Santa Clara County Gets it Right!

I couldn’t be more proud to live in Santa Clara County (well, for the mean time) right now!! Santa Clara County is the first county in the nation to put a ban on selling happy meals to kids. Although I generally believe less government is a good thing, this is one area where I think government regulation is crucial in leading the fight against (or waging the war for that matter) childhood obesity. Parents and private industry have FAILED miserably to look out for our children’s best interests. Here are some shocking facts from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office on obesity:

• Two-thirds of adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese.
• The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. more than doubled (from 15% to 34%) among adults and more than tripled (from 5% to 17%) among children and adolescents from 1980 to 2008.
• An obese teenager has over a 70% greater risk of becoming an obese adult.

I hope you're as outraged by these statistics as I am! I am ecstatic that government is taking action and targeting the fast food industry. Kudos to Santa Clara County's elected officials for prohibiting the fast food industry from luring kids in with toys. We cannot continue to market (what did you think the happy meal toys were for??) this processed, fattening garbage to our kids, because it is killing them!

Watch the ABC news clip about Santa Clara County’s proactive campaign here: http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/where-happy-meals-are-illegal-19362009#video=19369064

Also, check out this blog on the Los Angeles Times website: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/04/fast-food-toy-ban-santa-clara-county.html