New York City lawmaker proposes fast-food toy ban

A New York City lawmaker has proposed a bill that would ban fast-food restaurant gimmicks that include children's toys, like the McDonald's Happy Meal, unless the meal meets certain nutritional standards.

The list of nutritional standards would include a 500-calorie threshold, require a half-cup of fruit or vegetables, and impose fines for continued violations.

New York Councilman Leroy Comrie said Wednesday that the measure would limit the restaurants' ability to "target and lure in the most vulnerable members of our society,"arguing that it is intended to battle childhood obesity.

The bill follows a similar measure in San Francisco that will take effect December 1 and was considered the first of its kind for a major American City.

"While the epidemic is primarily the parent's responsibility, make no mistake, the fast food industry is a major culprit and part of the problem,"Comrie said.

He called the toys "incentive items,"which are "more important to the children than the meal itself."