punches at Cathy Schlicht
Larry – I am lost at the connection you are making toward Disneyland and the Government? Besides a happy meal at the MCD’s in Disneyland was like $7….perhaps they were not selling well. Who goes to Disneyland to have MCD’s? I want mint julips, and the other fattening crap they sell.
As someone else stated, Disneyland can have whom ever they want on their premises! Nanny State? It’s called good business. This is exactly what Republicans scream about, letting business make choices rather than the State.
My GOD, apples and oranges Larry.
As for school lunches, it’s been proven that school performance goes up with better nutrition, it’s not rocket science, it’s common sense. How about supporting local produce by purchasing it in our State and send back the crap the Federal Government sends to our kids for them to eat. You wouldn’t buy it for your household but you want to feed it to our kids?
The mind boggles. You want kids to eat right then give them the choices, at least.
Um okay, if you want kids to eat right make it new, give it a cool name and advertise it on TV. School performance goes up IF the kids eat it, and if they dont want to eat it you can’t make them.
Of course education about nutrition helps but we raise kids on TV and Madison Avenue and then expect them to leave all they’ve learned from that at the school door? I dont think so. My kids hated school lunches, with good reason too. Stop by your neighborhood school sometime and pay the $3.00 for a lunch. Oh and check out the tons of food in the trash at the end of lunch.
By the way look at the way the Mall looks and the way the School looks and tell me where you would rather spend your time, or ask your kids. This is what we are teaching our children: School doesn’t matter, shopping is the only thing that matters.
By the way no sodas in schools anymore (which irritates the sports program because they usually owned the soda machines) about twenty years ago they required the soda machines to come under the Food Service Dept (all food sold in schools) and then a few years ago they eliminated soda from the schools. Recently they eliminated candy and junk food.
Still the problem is if you by food to reheat, unless its pizza, its going to blow and the kids wont eat it. Ask them, they will tell you, its no secret.
Folks.
Sorry to be late in answering your comments but I dropped in at Art Pedroza’s birthday party last night and had a big fat burger with all the fixings.
Let’s focus. What type of Contract did McDonald’s have with Disney allowing them to be a vendor in their theme parks? As a supporter of property rights if their Contract was up for renewal, or if the Board of Health tagged them with warnings of non compliance to Heath and Safety codes, that also opens the door for removal.
According to the AP story Disney wants to “eliminate added trans fats from food served at its parks by the end of 2007.” It states that “the Center for Science and the Public Interest reported this week that 90 percent of their kids’ meals have too many calories and too much fat and salt.”
Yes, we should all watch our diets. One “hoax” proposal in the book “Nanny State” suggests that we “have the state mandate that portion sizes be cut in half at restaurants to fight obesity.” My wife and I already share meals away from home so we are addressing this suggestion.
Have you ever heard of Texas millionaire Irwin Leba? “In April 2006, Esquire (magazine) featured that hoax with a lengthy article entitled “The more you weigh the more you pay” detailing Leba’s “proposal of a federal tax based on people’s body weight.”
His plan suggests that “every American will have to visit a government sponsored weigh station and step on a scale. You’ll leave with a Notarized certificate attesting to your body mass index (BMI). If that number is 25.5 or higher–24.9 is officially the upper limit of normal—you’ll have to pay uncle Sam a little something extra, corresponding to how overweight you are and scaled to your income.”
Aren’t we lucky to be able to make food choices. Think about all the millions living in third world countries who cannot concern themselves with watching fat content or calories as they are lucky if they can even afford three meals a day.
Back to the connection. We may be heading down the road to government intervention as proposed by the above hoax. Ronald Reagan gave us a clue many years ago when he said: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And If it stops moving,. subsidize it.”
It has been stated that America is a fast food Nation. As we eat out “fast foods are often the cheapest option.”
