Hi, i am reseraching how advertising affects children, in the context of eating unhealthily. I would like to start a focus group type thing and your opinions and views would be great towards my research,
to start off do you think that the new legislation against advertising fast food on childrens televsion will help to reduce the amount of obese children and help them to eat more healthily?
Originally posted by jess: to start off do you think that the new legislation against advertising fast food on childrens televsion will help to reduce the amount of obese children and help them to eat more healthily?
Well, it's one of those glass-half-empty-glass-half-full arguments. It certainly can't hurt, but I don't believe the ultimate culprit in allowing fatty foods to be scarfed up by kids is necessarily the fault of advertisers. It's largely a liberal (don't mean politically) philosophy that blames ads on kids being fat, the same kind of thinking that blames gas companies for gas prices being too high so -- what? -- let's tax 'em more ... just to see the price go higher.
Kids are never educated to think/reason other dietary choices. Since birth, they're inundated with sweets and sugar. To expect them to suddenly turn it off when they're five or ten years old is pure farce. So punish the advertisers? Pardon me, but that's insane.
Also, if you speak with physicians (I've consulted for a few over the years), there are those who'll tell you that the established facts and patterns that we use to define 'obese' in our society need to be re-examined and/or overhauled. I stand 5 foot 6 inches, weigh 180 lbs, could be diagnosed as "clinically obese," but have a very low body fat percentage b/c I work out all of the time. My weight issue results in muscle mass (long-established medical standards say I should weigh approx. 160-165 to be healthy for my height). The medical methodology (I'm not a doctor) to diagnose fat and/or dietary issues needs to be re-examined for all age groups.
There are a few random thoughts. Good luck with your project.
thank you, but do you not think that the advertisers have some responsibililty over what they advertise as children are influenced by what they see and hear on the radio and television?
Hello jess, do you know laurenspencer from 6th form? You should compare notes.
Do I blame advertisers for kids being fat? I don't know, their parents are probably more to blame. That said, I find it hard to believe there's any moral justification for allowing fast food companies to advertise to kids. It's only a (small) step above cigarette companies advertising to kids. I'm not one to blame others for one's own mistakes, so I don't really support lawsuits against these companies, but it seems pretty lousy to try your best to hook kids at a young age onto a product that will cause problems for the rest of their lives. Certainly the advertisers aren't the only problem, but they have to be perpetuating it, or else it wouldn't be worth it for them to pour so much money into advertising.
Posts: 707 | Location: DC | Registered: 05 January 2007
Originally posted by MajorNougat: That said, I find it hard to believe there's any moral justification for allowing fast food companies to advertise to kids. It's only a (small) step above cigarette companies advertising to kids.
I agree. I'll use McDonald's as an example, because they seem to be the biggest culprit, but they really seem to market their product to kids in a big way, from their cartoon character mascots, toy promotions, and the fact that there's a huge playground in just about every restaurant. My nephew is covinced McDonald's serves the best food on the planet, and I find it hard to believe he's basing this on taste alone. Marketing food to kids (especially unhealthy food) is as bad as marketing cigarettes.
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Posts: 5277 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005
Especially when the food has been linked repeatedly to a multitude of ill effects (maybe not as extreme as tobacco, but serious effects nonetheless). I haven't eaten at a fast food restaurant myself for about 7 years. I find large corporations marketing unhealthy food detestable.
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Posts: 1071 | Location: Back, after an eternal hiatus | Registered: 24 April 2007
and using catchy songs in the ads provides a meme from which the companies can imprint themselves with great ease. Be nice if these acts didn't sell their songs for such campaigns...
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Posts: 2155 | Location: The ever silent spaces of the East | Registered: 12 February 2007
[QUOTE]Originally posted by MajorNougat: Hello jess, do you know laurenspencer from 6th form? You should compare notes.
What 6th form is she from?
Thank you for all the posts, this is exactly what i need! Can i just ask now if you feel that in some ways advertising is helping children understand what is nutricious to eat and what is not. If you look at Jamies school dinners which was shown on channel 4 a little while ago, without the media attention his campaign would not have been so successful! What do you think??
Be nice if these acts didn't sell their songs for such campaigns...
Anything for money, especially since music is a tough business. If you can pull off an advertising gambit, you may even get called to do more advertising, and get more money, regardless of the fact that it's not clean money.
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Posts: 1071 | Location: Back, after an eternal hiatus | Registered: 24 April 2007
Originally posted by jess: thank you, but do you not think that the advertisers have some responsibililty over what they advertise as children are influenced by what they see and hear on the radio and television?
No, I don't. I believe consumers (and eaters!) need to be intelligent enough to make intelligent choices. Of course, the kids may not know the difference; their parents should.
quote:
Originally posted by Ishmaels coffin: and using catchy songs in the ads provides a meme from which the companies can imprint themselves with great ease. Be nice if these acts didn't sell their songs for such campaigns...
But, in a free society, both sides of the debate are free to do the same. I can remember a very short lived PSA about fire safety that showed kids laughing and playing on the lawn when a small fire broke out, and I distinctly remember the jingle being, "If you're gonna catch on fire, you gotta stop, drop, and roll ..." Then, it showed the kids -- in a state of glee -- actually mimicking the stop, drop, and roll technique. Imagine that? Having fun while trying to put yourself out?
Originally posted by Trekscribbler: So long as they're following the FCC rules, why should I care what they're trying to shuck?
I agree with you when it comes to advertising to adults, but I think kids are a different story. I don't think companies should be able to advertise potentially harmful products to kids that don't know any better.
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Posts: 5277 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005
Originally posted by Trekscribbler: So long as they're following the FCC rules, why should I care what they're trying to shuck?
I agree with you when it comes to advertising to adults, but I think kids are a different story. I don't think companies should be able to advertise potentially harmful products to kids that don't know any better.
Also would you be able to tell me what you think about the ban on fast food adverts to children under 15 years of age?? Do you think it will help in reducing obesity in children?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent United States government agency.
It regulates all non-Federal Government use of the radio, television and all interstate telecommunications (wire, satellite and cable) as well as all international communications that originate or terminate in the United States.
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Posts: 5763 | Location: Texas | Registered: 27 December 2005
