Laying off Ronald McDonald

When I first decided to write these headline blogs, I had imagined that they would be about the little funny or quirky fill ins, either on line or in print that gets picked up and inserted to fill a space. ( yes I do still read actual newspapers as well as the virtual ones).

This particular headline caught my attention today in the business section, though I am not certain that it really belonged to that category.

The quick synopsis is that there is apparently a group of finger pointers who feel that the fictional Mc Donalds representative ( also the name of a very important "house" that caters to very ill children and their families) is responsible for childhood obesity and all the problems that accompany it.
This anti Ronald group wants him laid off or retired, thus I guess, solving all the woes of the over weight children who have been lured by the promise of a Happy Meal.

Now I consider myself I pretty good reader, who grasps literary concepts on the first read most of the time, but this I read over twice. I guess that I couldn't actually believe what I was reading.
Then I read almost all of the comments as well, and had a breath of relief, when I realized that almost all the posts I read had basically the same opinion as I did.

Are we as a society so inept at being parents that a bunch of us get a group together along with "social specialists" and dietary watchdogs and blame childhood obesity on a happy meal and the clown whose image is printed on the cup?
I was dumbstruck at the thought.

First...have you ever had a Happy Meal, even pre the healthy substitutions? A tiny burger, a handful of fries and a mini drink, with the toy being the lure of the whole meal. We all have swung into the drive in lane of that restaurant with the golden arches and spoke those words into the crackly speaker, I'll have a Happy Meal with soda and the toy is a girl/boy.
No ketchup please.
Then for a time, when the meal is passed into the back seat, a few minutes of silence while a lunch time hunger is satisfied and we proceed upon our way.

So we (the parents) drive our children into the take out lane, we pay for the food, we choose the food, and Ronald is the villain for making our kids overweight.
Hello...is anyone there?
Supposedly sixty percent of those surveyed believed that Ronald and the evil Happy Meal was responsible for the sad state of the health of our children.

I guess that this all so powerful clown is also responsible for the lack of exercise our children get, or the hours spent in front of the television or video games. He is preventing us from preparing healthy meals for our families, healthy snacks for in between meals, why Ronald must be like the great and powerful oz. With all this power why hasn't he run for office?

I know that the time of the family dinner is an old concept, and that late work hours may prevent some regular healthy fare at the proverbial dinner table...but wait.
Here is an idea all you sixty percent, over the weekend, plan your menu, make double batches or choose a quick but healthy dinner and leave Ronald alone. It can be done, it just takes a little effort.

Take walks with your kids, go shoot a few baskets, have them help with yard work or help an elderly neighbor do the same. Limit the tv usage, turn off your cell phones and spend some time with your kids.
Find out what food is being served at school, subsidized by the government by the way.
Is it healthy? Are the healthy items a la carte and reasonably priced as well as available? You might just cringe if you looked at some of the items on the "regular" menu at your children's school.
Good nutrition and good health is taught and learned by observation.

Just place the blame where it should lie. Take responsibility for what your family consumes, and this just doesn't mean Moms but Dads as well.
But leave Ronald McDonald alone. He didn't do anything wrong, we did.