Jan 4, 2012
Do these anti-obesity ads cross the line or are they just what we need?
Here are three commercials from a campaign meant to raise awareness about childhood obesity in Georgia. They’re intense…
Are they too much or what people need to hear?
(See a couple more at Dangerous Minds)
* * * * *
We run ads about various other addictions and health problems all the time. Why not obesity?
I think we shy away from obesity because it’s so obvious. Food addiction can’t be hidden like many other addictions can be. Obesity is a major health problem that affects all of us and it has to be turned around. If this ad campaign helps with that, I’m all for it.
Yeah, I don’t think they necessarily cross a line, but I do think these kids will grow up and be made fun of for these ads. That, folks, concludes my lesson on irony.
I’m not sure what I think about the commercials themselves, but I feel really bad for the kids on them. If they didn’t get picked on already, now they’ve been cast as “the fat kid”. How do they get past that label? I fear for how those commercials will affect them throughout the rest of their lives.
It will simply encourage the kids (and parents) in the commercials to tackle their food addiction as well. I see no problems.
Shoot, I try to be so nonconfrontational in comments. I did fear someone would disagree with me though.
My comment was based off my experience. I was “the chubby kid” and got picked on for it growing up. Later, when I was at my “ideal weight” and was in good shape, I still never considered myself to be anything other than “the fat kid”. (And, if you go look at my profile, yes I’m aware that I’m no longer at that ideal weight.)
Yes, this may say more about my self-esteem than about the commercials, but I still think these commercials will have a lasting [negative] effect on the kids and their self-image.
Who says they are addicted to food? Many, if not most, people are obese in spite of not over-eating. The are obese because of an ugly cocktail of heredity, evolved reaction to certain foods, and, worst of all, misinformation about what the problem really is (over-exposure to refined carbs)and poor education on what to do about it (identify and restrict carb intake).
Telling people to just quit over-eating applies only to a fraction of the population and does not equip anyone with the ability to correct/manage their weight. In effect the only pro is drawing more attention to the problem (hardly necessary) and the cons start at further stigmatizing the issue without contributing to a solution.
At least part of the real problem is the changes in our food supply that are the responsibility of large corporations and the government that supports their bottom line at the expense of food safety. Just one example of this is the ubiquity of high-fructose corn syrup which contributes to obesity since the body processes it differently than sugar. The corn syrup industry is supported by tariffs on sugar that is imported and by regulations that ignore the health cost of substituting corn syrup for sugar. When soft drinks were sweetened with sugar not corn syrup, there was less obesity.
Lynette that was absolutely my first thought too.
Maybe next we could have kids who had been sexually abused appearing on TV commercials too?
Johnny Cash – “it will simply…?” Way to go Empathy Boy. It’s always easy to see no problem when you don’t have that problem.
Some things need to be addressed. The mortality rate, quality of life, etc is horrible
It’s like someone has an open, gaping wound, but no one ever told them that there’s ways to change their life for a while that will heal it, and you wont do anything about it ‘cuz you’re afraid you might make them feel bad for being labeled “the bleeding-out kid.”
Abso-freaking-lutely. We can’t fix the problem of obesity if no one has addressed it as a problem. As an RN, I see up close the horrible complications obesity brings to any health issue. I see it so often though, I almost expect patients to be obese, or at least overweight. I’m glad these ads came out. So what if they get teased by ignorant bullies? I give these kids a standing ovation for 1)admitting they have a problem, 2)being brave enough to deal with it, & 3)becoming a spokesperson for their cause so others may be helped. Hell, I don’t know if I could do that!
Absolutely what people need to hear. It’s the parents responsibility to feed their children healthy food and help them get exercise. I know some of it comes down to being educated. But, a lot of it also comes down to laziness, and its really sad.
Agreed. Quite frankly, I consider parents allowing their children to reach this level of bodyfat percentage to be child abuse, for which they should be punished…
I think this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. OBESITY IS OBVIOUS. Do you think there is a single obese person out there who thinks they are NOT overweight? They know damn well. More guilt = more comfort eating. Offer solutions, NOT more blame.
And every case of obesity is NOT caused by food addiction. That thought is provided by someone who wants to feel superior. Do you REALLY have NO other arena in life where you can feel superior to other folks? Get help, you clearly need it!
It doesn’t feel good to be judged on one statement, does it? But judging obese people is doing EXACTLY that. Look past the fat.
