Happy Meal Toys Banned in San Francisco, CA

According to a report from the Associated Press on Yahoo!, we now know a vote of the San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors yesterday (Tuesday) landed with an 8-3 count to approve an ordinance within the city that would ultimately limit toy giveaways in food children’s meals that are marked with “excessive calories, sodium and fat”. Without the toy in the meals, the people behind the initiative hope to deter the meal’s appeal to a younger audience. The ordinance also requires servings of fruits or vegetables in each meal.

A similar ordinance was approved earlier this year in April in the city of Santa Clara County (CA), banning the toys from Happy Meals in their area as well. Considering it survives a veto from Mayor Gavin Newsom, the ordinance would go into effect December 2011 and would make San Francisco the first major city in the in country to pass such a law.

This will have obvious immediate and possibly negative effects on the economy of the affected Fast Food restaurants in the area. While the initiative comes as an attempt to curb the epidemic of childhood obesity, other concerns are raised as well. The question becomes and has generally been, are fast food meals really to blame for childhood obesity? A study released late last month revealed some interesting findings that led researchers to believe that fast food was indeed ‘not to blame’ for childhood obesity.

What do you guys think of the ordinance? A step in the right direction and limiting fatty options for young children? Or a bit too much government intervention?