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Toys and Fast Food Don't Mix

--Eric Schlosser

Eric Schlosser has investigated the fast-food industry for years. He is the author of Fast Food Nation and coauthor, with Charles Wilson, of Chew On This. He and Wilson think that toys should not be used to sell burgers, chicken nuggets, soda and fries.

The next time you visit a fast-food restaurant, look closely at the ads for toys. About one out of every three toys that American children get each year comes from a fast-food restaurant. In fact, McDonald's is the biggest toy company in the world. The company gives away or sells more than 1.5 billion action figures, dolls and other toys each year. Happy Meal toys are often based on characters from popular television shows and films, such as Lilo & Stitch and Cars. Burger King has sold chicken nuggets shaped like Teletubbies, stars of a TV show for kids too young to speak.

Why do fast-food companies give kids toys, when they are really in the business of selling food? Almost 50 years ago, McDonald's founder Ray Kroc decided that one of the best ways to sell hamburgers was to make children want to visit his restaurants. He later helped to create TV commercials with a lovable clown, Ronald McDonald. Kroc realized that ads aimed at children could get entire families to eat at his restaurants. "A child who loves our TV commercials," Kroc said, "and brings her grandparents to McDonald's, gives us two more customers."

McDonald's ad campaigns have been successful. According to one study, Ronald McDonald is better known among children than any fictional character other than Santa Claus. But his popularity has created some problems. As the fast-food industry has grown, so have kids' waistlines. During the last 30 years, the number of extremely overweight children ages 6 to 11 in the United States has tripled. Kids are eating too much junk food. About one out of five toddlers eats french fries every day. That's a recipe for poor health.

Fast-food companies shouldn't be allowed to use toys to sell food that's bad for kids. And until they stop, kids should know that the free toy that comes with their fast-food meal may one day cost them more than it was ever worth.

Next: An Early Start