Obesity is not as obvious as you think. Sure, you see someone who is ‘fat’ and judge them to be obese. Plenty of obese people DON’T think they are – just as plenty of anorexic people think they are ‘fat’. Maybe what we need to do is focus on “healthy”. So much of this nation’s diet is saturated with fat, salt, sugar, and processed wheat. How many of you cook from scratch? How many of you cook at all? Even school lunches that are “healthy” contain more fat and sugar than necessary. Grabbing a ‘quick’ meal at a fast-food restaurant is more common than a home-cooked meal. It’s not all candy and cookies; it’s a lifestyle of eating pasta, bread, pizza, cheese, even boxed cereal without balancing things with fruits and vegetables. Don’t assume that everyone “knows” they are obese, or that everyone who is obese eats for comfort. And there are plenty of parents who make excuses for their children’s obesity. I don’t think these commercials are too much at all; I think they don’t go far enough.
i agree that we need to focus on healthy, and making a difference.
…but i stand by my assessment that fat people know they are fat. and guess what? i’m obese. i am judged every damn day of my damn life. and yes, i cook. often from scratch. the answers are never simple.
yes, i made blanket statements, and no, “everyone” isn’t self-aware. there are lots of people in denial. but by far the majority of heavy people are aware they are large.
have you ever had to squeeze into a school desk? a movie seat? you know you’re fat. rather than come up with a bunch more examples, i will agree that we disagree about the problem, but agree that there MUST BE a BETTER APPROACH to a SOLUTION.
I think the ads are aimed more at the parents, who do have the choice to do something in regards to controlling their child’s diet.
Yeah, the kids probably know they’re overweight. But they may not know how to help themselves. Which is why the ads are focused on CHILDHOOD obesity – because it’s a lot harder for someone who isn’t independent to get healthy on their own without support and guidance from their parents (or whoever is making their nutrition decisions).
My best friend has been obese all her life. She knew it, but as with most obese people, her mental body image does not correlate with reality. Many times as kids she will ask me if she would fit in certain swings or chairs, because she honestly did not know how big she was. Whenever she had to estimate her size, she always thought she was much smaller than she really was.
I wish they would address the health issues involved with childhood obesity…
I like the sentiment of being healthy. I could certainly do more to be healthier myself. I think what bothers me most about these commercials is they seem to blame the kids and parents for being the butt of other people’s cruel humor. I realize we have terrible eating habits as Americans, not to mention exercise habits (or lack thereof). And parents certainly do have a great responsibility to help their children learn and appreciate healthy eating/exercise choices. But I feel like these commercials seem to say, “If you’re fit, then no one will make fun of you anymore.” Almost like people can’t help but make fun of someone who is overweight. I agree with CMB above that I think the campaign would be a lot more effective if it offered solutions instead of a guilt-inducing sentiment of “Get off your fat, lazy a** and do something.”
I think the last one is the best because it addresses the problem, parenting. The kids of 10 and 12 md younger are not always to blame because they dont know any better. I was the fat kid when i was young but when i was 12 my parents and i worked together on a plan and i started playing every sport i could and my mom helped me with the nutrition part and in 2 years i was at a much better weight and by mid high school i was in fantastic shape and playing varsity football. And you know what, i was happier. Not because of what others were saying, because i never did get made fun of too bad for my wight because i was always the funny kid, but i was happier because i had accomplished something and i didn’t have to feel guilty about my body every day. As a top commenter on the last one said “Everything in this life is hard if it is worth doing” I know it wasn’t easy for my parents to come down on me like they did, and it certainly wasn’t easy for me. But now i feel i have an advantage over everyone else because i know i can do anything if i put my all into it. It was the most valuable life lesson a 12 year-old could learn and its something too many parents in this country simply aren’t doing. I feel for the kids in the commercials but i just want to look at them and say you can set yourself free. It’s that simple. Maybe the commercials shouldn’t be so tough but i honestly think they do far more good this way then bad.
Older kids (teens) may not know better either, if they were raised that way. Even adults who were raised that way, they become numb to the problem and then fail to see how it applies to them.
I come from a loooooong line of alcoholics and drug addicts, raising kids around drugs/alcohol, everyone using, and judging others for doing the same thing. It took a major wakeup call to get me out of that lifestyle, and thats what I see with the obesity epidemic. I hope these psa spots can be a wakeup call to some kid or some family who looks at the clip and sees themselves or their child.
To me, what these ads are saying is: “The problem with being fat is that no-one likes you.” or “fat people are an acceptable target – make sure you’re not one of them.”
Surely it’s the health issues that should be addressed. People who dislike fat people are wrong.
Making fun of fat people should be discouraged, not encouraged.
To answer the question… yes. I think these ads cross the line.
