California county tables ban on toys at fast-food chains
By Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles
Published: May 12 2010
Health campaigners have opened up another front in the battle against childhood obesity after a California county prepared to approve a ban on the use of toys and gifts to sell fast-food meals.
The move in Santa Clara follows legislation two years ago when the county, which is in the heart of Silicon Valley, introduced mandatory fast-food nutrition labelling.
The labelling, which reveals the fat content and number of calories contained in each food item, was later introduced in New York and across California.
Ken Yeager, the county supervisor who introduced the latest measure, told the Financial Times the ban was a "tool to combat the skyrocketing rate of childhood obesity".
Obesity was putting pressure on the US healthcare system and contributing to rising costs, he said.
"More and more kids are coming into clinics dealing with being overweight and having illnesses you normally only see in adults . . . so we have said 'enough'."
Mr Yeager added that the ban on including toys with meals would "break the link between unhealthy food and prizes".
The ban has been fiercely opposed by restaurant operators.
The California Restaurant Association has taken out full-page advertisements in local newspapers, with one showing a girl with her hands tied as she holds a soft toy.
The organisation was trying to rally support against the ban ahead of a final vote on the issue yesterday. "The California Restaurant Association strongly opposed the ordinance and so did most county residents," it said on its website.
"Ultimately, parents decide what their children eat and whether a meal includes a toy or not - that is the role of a parent," said Jot Condie, president and chief executive of the CRA.
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