Hi, Guest
You guys make some great points as always. The kicker is... where do we begin to fix the problems that the world as a whole (and referring to Canada for the remainder of this reply) has created? Also referring to McDonalds as McDs for expediency's sake.
McDonalds has a "play area". While they encourage the climbing, tumbling and running with their Playlands... thanks to their partnerships with Nintendo and others, most Playlands are stocked with N64s and LCDs/CRTs. There is NO NEED for that level of crap in a restaurant. McDs certainly doesn't promote healthy living by encouraging the child to play video games before/after/during their meals. If anything, it detracts from family meals at home and abroad as a social event.
McDs advertises their new campaign, and it's a Good Thing ™, but right afterwards they're advocating the purchase of obviously less-than-healthy fried burger Happy Meals to obtain a new toy. You burn a lot less energy moving a toy across a table than you do by exercising indoors or outdoors. Am I saying boot camp every child? No. What we end up with here is a mixed message: McDonalds wants me to be healthy, but they also want me to buy a Happy Meal / have parents buy me a Happy Meal and get a new toy to play with. What do you think the chances are of them exercising for real when they're full of fatty foods and have a new toy to distract them?
Which leads us to parents. It's becoming increasingly apparent that due to a number of factors (reduced capacity to discipline their children being one of them), parents are controlling their children less and less these days. They run amok, they disrespect their parents, they disobey basic rules and even the laws. Kids aren't taught how to eat healthy, they aren't taught how to respect others, and TV largely teaches them what they think they need to know. Popular culture shapes their attitudes and behaviour, and as long as it's not completely evident at home, the parents don't care.
Fiscal responsbility leads parents to believe that any food is good for their kids, regardless of who makes it or the nature of it. It's quicker and perceived as cheaper for them to buy fast food meals than to take the time and buy the proper ingredients for a meal, therefore everyone suffers. They have to save money for bills and other needs, and a lack of time to prepare forces their hand. And, because it's fast food, the feeling of supper as a family event is lost as everyone eats on the run or in front of the TV.
It's a multi-faceted problem with no easy fix, but one thing's for sure: both the fast food companies AND the parents are responsible for the downfall of the children.
McDonalds has a "play area". While they encourage the climbing, tumbling and running with their Playlands... thanks to their partnerships with Nintendo and others, most Playlands are stocked with N64s and LCDs/CRTs. There is NO NEED for that level of crap in a restaurant. McDs certainly doesn't promote healthy living by encouraging the child to play video games before/after/during their meals. If anything, it detracts from family meals at home and abroad as a social event.
McDs advertises their new campaign, and it's a Good Thing ™, but right afterwards they're advocating the purchase of obviously less-than-healthy fried burger Happy Meals to obtain a new toy. You burn a lot less energy moving a toy across a table than you do by exercising indoors or outdoors. Am I saying boot camp every child? No. What we end up with here is a mixed message: McDonalds wants me to be healthy, but they also want me to buy a Happy Meal / have parents buy me a Happy Meal and get a new toy to play with. What do you think the chances are of them exercising for real when they're full of fatty foods and have a new toy to distract them?
Which leads us to parents. It's becoming increasingly apparent that due to a number of factors (reduced capacity to discipline their children being one of them), parents are controlling their children less and less these days. They run amok, they disrespect their parents, they disobey basic rules and even the laws. Kids aren't taught how to eat healthy, they aren't taught how to respect others, and TV largely teaches them what they think they need to know. Popular culture shapes their attitudes and behaviour, and as long as it's not completely evident at home, the parents don't care.
Fiscal responsbility leads parents to believe that any food is good for their kids, regardless of who makes it or the nature of it. It's quicker and perceived as cheaper for them to buy fast food meals than to take the time and buy the proper ingredients for a meal, therefore everyone suffers. They have to save money for bills and other needs, and a lack of time to prepare forces their hand. And, because it's fast food, the feeling of supper as a family event is lost as everyone eats on the run or in front of the TV.
It's a multi-faceted problem with no easy fix, but one thing's for sure: both the fast food companies AND the parents are responsible for the downfall of the children.
Daily driver 1: 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport "S"
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.
33" BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s, lots of Rough Country gear - bumper, 2.5" lift, swaybar disconnects, Superwinch 10,000lb winch, Detroit Locker in rear D44 axle, custom exhaust, K+N filtercharger, Superchips-tuned.
Daily driver 2: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT
COBB Stage 1+ package - AccessPort tuner, COBB intake and airbox. Stage 2 coming shortly - COBB 3" AT stainless DP and race cat, custom 3" Magnaflow-based exhaust and Stage 2 COBB tune.