McDonald’s have frequently been in the firing line of the media and lobby groups with regards to their Happy Meals and today has witnessed a further dramatic twist. Whilst many extreme lobbyists have called for an outright ban on the Happy Meals such a move has largely been regarded as very unlikely; not so it appears in the US county of Santa Clara (which covers most of Silicone Valley). Elected officials have introduced a law that bans the provision of toys with any children’s meals that fall short of national nutritional guidelines, hence eliminating a central component of the Happy Meal.

Whilst the toy element is vetoed, of course the food itself will still be available and given that all other fast food outlets in this area will cease offering similar incentives, it is unlikely therefore to affect the popularity of fast food within the county (where one in four children are obese, which is higher than the US average of one in five). McDonald’s is popular with young families because it provides food that all members of family enjoy at a price that is affordable and in an environment that is family friendly. Sure, the children may be surprised and disappointed not to receive their usual toy but I doubt that this will act as a stimulus for them to grab a carrot stick and jog around the park (although perhaps a few children may burn off a few calories if they jump up and down in anger).

Once again politicians are clutching at policy straws to address the obesity issue and hitting easy win targets to publicly demonstrate their commitment to the health & well being of their voters. If only social and behavioural change was that easy!

Currently we have 1.5 million children in England who are overweight or obese, which increases their risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

The National Heart Forum has significantly downgraded its forecasts of a continued rise in obesity among children in England, following a new analysis of data. The rate of increase in childhood obesity may be starting to slow. It now predicts that by 2020 the proportion of boys aged 2-11 who will be overweight or obese will be 30% (not 42% as previously predicted) and for girls they now predict 27% not 48%. A similar trend his being observed in other countries, such as the US, France and Denmark.

The researchers said it was not clear why obesity levels might have levelled off, but thought government interventions and media coverage may have played a role. From my experience of talking to mothers and children about food over the last 18 months, I would certainly agree.

Parents constantly mention the new school programmes which focus on healthy eating. They are even bemoaning when their kids tell them the food they provide is not healthy enough! I believe it’s the kids who are dragging their parents kicking and screaming towards healthier eating, as their schools educate them on what they should be eating and the consequences of not doing so.

My hope is that this next generation of kids will be more thoughtful when feeding their children, rather than setting their kids out on a lifetime of illness, easily prevented by a simple change in diet.