I do not necessarily see anything wrong with the ads, after all I do not think these are designed to tell the children they are overweight. They are designed to alert parents to a issue they may actively be trying to avoid. I *do*, however, take issue the second ad. It first features a child talking about playing video games by himself, and then it talks about how being obese takes the fun out of being a kid. I get what they are trying to do, but for crying out loud, give video games a break for once. If you do any sedentary activity for too long it would have the same affect. At least video games help develop the mind, problem solving skills, and reflexes. Gaming is a valid, enjoyable hobby that reinforces self-esteem and provides an outlet for stress. Gamers and gaming is not the problem here, overeating is. The gaming community has already been on the receiving end of enough unwarranted, misinformed vilification without these attention grabbing ads contributing to that particular problem.
I don’t think they were going after gamers… I think the focus of that ad was the fact that the ONLY thing the kid did for fun was play video games, by himself.
If that’s all you do, then it’s no longer a hobby, it’s hiding.
What you say is true, but gaming is still not the *reason* he is the child is hiding. The reason this child is hiding is because of his weight. The reason for his weight is either due to overeating or medical issues (they do not say). Gaming, for him, is a healthy coping mechanism. There are a thousand other things the ad could have picked for ways that the child is dealing with his weight, but they chose gaming – a recreation that is very often (and very loudly)touted by the media and politicians as a factor in childhood obesity. That is what I take issue with.
Unless you are part of the community I know this may come across as splitting hairs or being overly sensitive, but I really am not. The community and industry as a whole has been under an all out assault in the past couple years from activist organization like Common Sense Media, and from a legal standpoint. A recent legal case that could have crippled the industry, just went as far as the Supreme Court in 2011 (Brown vs. EMA) under the guise of “protecting the children.” Thankfully the EMA won the day and preservation of the First Amendment triumphed. I won’t go into detail here because that is really not the immediate issue. The point is though, that here we have what will probably be a highly visible awareness ad (if it is not already) implying a direct link between gaming and childhood obesity. as I mentioned earlier, that is not a connection without precedent. It not only reinforces the false image of gamers as solitary, home bound individuals missing out on life; but more importantly it also supports the touted negative effects of gaming that the general media and questionable psychologists have been perpetuating. With everything else that has been going on behind the scenes recently, this ad is appearing at a very bad time. No matter how well intentioned or innocent this particular version of the ad may be, in light of recent events it is difficult to see it as anything else other than yet another underhanded attack. I still think that the ad series itself is a good thing since it asks parents to pay attention to their child’s health and mental well-being in a way I have not seen before. I simply do not appreciate the implications that the second ad holds.
Good to have commercials for this issue. However, some weird logic in them.
1. I am fat.
2. People make fun of me.
3. Therefore, help me not be fat.
How about this…let’s not make fun of people.
Reminds me of this demetri martin joke: http://www.jokes.com/funny/demetri+martin/demetri-martin–throwing-stones
I’m not sure you are familiar with human beings.
I would like these adds better if they had anti-bullying ads to go along with it. Overweight kids deal with a lot of teasing and low self esteem. If these kids do eventually become thin the scars of bullying are still there. Parents of bullies need a wake up call too.
A few things:
1. I don’t think these ads cross the line. I think they are tough enough to get attention, which is what is needed.
2. Contrary to what others have said, I think the kids in the commercials will GAIN from doing them. I think they’ll gain momentum in fighting it.
2. There are so many reasons for obesity (child or adult); no one ad campaign is going to be able to focus on all of them at once. I think this one’s job was to wake people up to the problem and get people talking about it (which it’s doing here).
3. It bothers me that there’s not more talk about how money can affect health/weight. I grew up in a lower-middle-class, two-income household, where hamburger helper and spaghetti were the norm. I was not obese as a child, but as an adult, I now have health problems (including high cholesterol, high triglycerides and a fatty liver), and I HAVE to eat healthier. My husband and I are still lower-middle-income, and I face a battle every week at the grocery store, trying to juggle what we can afford and what is healthy. It is HARD to eat healthy on a budget. Those fresh ingredients and lower-fat meat and whole wheat products do not come cheap – those extra .50 for this and .68 each for that adds up quickly when you only have so much to spend. Add to that the habits I learned (or rather, didn’t learn) about food preparation as a kid, and you’ve got a mess. I think the recent focus on making school lunches healthier is an awesome way to combat some of that. I was a “lunch ticket” kid and probably could’ve used more fruit and less mystery meat in gravy. Also, when you have a lower income, your eating out tends to be fast food instead of sit-down restaurants, where your choices tend to be fried or gravied, with fewer low-fat options. It makes a difference.
I agree with you partially, but I think the bad food problem is a cultural one, not necessarily a monetary one. Making a meal from scratch is cheaper than any restaurant food. People need to learn how to cook again… It is not so hard, and it is not expensive, either…or time consuming. But one needs to know how.
