Big bad corporations, not big bad parents, make our kids fat
Posted
August 30, 2006 at
12:15 pm by
Prescott
I thought for sure this news report was coming out of California or Washington State, but no, this latest bit on the squashing of free enterprise comes from across the pond. The Guardian Unlimited in the UK reports, ”health charities today renewed calls for a ban on the advertising of junk food to children as new government research predicted rising obesity in the next few years.” Of course, that makes total sense! Parents are helpless when their children are being brainwashed by the commercials on television. I mean, really, what’s a parent to do when their kid incessantly demands McDonald’s for dinner — say NO? Cut down on their TV viewing to decrease the advertising bombardment? Preposterous!!
It’s much easier, apparently, to pass a law and smack the hand of the nasty corporations at the root of all evil. People are fat? Corporations fault! High fuel prices? Corporations! War in Iraq? Corporations! Poor education? You guessed it, corporations! Left-wing liberals that bristle at the label ”communist” or “socialist”, should perhaps, then, tone down the championing of doing away with pure capitalism and a free market society… Fortunately the UK health secretary has a shred of common sense:
However, the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, indicated today that the government would not be pushing strongly for curbs on advertising. She argued about the importance of personal responsibility in the battle against obesity.
Ms Hewitt said lifestyle was important and spoke about the importance of exercise. Fast food firms such as McDonald’s who oppose curbs on advertising have long made similar arguments.
Ms Hewitt said Ofcom and the government would have to assess how far advertising actually influenced the choices children made.
Tags: children, communism, fat, government, libertarian, mcdonalds, obesity |
3 Responses to “Big bad corporations, not big bad parents, make our kids fat”
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1. JGS said:
August 30, 2006 @ 2:44 pm
I completely agree with you. It is so sad to see very overweight parents walking with their young kids who are already overweight. The health effects - not to mention the emotional impact - on children are so devastating. We parents are the only ones who can stop it from happening. It’s great you bring that to our attention.
2. Angela said:
September 1, 2006 @ 1:35 pm
You are oversimplifying a very complex issue down to your own sound bites. No one in my family is overweight, but really, in America how easy is it to make healthy choices when there is NOTHING but crap advertised at every turn? I have to make a very conscientious effort to keep the corporate influence, and their unhealthy messages, out of our lives. That means no TV, no buying McDonald’s play-doh “toys” at the toy store, no coloring books from Burger King…the list goes on forever. Unfortunately a lot of Americans are unable or unwilling to see the effects the above has on their kids, or are simply unable to afford alternatives. Putting 100% of the blame on the parents is exactly what the corporations want us to do…just ask the cigarette companies. JGS is right; it IS up to us as parents, but to say it’s an uphill battle against the tsunami of advertising is an understatement. Please read Fast Food Nation and Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America. I think they’ll be enlightening.
3. Prescott said:
September 1, 2006 @ 3:01 pm
Given that this is a blog, not a thesis, yes, I posted an item and gave my quick opinion (or in your term, sound bites).
The implication that the vast majority of us choose what we eat based solely on advertising is silly. I *don’t* make a very conscientious effort to completely shield my family from advertising, and oddly enough we still have a homemade meal every night. I don’t fight against constant pleas for happy meals. We have a hard time finding pants that don’t fall off my older son because he’s so tall and skinny. Fast food is a rare indulgence, and even then it’s often a local Mexican or BBQ independent using quality ingredients. How is it that I haven’t been drowned by the tsunami? Am I special?
The statement that people can’t afford alternatives is not accurate, either. I can put together a big salad, or some grilled chicken, rice and a veggie at home for way less than the price of a McDonald’s meal. Bottom line is that the parents that allow their kids to overindulge in fatty, high calorie foods are either ignorant or lazy, period. But unlike you, I would rather live in a country where we have the right to make stupid choices, instead of your nanny state utopia.