I would argue that McDonald’s food selections are based on what the consumer is willing to buy. After we play golf in the morning several of us stop at a local McDonald’s and purchase their breakfast burrito’s. Tasty, but a bad choice Larry.
Our government has taken an active role in promoting disclosure of food content. While that provides a tool for us to view as we consider our choices, my sense is that they are driving the bus.
For those who wish to grab a bucket at KFC or order thick crust pizza, that decision should not be under the microscope of criticism by our leaders who can’t even agree on how to solve our budget mess from the White House to Arnold’s house.
Anon.
Have you heard the term “risk-reward?”
In the retail automotive industry each dealership has a predetermined area for specific makes of cars where no other dealership can sell the same vehicles within a fixed radius. However, in the world of service stations and fast food restaurants that choice is wide open. If you drive south to San Juan Capistrano and exit Ortega Highway heading towards the Mission take the first left. There are perhaps 6-10 fast food restaurants on that one street.
The private sector should make the location choices without government restrictions. If they didn’t believe the location would pencil out they wouldn’t open up next to a competitor.
Mary.
Building Codes address “public safety.” Why do we watch in horror when there are earthquakes in third world countries where buildings collapse killing thousands of innocent residents. Perhaps their buildings were not designed and constructed with safety in mind.
Exactly one year ago we read of a bridge that collaped in Minneapolis killing around 10 people.
Mr. Holtzman.
Although you are off topic let me answer as follows:
While she has an excellent chance of being elected this Nov, my sense is that Cathy Schlict, who opposes this feel good waste of taxpayer money, will not be seen anywhere near the Mission Viejo float on Jan 1st.
PS: Juice readers. The city of Long Beach placed a cap of $115,000 on their investment for their
“Passport to the Pacific” float promoting their Aquarium of the Pacific as wellas the Queen Mary, the Long Beach Grand Prix and their Convention Center.
Flowerszzz.
If McDonald’s was not happy with their sales and profit margins and wanted out they could have negotiated an exit plan with the Walt Disney Company. That’s not what happened here.
Without spending time researching I cannot say how many years this partnership has existed between these two profitable private sector firms.
Chemicals are being used in our food to make it cheaper. If they actually used real food, it would be more expensive, look at organic food prices.
Happy to see McDonalds leave Disneyland!
Glad to hear about the moratorium on fast food places in South Los Angeles. Have you been in the area lately? I work here. There’s an intersection that has a chicken fast food place on all four corners! Everything around is deep fried. But where are the supermarkets, the fresh food stores? There are none, just like there are 100 check cashing businesses for every bank.
L.A. City Government is addressing this area’s incredibly high obesity rate, but it’s also addressing the gross inequity of business types in the area. This area is also very poor. Many people walk to get their errands done. Apply that reality to the readily available cheap, fast food and you’ve got a true crisis.
For many residents, the option to drive, take the bus, or walk 5-10 more miles for healthy alternatives can’t be done either because of time or economic constraints.
All in all, Art, the situation isn’t as black and white as your posting paints it. If you’re going to be our next Councilman, be consistent in looking at the whole picture.
Um Okay.
Your opening line is correct. Disney can have whomever they want in their theme parks. Was the McDonald’s contract up for renewal?
The linkage may be a stretch driven but government agencies concern for our health.
Effective Jan 1, 2010 all department stores will remove mens slacks off their racks greater than a size 34. This is one way to address the obesity problem. I was tempted to comment abut the sizes of womans dresses but too many people know where I live.
OK, here comes the “let the free market decide” argument from Larry. You know, that sacred free market that never makes a mistake.
Your arguments would hold more water if our free market were a completely benign moral force.
It ain’t.
Our free market, as good as it is, is not always just. It’s not always fair. It doesn’t always move in the right direction. The corporate good and the public good are not always one and the same thing.
Sometimes, government needs to be reigned in by the people. And sometimes, business needs to be reigned in by the government. It’s never an either/or dynamic. We need both to happen in order to be a healthy society.
