McDonald’s Happy Meals have been my kids traditional go to “treat meal” for about the last two years.

My kids (six and eight) absolutely love Happy Meals and I always suspected, OK, I knew it wasn’t because of the food alone.

In two years, I estimate I’ve bought about 70 to 80 Happy Meals – 2 meals for 2 kids every 3 weeks or so. Often it was after a soccer game or cross country skiing when we all felt we deserved to scoff a bit of junk food.

(On a side note, my son actually prefers the suspiciously white apple slices to the delectable salty french fries.)

So, when I came across the infographic below about McDonald’s Happy Meals, it really grabbed my attention.

The infographic reveals some interesting and surprising facts, but it seems to suggest McDonalds is the evil empire bent on fattening our kids.

Is McDonalds and Happy Meals really that bad? Do they contribute to childhood obesity? I think the answers are “No” and “Heck No” respectively.

Ultimately, parents make kids obese, not Happy Meals. Parents make the decisions regarding the welfare of their children. Happy Meals are sold to the tune of 3 billion a year, not because McDonalds is forcing them upon us, but because there is a strong demand for the convenience.

Kids don’t care about convenience and time schedules, they just want a toy and good tasting stuff in their belly when they’re hungry. Convenience is the realm of parents.

Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years, but do not blame Happy Meals, video games, and our media-rich culture. Blame “I don’t have enough time“, “I’m in a hurry“, and “We can grab a quick bite on our way…” Blame “I don’t have the energy“, “It’s too cold or rainy outside“, and “Let’s watch a movie instead“.

Have a look at the Happy Meal infographic below and let us know what you think in the comments area below…