Ban Food Ads?

[missy4gordon 0]

I think there should be some legislature. Just like pharmaceuticals that must state harmful side effects, I think there's no harm in forcing other industries to add such disclaimers to their products. "Warning, eating this burger may contribute to high blood pressure, weight gain, extremely high cholestorol and premature death."

I think the little ones might be less inclined to beg for candy, if that was on every commercial.

I disagree. At least not my kids. I don't think a warning would do anything to take away their desire for candy, it hasn't for me and I know better......Although I sure wish that it would be so easy.

[PhotoNut 7]

(The following is MY opinion. It is not presented in the form of an argument, nor is it meant to contradict or challenge anyone else's opinion.)

It would be nice if we, as a nation, were able to resist advertising and make good choices on our own. Sadly, the statistics show we don't seem to be doing a good job of it. This topic isn't about banning advertising in general. It is about banning the promotion of products that are killing our nation.

We banned smoking commercials long ago and that didn't start a chain reaction of losing our freedoms. Smoking kills people and costs our country millions of dollars each year to take care of cancer patients. I didn't start smoking because of ads on TV either, but during the time that I did start smoking, it seemed to me and my parents that smoking was a widely accepted and even GOOD thing to do. Once the awareness of the hazaards started, and the companies pushing the deadly product were made to stop presenting it to the public as a GOOD and enjoyable thing, the public opinion changed. It is no longer socially acceptable to smoke.

I do not believe in discrimination of anyone for any reason. On the other hand, I think it is detrimental to our country's health to start embracing obesity. It is not just a matter of how you look when you're obese; it is a matter of health. Sure, we would all feel better if everyone was fat and noone looked at us like we weren't normal. But we would then be a nation of sick, out of shape, miserable people. Why on earth would we defend the promotion of such attitudes?

Some say that the government has better things to think about. I ask, would the same people be passionately vocal about discrimination againts fat people? It is the government who protects our rights, abroad AND at home. We all have the right to be treated equally, and we also have the right to stand up and tell companies who are promoting poor health to stop.

[paula 4]

As I read this, I remembered something that could bring light to the banning food commercials idea.

My God-mother is a horrible alcoholic(recovered). Her poison was Cap Morgan's Rum.

Although she's been clean for 3 years now, seeing ALL alcohol advertisements are still a very painful reminder of "the good ole days".

During the holidays, one particular road she traveled often - had a billboard advertis. for Cap Morgan. She went 5 miles out of her way just to avoid seeing this.

When I look at banning food commercials from THIS perspective, I understand it better.

food for ME, is the same as alcohol for her.

same as tobacco use for others.

i get it.

I voted that I would think about it.

[pugmum 0]

Well, we do have personal responsibility/accountability, but Susan makes a really good point with the smoking example. It is not socially acceptable to smoke anymore and this does have to do with advertising/cultural attitudes. Again, interesting. I think I am not influenced by advertising, but I am. I noticed it particularly when I did stop drinking 5 years ago...and I'm not saying that an ad could "make" me drink, but it certainly opens up certain pathways in my brain. Then again, once a decision is made, one must be open to all kinds of temptations and still resist.

I think I would opt for more controlled advertising in regard to children's food, but probably not for adults.

Kelli

[K@t 38]

I don't think ads for any thing should be band, smoking or alcohol or any thing else for that matter. people need to have will power and if they don't, then thats part of life. I for one can say that food advertisement rarely makes me want to go buy something or eat something, I come up with that feeling all on my own.

This reminds me of a story my friend told me...he's a heavy smoker and he said he would be sitting at home watching tv not even thinking about smoking, but then one of those adds against smoking would come on (I can't remember what the group is called but they make lots of tv ads with the bad statistics against smoking) and he said as soon as he saw the ad AGAINST smoking, it would make him want to smoke....

McDonald's is a business and their looking to make money. Their primary concern is NOT our health. And who can blame them, business is what makes the world go round. The make tasty food because thats what people buy and because thats what makes them money, and I don't think we should deny them that by cutting of their primary source of advertisement. Its just not fair business practice. (speaking as someone with an MBA in my pocket) Business have a right too, just as well as consumers. The women who won that coffee burn lawsuit was ridiculous (stupid... use cup holders don't put a hot drink in between ur legs), as were the people who sued the tobacco companies. (who cares if smoking use to be thought of as harmless, every day things we think are harmless are being shown to be harmful...are we going to go sue all those companies as well?) WE decide what to do with our bodies and we can't throw the blame on any one else.

[SkyeBlu 0]

And that would be why I don't like to post a dissagreement with a comment.....

Thank you for the personal attack it just emphasized why I tend to keep quiet.

I am very passionate about the future, about our children who are our hope as a society and obviously in my zealous statement I didn't get across what I wanted to state. EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION is the key to our future. The only way we are going to educate our youth on a grand scale is if the government gets involved and helps with the funding THAT was my biggest point!