Dre Dawg,
I did not write this story. Larry did.
Corporations cannot be given free reign. History has proven that government has to have some sort of ifluence in the market. Can you recall the monopolies and the meat industry of the early 20th century?
Disney’s plan to phase out trans fat and other potentially harmful substances is part of an emerging national enlightenment. People are starting to realize that the food they eat has potential health risks.
Corporations have taken note of this. Can you remember when McDonalds frantic search for better food alternatives? Along came the banning of Super Size meals and the creation of healthier happy meals.
McDonalds has tried to shape its image into a health conscious entity. Remember the pedometer giveaway? How about all of those Olympic commercials highlighting their commitment to athletic achievement and overall health?
The point is that even with all of these corporations making the changes to serve an ever changing consumer, many of their products still need to be regulated. McDonalds has been found to have food with too many calories for children to eat. Adults lack the education to make food choices for their children.
But it is not entirely the parents fault.The clever marketing department of McDonalds has shaped childrens perception of what tastes good and what doesnt.
There was a scientific experiment where children were given two choices of food. One was a meal containing a typical McDonalds Happy Meal (Cheeseburger, Soda, and Fries). The other had the same food but without the McDonald’s logo. Guess which one tasted better according to the child?
It’s is akin to trying to get children to smoke because they are bombarded with images of action heroes smoking. It looks cool to smoke. It IS cool to get the happy meal because one can get a race car or a cheap plastic doll.
Larry,
While I understand that you lean to the conservative side of economics, you may agree that a little government action is in the best interest of the consumer. If it wasn’t for governement intervention wouldn’t we be swarmed with cheap Chinese toys painted with lead or trying to compete with Brazil over cotton imports?
Santa Ana needs to make huge changes regarding the issue of nutrition. Here is what I would propose:
1) Establish a mobile health unit which would test children for risk of diabetes and heart disease.
2) Expand health and nutrition education at the middle and high school levels.
3) Negotiate food contracts the schools have with food companies. Food at schools should reflect the current national guidelines of nutrition.
DRE DAWG.
Time out! This is Larry Gilbert, not Art Pedroza’s post. Although I was with Art last night we did not discuss this story.
erick and #19 anon.
You are each correct. There are times when government has a role to play in this issue as was the case with the toys imported from China. Somehow inspection of the toys was bypassed enabling the manufacturers to skirt public safety. That is a proper role of our government.
Exactly one year ago the Chicago Tribune reported: “A Tribune analysis of data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that since January 2004, the agency has issued 303 recalls for children’s products, including 94 recalls of toys. A total of 218 of those recalls — or 72 percent — were for products manufactured in China.
The vast majority of the toys marketed in the United States are made in China, a fact reflected in the CPSC recall data. A total of 78 of the 94 toy recalls — 83 percent — during that time period were for toys made in China.”
As to your next point. Meat industry.
The Department of Health and Human Serivces provides alerts when a potetial threat exists. Again, notice the participation is triggered by “heath and safety” protection, a valid role of our government.
Earlier this year we read of a massive recall effort relating to a Chino, CA meatpacking company resulting in “the largest beef recall in U.S. history, including 37 million pounds of beef at public schools across the country and in New York City schools.” Yes, this is a perfect illustration of our government in action. Nor do I have any objection to USDA labels on our beef.
erick.
Think beyond the borders of Santa Ana. Your comments on nutrition education apply to all children regardless of location, income or nationality.
24)
I agree with you. I only mentioned Santa Ana because it is my home town and the one city in California being affected most by an increase in obesity. I personally feel that it is because of our population makeup. Santa Ana is mostly Hispanic and we all know that Hispanic origin foods are not the most healthy. Since most people here are either immigrants or first generation Hispanic-Americans, their food habits still reflect those from their home country.
Parents still overfeed their children with food refried in lard or vegetable oil. The lack of education only exacerbates the problem.
