Junk Food Causing Childhood Obesity: (2 Viewers)

[Vahl]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200604/s1621655.htm

You don't say

 

[loquasagacious]

I think it is potentially wrong to legislatively curb the advertisement of 'junk food' in my mind a far more appropriate course of action would be encouraging (through education) healthy eating in addition to exercise, teach kids some basic nutrition and possibly the fundamentals of a kectogenic diet (eg grams of carbs, protein and fats per pound).

 

[iamsickofyear12]

The solution to this problem is simple. Invent something healthy that doesn't taste like shit.

 

[gerhard]

why?

advertising assumes that the people watching are rational beings, capable of making decisions for themselves. whereas the court system, and psychologists would deny that children are able to do this.

 

[Vahl]

why?

advertising assumes that the people watching are rational beings, capable of making decisions for themselves. whereas the court system, and psychologists would deny that children are able to do this.

correct

Although I would suggest that Advertisers themselves would assume that their audience are not rational, but rather driven by emotions and social factors. This is nowhere more true than in the case of children, and therefore advertising to them which promotes decisions that are irrational or bad for them should not be allowed.

It may be a form of state nanny, but I do not suggest it be extended to adults, our society accepts that adults have a right to allow themselves to be exploited, manipulated and deceived, if that is their 'choice' - but children are clearly a different matter altogether.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

Kids aren't entirely in control of what they eat, you know.

Mostly they eat it because their parents give it to them. Teach parents not to be lazy and ignorant about food and just keep handing their kids more cash to spend on junk food.

 

[gerhard]

the advertisers dont think so though,

 

[loquasagacious]

Also as far as tasty and healthy foods there are a great many any skimming of bodybuilding literature will reveal a whole load.

 

[Skeeta]

yeah some parents are to blame.. theyre the ones buying the damn food for the kids to eat (at younger ages)

 

[felixcthecat]

i don't think the sponsors have anything wrong for supporting children activities.. it's just a place that children like to go to for food.. and the diet should ultimately be controlled by the parents of the child/children~ besides, a lot of fastfood restaurants are trying to change their image to a more healthy place with reduced use of oil, salt and other additives.. althought that IS just their 'image'~ as well as that, even if they dont' sponsor the acitivies, i'm sure the kids kno well enough where they want to go, as long as the choice is there.. kids are pretty picky!


it's not like if umm Samsung goes and sponsor a sporting group, we'd all become electronic geeks with Samsung-everything.. although that may be the intention of the ad./sponsorship (or insert whatever electronic brand name u like in place of Samsung.. just randomly came up to me)

 

[genavania]

they should just teach the little porkers how to dance. then they will shed the pounds and we shall also have something for entertainment.

dancing with the lards

 

[Mr Lovepony]

The interesting thing is that in Australia, the less well off people have a higher obesity rate than the wealthy, the exact opposite of America.

Have you noticed how those tanned, muscular private school kids tend to look like well bred stallions compared to the public school kids? (Not trying to start a public vs private debate)

 

[Mr Lovepony]

i don't think the sponsors have anything wrong for supporting children activities.. it's just a place that children like to go to for food.. and the diet should ultimately be controlled by the parents of the child/children~ besides, a lot of fastfood restaurants are trying to change their image to a more healthy place with reduced use of oil, salt and other additives.. althought that IS just their 'image'~

I agree. If the kid and the parents are responsible eaters (or feeders), they know that they shouldn't substitute coke for water just because Coka Cola sponsers the little athletics that little Rudolph attends.

And another thing, the healthy food 'image'. The McDonald's Deli whatever it's called, the chicken something or other has more fat than a filet o fish burger. That evil clown thought he fooled us all. :burn:

 

[The_Apprentice]

The interesting thing is that in Australia, the less well off people have a higher obesity rate than the wealthy, the exact opposite of America.

Have you noticed how those tanned, muscular private school kids tend to look like well bred stallions compared to the public school kids? (Not trying to start a public vs private debate)

Um...I think many poor people in America are obese. Its the same in several Western countries. It's pretty logical when you think about it.
Junk food = a lot cheaper than healthier, or gourmet food ...therefore, wealthy people at least have the option of affording expensive meals (hell, even fruit and veg can turn out to be more expensive than Maccas and the like).
In addition, many wealthy people are more likely to be vain and follow fashion. In the current western cultural climate, being thin is fashionable (and more apt for wearing fashions). Very wealthy people can afford to buy prestigious brands which normally do not even cater for plus-sizes. Stereotypically, i believe wealthy people are under more social pressures to conform to the ideal body image currently being projected by media/whatever.

 

[Mr Lovepony]

Um...I think many poor people in America are obese. Its the same in several Western countries. It's pretty logical when you think about it.
Junk food = a lot cheaper than healthier, or gourmet food ...therefore, wealthy people at least have the option of affording expensive meals (hell, even fruit and veg can turn out to be more expensive than Maccas and the like).
In addition, many wealthy people are more likely to be vain and follow fashion. In the current western cultural climate, being thin is fashionable (and more apt for wearing fashions). Very wealthy people can afford to buy prestigious brands which normally do not even cater for plus-sizes. Stereotypically, i believe wealthy people are under more social pressures to conform to the ideal body image currently being projected by media/whatever.

True, there would be obese poor people in America but I think it was in the SMH (I'm pretty sure), that the trend tends to lean towards the more well off in the US. Interesting point you have there though.

The fruit and vegetables being more expensive than junk food is a sad thing (I'll be waiting for someone to lecture me about the secret world of fruit economics and how noone can do anything about the prices because of bla bla). Many people from the poorer Aboriginal communities cannot afford to buy fresh fruit and veges at their local grocers so they have to do with a diet that could lead to possible development of heart disease, diabetes and such. Obivioulsy applies for non Aboriginal people as well but it's something from a video that our science teacher showed us and it's been stuck in my head.

 

[loquasagacious]

The obvious conclusion is that in Australia at least junk food is considered an 'inferior good' hence when income goes up consumption goes down....

Also I think that it is undeniable that childrens diets reflect their parents (the reason i think fat parents = fat kids but does not equal fat genes) so we have to tackle junk food eating among parents as well.

 

[katie_tully]

What a crock. They're fat because they won't get off their god damn fat arses and do some exercise.
Back in my day (before Nintendo and what have you became totally accessable and fashionable), we loved nothing more than hours of romping around outside.
Sure, we ate the occasional packet of chips, or binged for hours on lollies. But we'd then be back outside, playing ninja turtles and such.

Now I see kids at 7:30, walking to school with A COKE IN THEIR FAT LITTLE MITTEN. Dear lord, where are the parents? The parents are probably morbidly obese monkeys too, eating their way to becoming the poster family for coronary heart disease.

Make the fuckers get up and do 2 hours of exercise. Ban the nintendo. Play station. X Box. Computer. Whatever. Tie rope to their waist, and drag them along with a car if you have to.

 

[malkin86]

Another possible solution that I've heard of is to slap a five dollar tax on any items of 'junk food' - if you make it too expensive to buy often, people will think twice before they indulge. You could then use the money to do whatever nutrition-educational stuff you please with it. There's probably a few flaws with the idea behind this, but what we've got now is flawed too.

 

[misbahf]

What a crock. They're fat because they won't get off their god damn fat arses and do some exercise.

I totally and utterly am in agreeance with you.

 

[banco55]

The government needs to mandate that schools that take government funding step up the number of hours spent doing PE and by PE i mean something that actually burns calories.