• Time, Tuesday, July 6, 2010 10:32 AM

Time's Sean Gregory takes a look at The Center for Science in the Public Interest's letter to McDonald's that claims that marketing to children under 8 is "inherently deceptive" and threatens to sue the company unless it stops using toys to market Happy Meals to young children.

McDonald's says it only promotes the toys with healthier Happy Meal options such as white-meat Chicken McNuggets, milk and Apple Dippers. But CPSI's litigation director, Stephen Gardner, says toys also come with less healthy options and that "when it comes to the Happy Meal, the only choices you have are junk and junkier."

This is not sitting well with the Big Cheeses at Big Mac. "The tone of the letter is completely unprofessional and destroys their credibility," says vp of corporate communications Walt Riker. "The characterizations are completely out of bounds and don't come close to representing the truth."

Gregory offers conflicting views on whether or not a suit could gain traction, concluding with the observation that the issue really hinges on parental responsibility. "After all," he writes, "5-year-old kids aren't driving themselves to the McDonald's pick-up window."

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