Larry,
Disney and McDonalds obviously have a contractual relationship. Such contracts typically have termination clauses that each side can use. There may be things like early termination fees, etc. But that’s all between Disney and McDonalds, and to get from a contractual issue between two businesses to the state of California is a stretch at best.
Folks. I just spoke to Art and need to add the following comment.
As one or more of his birthday party guests are vegetarians Art did serve some veggie burgers. I also failed to comment that he also provided a large veggie tray for those who are more health conscious than others. And yes, we had bottles of water as well as lite beers and soft drinks to select from.
erick.
Your point is well stated. What cannot be overlooked, and it still reaches beyond Santa Ana, is the daily struggle of many Americans to put food on their tables.
PS: I grew up facing that challenge so I can speak from personal experience.
“People by and large get caught up in the day-to-day struggle to survive,” (Bob) White said. “It’s as much as you can get for your money, and you sacrifice the nutritional value more than the average person would.”
Yaaaawnnnnnnnnnnn
Larry,
You are missing the point. Some people need a “mommy” to tell them what to build or consume even in adulthood. We have codes and ordinances in place so that certain people don’t destroy us.
MacDonald’s, Starbucks and others should come with warning labels just like those of the tobacco companies. WARNING: “can lead to diabetes, heart disease…”
Maybe when all the people realize they have been fueling their bodies with candy-food, they will change their diets. Some people are lazy or just side with ignorance when it comes to their health. Maybe Disneyland realizes it isn’t too family-like to aid in feeding children cr@p.
Mary.
You are correct in that this is a bold step for Disneyland to take. That said, why aren’t they using the same health related yard stick in their Orlando Theme parks?
Could it be that they are using Anaheim as a test site before making this change nationwide? Waiting to see how much backlash, if any, this change creates for their millions of visitors.
We should just be fed nutritionally balanced food pellets. That would solve everything…
erick.
Your “food pellets” comment brings back memories of a 35 year old movie that my Juice brother Vern needs to rent.
“A tale of Earth in despair in 2022. Natural food like fruits, vegetables, and meat among others are now extinct. New York City has become overpopulated with 40 million people and pollution has caused the temperature to be risen and all natural resources have been destroyed, leaving 40 million people starving. The Soylent Company has create a new food product, Soylent Green.”
Juice brother, I OWN Soylent Green.
You have gone through virtuosic acrobatics on this thread, I tell you what. I think you should just admit this post was off target. We might not want the government telling us what to eat, but Disneyland is not only perfectly in their rights, but actually doing a great thing for their young Mouseketeers!
Logan’s Run
*The Disney bunch has made a lot a very poor decisions in their history….especially when Isner was the boss. Taking Bob’s Bigboy out of the park broke our hearts….years ago. Changing the menu at the Carnation Restaurant on Main St. also was terrible. However, times change…moods
change…and politically correct assumptions change on a regular basis. Disney’s choice to raise the price at the park is also one…we believe is probably not in “their” best interest, yet, McDonald’s? Replacing that one with a Health Food establishment….may be just responding to “the needs of the day”. Regulating the intake of fat by Government has come about due to the total disregard of demand and not using our excellent local food products. Those we exporting while we import “unacceptable” stuff
from Ecuador, Peru or anywhere we can get it cheaper and still charge the high dollar price that we used to get “quality” for! So, let’s just commend the Disney people for trying to get the junk off “Main Street”! Additionally, we need more oversight by the FDA on all our food products!
Vern.
Yes, I did stretch Disney’s decision to government “nanny care” but the question remains. Was this a beta site test? Why not remove McDonald’s from all their theme parks simultanerously unless their other operations have a different contractual agreement.
The report which I read states: “There is still a McDonald’s outlet in each of Disney’s four theme parks in Orlando, Fla. and one at Disneyland Resort Paris.”
Mary.
Logan’s Run? Do not tell anyone about my “palm flower” as we have more work to complete in OC