There are “food deserts”, actually, in a lot of urban areas. These are areas where there is actually nothing more than a corner store for a very long stretch. It’s actually hard for many people to even get to a grocery store that offers fresh, healthy food at a reasonable cost. It’s truly a shame.
No lines crossed as far as I can tell. I am an obese woman. My children, however, are actually at the low end of the weight curve for their height/age. We talk about healthy choices, and being active. They’re helping ME lose weight :D This type of commercial/ad is exactly what people need to see.
Childhood obesity=combination of nature & nurture. Growing up I was the fat kid, I was bullied constantly, but people have to realize that it’s not just what parents feed children. It’s also contained in their genetic predisposition. I struggled with my weight until I was about 16 years old. I changed my diet & started exercising. I beat childhood obesity.I still continued to live with the parents I did, and ate what my mom cooked, & still managed to lose weight. Even though I was bullied, I still had a fun childhood. These ads should not address childhood obesity, but obesity as a whole. Maybe they should also focus on the emotional factors that could be contributing to childhood obesity. Things like divorce, or other issues that could put emotional strain on a child. Last thing I want to say (sorry for my novel of a comment) is that these commercials are enforcing negativity into people’s heads. Rather than expose the horror of being an obese child, encourage healthy behaviors. Having a ‘fun’ childhood is about attitude, not about how big or small you are. After all, they are CHILDREN. Soon they will grow up, & ultimately become responsible for their own healthy choices regardless of what their parents fed them.
Agree with you, but sometimes just showing positives doesn’t work. It might for some people but the message won’t reach the people who really need to learn.
I didn’t bother reading through the comments to see if anyone corrected you yet, but you introduced this with “hear are” instead of “here are” and I just love pointing out grammatical errors :)
I have always been fat. I have always hated it. I wish my parents would have seen those ads.
Yes the videos are controversial,but look what its done. Were all talking about the issue. Overall I think mission accomplished for the Georgia Health Department.
I live in Atlanta and teach high school. Everyday I watch students make decisions and develop habits that negatively affect their health for, potentially, the rest of their lives. I’m glad that this issue is being addressed.
They are, at the very least, what we need.
(Sorry in advance to the grammer nazis)
This is truly necessary. Show them in MD. Show them everywhere, for that matter. Kids need to understand that it’s not ok to be fat. I hate saying that they’re ‘fat’, but it’s true. You have to do it. So many people just don’t understand that being like this isn’t OK. It has serious consequences. Those people that get kicked off airplanes or forced to pay way more money because they’re fat? Same deal. It’s (usually) their fault. I understand that sometimes it’s genetics but for most people, it’s their fault. America has such a high rate of obesity that it’s not even funny. It’s awful.
There is no such thing as “fat people’s rights”. You are fat. It’s your problem. It’s your job to fix it. Suing McDonalds or the government or whoever won’t help. If we can stop the fatness when kids are still this age it would make a huge difference.
This is not going too far. It shouldn’t offend anyone except the people who realize that it’s aimed towards them and their children, and like it or not they need to know this.
Good idea, Georgia.
They actually had them all over the place here in Atlanta but took them down around January. This is exactly what they need…to be jarred. I find there are so many overweight children here in this state and their parents don’t care..none of them are physically active and they’re brats at that! The older ones (teenagers and young adults) strut around like there isn’t anything wrong, eating tons of food and calling themselves ‘curvy’ (the girls at least)it’s ridiculous. And honestly I call bullshit on this heredity crap. I was chubby in highschool, I wasn’t fat but I could definitely lose some weight…even though it hurt my feelings my parents worked with me to make sure I was healthy! And I had two very skinny brothers, honestly obesity chalks up to laziness…very rarely do you find someone with a gland problem that makes them fat. Cuz you can cook healthy all you want but it’s a combo of diet AND exercise…the folks that think this has crossed the line need to reflect on themselves a little and stop with the denial
If they want to help people change they should offer inspiring ads about how it’s been done. Offer success stories that encourage and point the way. If change were easy and if it were easily in the grasp of people to do it, they would have already done it. Don’t kick ‘em while they are down: offer a helping hand up.
Tremendous issues here. I am very happy to look your article. Thanks so much and I’m taking a look ahead to touch you. Will you please drop me a mail?
I understand that we should be aware of obesity in society and should be striving to be healthier, but I don’t see a lot being said about those who are severely UNDERweight. In many cases, being underweight is a greater health risk than being overweight. I’m not trying to down-play the importance of trying to beat obesity in the US/world, I just think that we shouldn’t neglect the other side of the story.
I’ve been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of space . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this website. Reading this info So i’m satisfied to show that I have a very just right uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I so much certainly will make sure to don?t overlook this website and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.