Taking children to McDonalds, is it child cruelty?

[OldJohnnyYen]

One of the best threads on PH.

http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...

[Blakeatron]

I dont hate it but I have not been to one for over 4 years! Our daughter who is nearly 3 has also never been.

If we are out and about and wanting lunch we try and find a pub, but occasionaly we have kfc. She loves it as its something we rarely do (maybe once every other month) and I am quite addicted to teh popcorn chicken!

[MissChief]

Blakeatron said:

I dont hate it but I have not been to one for over 4 years! Our daughter who is nearly 3 has also never been.

If we are out and about and wanting lunch we try and find a pub, but occasionaly we have kfc. She loves it as its something we rarely do (maybe once every other month) and I am quite addicted to teh popcorn chicken!

I need to know which pub can serve you within 2 minutes of walking through the door and you can eat and be gone within 10 minutes? It may not be the paragon of nutritional value or to everyone's tastes but it is quick, cheap and doesn't taste as bad as some 'high horse' people in here say.

Chances are the burgers have less filler and other not meaty things if you buy a birds eye or supermarket own brand 'standard' burger. My kids aren't overweight, get plenty of exercise and eat McDonalds a couple of times a month. I don't see the problem.

[Blakeatron]

There is no pub that can serve in minutes, but it is rare that hunger suddenly happens - so i try and plan somewhere to have lunch if we are out.

[anonymous-user]

I occasionaly take the kids to McD if we go to town and spend a bit long than we had planned. I always insist that one happy meal has chips and one has a fruit bag (they then share the chips and fruit). That way they eat less chips and get a bit of fruit too.

I see it as an adequate compromise.

Just think of all the kids out there that live on Iceland chicken (ish) nuggets and chips! McD as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle is totally fine IMO.

[oddman]

I've got no sympathy with those who object to an occasional McDonalds on nutrition or health grounds
As many have pointed out, other take aways and ready meals are probably worse.

I am concerned that food is commodified and infantilised by the fast food companies

A Sunday lunch or most traditional family meals undoubtedly have more calories and fat than a McDonalds. However, I believe mealtimes are the cornerstone of family life - taking time to share, talk, use cutlery and enjoy properly good food is a ritual that is undermined and cannot be replaced by the use of convenience food and fast food outlets.

I think it's even more important for children to know where food comes from. Tomorrow my daughter will be beating our first shoot of the season and eating the results of her labours.

Outside of the game season she comes clay shooting with me and goes to BK on the way homeas a treat

[bexVN]

Our son has had a few McDonalds, he's 2.5yrs, it's a treat, sometimes after his Dad taken him swimming and he loves the toys (esp the spongebob ones they've had recently) However he also enjoys good home cooked meals, different fruits etc. He is slim, active and bright.

Not child cruelty unless it was every week and more.

[g3org3y]

Child cruelty?

Notsureifseriousjoker.jpeg

S2Mike said:

I remember the guy on "Supersize Me" eating nothing but MuckDonalds, he was advised to stop by his Doctor before he killed himself.
Pretty much why I dont go in there.

Because you watched a film in which someone ate entirely nothing but McDonalds for a month (which understandably had a detrimental effect on his health) you don't go there?

Notsureifseriousjoker.jpeg (again)

Seriously, wtf is going on in the Lounge of late?

[AJS-]

Definitely not child abuse, that's ridiculous.

Regarding the health aspects it's more a matter of what you eat there than the place itself. In the excellent film Fathead he manages to actually lose weight eating at fast food restaurants for a month with only the addition of a functioning brain. Also casts a fair bit of doubt on the original film, and a few other food myths.

I don't really see how it's a treat either though - nearly any burger van, pub, cafe or independent restaurant makes a far nicer burger than anything I've had in McDonald's.

[ambuletz]

JM said:

S2Mike said:

I remember the guy on "Supersize Me" eating nothing but MuckDonalds, he was advised to stop by his Doctor before he killed himself.
Pretty much why I dont go in there. Besides which, half an hour later I am hungry again so go for some real food.

I never saw the program/film, but did the guy not have 3 meals a day from McD's and (as the name suggests) if he was asked if he wanted a regular or large (or supersize) he always asked for supersized.

Eating a balanced diet which included infrequent McD's or other similar meals should cause no harm.

when I first saw that documentary I thought 'oh no, McD's baaaad'. But thinking about it more, McDonalds really wasn't to blame. They didn't make him eat there 3x a day. They didn't make him opt for the supersize meal, he chose to say yes when they asked. He deliberately chose to eat on average 5000calories a day. It doesn't matter if you eat 5000cals of fast food or home cooked meals, you're going to turn into human foie gras if you don't burn it off, which he chose not to.

Look at the Don Gorske guy, he's eaten over 25,000 big macs, having 1 a day and he's perfectly normal in terms of weight/health. Too many people are hung up on the idea that fat makes you fat when its infact excess calories.
Look at michael phelps, when training he eats 12,000 of high calorie foods with lots of cheese,buter , and sugary energy drinks. He can afford to because he burns it all off. I'm sure his foods and portion sizes would be similar to people you see turn up on programmes such as 'Super size VS super skinny' weighing 20-30stone more then the skinny person.

[Tiggsy]

I assume all the people that never touch a big mac are all ripped to the bone, dont drink or smoke, have low stress jobs and do yoga???? Or will that get a "no, but children cant make their own choices" responses, utter by muppets who havent been near a kid since they left school?

[The Moose]

Kateg28 said:

The only thing he professes to love that is in a cheeseburger is ketchup. He even tried to put ketchup when I cooked him a roast. . He only ever asked the once.

In my very humble opinion, that makes you sound like a right . So what if he wants a bit of the old tommy k with a roast. Who gives a st?

[bitchstewie]

You know the more I read this thread the more I have to ask - does anyone really believe that taking a child to McDonalds is child cruelty?

[BliarOut]

swerni said:

bigTee said:

Did you know McDonalds is the biggest toy manufacturer in the world??

No it's not.
It makes about as many toys as I do.
It may well however be the biggest toy distributor.

The food is crap. the business ethics are worse, but the children like it.
I take mine occasionally,but personally I would never eat in any of the fast food stores.
Much of the produce on the supermarket shelves is no better,but most people are naive to it.

Meh, we used to eat uncooked bacon rind as kids... Loved it

[Jasandjules]

bhstewie said:

You know the more I read this thread the more I have to ask - does anyone really believe that taking a child to McDonalds is child cruelty?

I truly hope not.

If they do, the world must be strange when they ever leave their ivory tower..

[Cock Womble 7]

bhstewie said:

You know the more I read this thread the more I have to ask - does anyone really believe that taking a child to McDonalds is child cruelty?

Of course not.

Taking them to McDonald's and forcing them to stand outside in the rain and watch through the window while I tuck in to a Big Tasty® Meal is, however.

(Not my kids, you understand; my Sister's.)

[GTIR]

Jasandjules said:

I truly hope not.

If they do, the world must be strange when they ever leave their ivory tower..

With golden arches.

[tyrewrecker]

No but it mixes them with the chav scum that attend

[SirBlade]

stephen300o said:

It's meat and veg in bread, get over yourself.

+1

[croyde]

This is making me hungry. Might take the kids and grandad for a run in the park and lunch at Maccy Ds