Yes, I think that we need to regulate what is blasted at our kids (it may not be a popular oppinion but it is mine) because unfortunately what they (and we) consider important is WAY out of whack.

We regulate the driving age...the world has not gone to hell in a handbasket

We regulate building a new house...a vortex to another world hasn't opened

We regulate how many people you can legaly marry...dogs haven't started to walk on their hind legs and shop at Wal Mart

It has just made us EDUCATE ourselves or THINK about what we are doing and maybe just maybe helped us make a smarter choice for our lives.

Skye

And Shaw...don't ever asume you know anything about me, what I do or don't read, watch or pay attention to. I just find different things more important than you do and you know what....that is OK!

[tilly 5]

considering the money the advertising industry pays for ads to go on TV,billboards, magazines,newspapers etc, surely they work. I would also say that they didnt make me want to go out and buy a particular thing, but I dont think these people would waste all that money if the ads didnt work. as for banning them, well, I still dont know about that question, but think about what you would put in your shopping trolly if there were no ads to tempt you or inform you,would it all be generic foods and all healthy choices? soap powder youve never heard of? cheapest perfume you could find, biggest and cheapest bar of soap?

I still think better labeling on the package is the way to go so we can make those choices when were feeding our families, and even thats no use if there is no education about eating properly in the first place. best way to educate is by advertising and getting the info out there.

then again, I doubt there are many overweight people who dont know about how to eat healthily, Im an expert, just cant do it, healthy food is in the main, boring, difficult to prepare and time consuming, chicken salad with alfaffa Beans or a double cheeseburger?? I know what I would have if I didnt have this danged band lol

[Kelliebelly 13]

This hasnt got much to do with the thread but what I hate is that smoking is all but totally banned here everywhere, if it is so bad for you and youre not allowed to do it anywhere why is it legal. I am a smoker and I have tried to give up so many times. i just wish they would make it illegal like drugs so we cant buy them and then we HAVE to give up. i really do wish this would happen.

[PShaw 0]

Skye,

It's unfortunate you took what I said as a "personal attack", sometimes emotion overrides logic. I'm passionate about what I believe, too. I think we can agree to disagree on this one.

[Marimaru 7]

I haven't voted on the poll, because I don't think we should ban the ads, but I think something should be done. One set of commercials for food that I think could make a good model is the Subway ones. They don't give you the nutritional content for their whole menu, but they advertise the ones that are 6g of fat or less, or whatever, and compare them to other foods. I think if it was somehow required to put some form of nutritional information in a commercial, that might be good (did you know the Taco Bell Crunchwrap has 700 some-odd calories?!?!). I think 2 things could happen then; 1: we would know what we were dealing with before we were implanted with the "I want that!" and 2: these restaurants might not advertise the stuff that's REALLY bad for you, because they wouldn't want to say that stuff outloud!!

Unfortunately, they'd probably ban the commercials before using my idea, lol.

[cashley 0]

I'd like to watch tv with no commercials period... can we vote on that?

Too bad advertisers feel they work... I just Tvio what I like and skip them anyhow!

[PhotoNut 7]

Cashley! *laughs* Excellent idea... boycotts ads, buy TiVos!

[Marimaru 7]

I have a Tivo too, and I do the same thing. What's even funnier, is that if I happen to be watching live TV, and see a commercial that I like, it's usually for a product that a) I already buy or don't buy, and I still don't buy it even after seeing the commercial.

I mean really, how sick is it that there's are shows after the Superbowl dedicated to what the COMMERCIALS WERE?!?!

[vinesqueen 2]

I don't think food commercial should be banned, I think people need to be educated about how and why advertising works. Sky, you are so right, EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE.

When my son was little we would watch all his shows together and we would discuss everything, especially the commercials. What they were selling, what techniques were being used, what they were trying to get us to buy. We would talk about the content of the shows, look at all the product tie-ins and decide if this was a show or a set of products we were interested in having. At the age of 3 we were discussing the techniques advertisers use.

One cheese burger doesn't make anyone fat. One order of fries or a milk shake or any reasonable helping doesn't make anyone fat. It is when we do not pracitice moderation that we start having trouble.

You might as well blame it on our fast paced lifestyles, where we are rushing to take the kids to 27 different aftershool activities, where we feel compelled to work 65 or 70 or even 80 hour work weeks, compressed for time, compressed for energy, stressed out and overworked and overwhelmed.

If we don't get enough sleep, it wreaks havok with our metabolism and our weight. But you don't hear enough people promoting 8 hours of sleep, it's almost like a badge of honor to get by with as little sleep as possible.

Instead of banning food buildboards, why are we not promoting healthy lifestyles that include a balanced life?

[Jachut 487]

As an adult, I can control myself, ignore advertising for what it is and make rational healthy choices for myself and my family.

But I wish to goodness my job was not made so flipping difficult by my children being bombarded with the desirability of crap food that is only going to kill them in the long run. There's so much "fashion" attached to foods that kids want - fast foods, lollies and the like - that they desire it because all their friends have it. I wish they knew nothing about any of it.