Wars rage in the Middle East. Gas prices are astronomical. There's a hole in the Alaskan pipeline, and another in the ozone layer. So is now the time to cultivate the youngest generation of SUV-lovers? McDonald's thinks so. Pick up any Hummer Happy Meal and inside you'll find a tiny replica of the gas-guzzling giant.

"This marketing ploy says more about how desperate General Motors has become than anything else," said National Resources Defense Council spokesman Jon Coifman. "Management in Detroit ignored all the signs and bet the farm on big gas guzzlers. Now sales of the huge SUVs and pickups have tanked. Unfortunately, they've taken thousands of good jobs with them."

While I'm still struggling with the concept of an adult Happy Meal, millions of other grown-up Americans are digging into brightly colored boxes that contain a "premium" salad, bottled water, and, oh yes, a fitness-oriented treat.

In another attempt to revamp its continually tarnished image, McDonald's has partnered with responDESIGN to feature its Yourself!Fitness DVDs in each "Go Active! Happy Meal for Adults" (am I the only one who is appalled by these names?). There are four DVDs in the series and Bill Lamar, Chief Marketing Officer for Mickey D's, hopes that "customers collect all four DVDs to benefit from a complete workout program."