Advertising the Current American Epidemic Term Paper

McDonalds' themselves have faced the fact that children need to learn a healthy food choice early on to lead healthy and productive lives. It is fallacy to believe that it is up to a fast food corporation to instill diet habits in children, and it should be noted that Disney Theme Parks would continue to have McDonalds on the premises, (Abramowitz, 2006). Ultimately, it is up to parents to teach children about healthy food choices and dictate what children should or should not eat.

Children are highly impressionable consumers. "Children see 40,000 advertisements a year on television alone" (Gavin, 2005.) Marketing food toward children is by no means solely done via the fast food industry and processed food producers believe that children represent the largest untapped market for the purchase of their products. As a result, more and more advertisers are focusing food commercials on children, who have difficulty discerning reality from what they see on television. The numbers are clear - children aged 5-13 represent 36.8 million consumers in the United States and can influence a total of $100 billion in food spending by adults. Parents are much more likely these days to listen to the child's opinion regarding food purchases, and advertisers see that market as wide open (McCue, 1996). It may be that the shake up between McDonalds and Disney is simply a way to approach the market from a new angle.

Breaking ties with Disney can aid McDonald's in revamping their corporate responsibilities as well. The contract was very strong and dominating with not much leeway for McDonald's to introduce alternative items in the Happy Meals. According to the article, there is a market for "puzzle games and the plastic characters" (Abramowitz, 2006). McDonald's