Childhood Obesity

[Trey of Diamonds]

Does Georgia’s childhood obesity ad campaign go too far?

In an effort to fight back against Georgia’s soaring rate of childhood obesity, a local children’s hospital in Atlanta decided to launch a controversial ad campaign last August featuring overweight kids with stinging captions like “chubby kids may not outlive their parents” and “it’s hard to be a little girl if you’re not.”

 

[Father Heathen]

Making sure your children eat healthy is an expected part of being a good parent.

 

[Me Myself]

Good text for that ad...

Making sure your children eat healthy is an expected part of being a good parent.

True dat

 

[Sunstone]

Fructose is fun food.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

At least we'll be able to produce plenty of soylent green.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

So, do you think the ads are a good thing or will they create more bullying instead?

 

[Sunstone]

So, do you think the ads are a good thing or will they create more bullying instead?

That's an excellent question! I have no idea what the answer is, though.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

So, do you think the ads are a good thing or will they create more bullying instead?

Neither.

 

[More In Common]

Like everything in life, the ad is good and bad.

It probably does perpetuate some unjustified stereotypes about parents and larger than typical children.

However, the unfortunate social reality is that an obese child will usually receive more teasing/taunting from their peers growing up.

If it is meant to be provocative and stimulate conversation on the topic, it's most likely a success.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

If it is meant to be provocative and stimulate conversation on the topic, it's most likely a success.

I think it is more likely to make other kids think its ok to make fun of fat kids. After all, they are targeted by these ads, held up as different and less desirable, so they must be fair game. I think the article is correct and more harm than good may come of these types of ads.

 

[More In Common]

I think it is more likely to make other kids think its ok to make fun of fat kids. After all, they are targeted by these ads, held up as different and less desirable, so they must be fair game. I think the article is correct and more harm than good may come of these types of ads.

You're absolutely right! It will undoubtedly make other kids think it's okay to make fun of fat kids.

Do I think there are more effective, respectful ways to promote good health among children - with a doubt!!

I mean successful in terms of generating conversation on the subject. We are, after all, talking about it right now.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

You're absolutely right! It will undoubtedly make other kids think it's okay to make fun of fat kids.

Do I think there are more effective, respectful ways to promote good health among children - with a doubt!!

I mean successful in terms of generating conversation on the subject. We are, after all, talking about it right now.

I'm not sure the "any press is good press" arguement works here. IMO the harm will out weigh the good.

 

[Me Myself]

I think if you have to choose between your child being bullied and your child fixing the posibility of a heart disease, the latter is worse damage.

Many parents need to effing wake up. They can whine all they want about the ad while at it, but it didn´t make their childs fat. They did.

About being "okay" to bully, that is for the school to set right, not the ad. If people started bullying chicken pox kids it wouldn´t make chicken pox awareness bad in an area where it is not being treated.

Gotta have the priorities straight.

 

[Me Myself]

Actually, the "poor bullied kids" argument remembers me this:

[youtube]hRoSJ1y1FSY[/youtube]
The Onion Movie- Obesity - YouTube

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

I think if you have to choose between your child being bullied and your child fixing the posibility of a heart disease, the latter is worse damage.

A physician should first do no harm. If the ad does harm to the child then how is it a good thing?

Many parents need to effing wake up. They can whine all they want about the ad while at it, but it didn´t make their childs fat. They did.

But the parents are not the ones who will suffer, it is the child. The ad might be targeting parents in order to wake them up to the concept of childhood obesity but the end result is an increase in the child being bullied. I just think there has to be a way to reach the parents without harming the child.

About being "okay" to bully, that is for the school to set right, not the ad. If people started bullying chicken pox kids it wouldn´t make chicken pox awareness bad in an area where it is not being treated.

This is a poor example. Chicken Pox is a disease that a child catches, not a weight problem that the child must live with. The two are extremely different and the article even pointed out a similar example and why it was a poor one.

Gotta have the priorities straight.

My priority is with the child. First, don't hurt the child. If you are trying to help the child, don't hurt them. If you are trying to educate the parents, don't hurt the child doing so. If you are trying to make a point, don't hurt the child doing it.

Seeing a pattern here?

 

[9Westy9]

Does Georgia’s childhood obesity ad campaign go too far?

It's unlikely to change anything. It's the parents decision how to feed their kids and all I can see this doing is offending them rather than making them think.

 

[Me Myself]

This is a poor example. Chicken Pox is a disease that a child catches, not a weight problem that the child must live with. The two are extremely different and the article even pointed out a similar example and why it was a poor one.

My priority is with the child. First, don't hurt the child. If you are trying to help the child, don't hurt them. If you are trying to educate the parents, don't hurt the child doing so. If you are trying to make a point, don't hurt the child doing it.

Seeing a pattern here?

Obesity is very well paraleled with a disease. The difference is that most people don´t care to treat it, but it is a hazard to the health that can end the life of the person and cause a variety of complications.

I also see the kid as priority, I just think his immidiate health is more important than some bad years of his life. It´s not like this will make kids START bullying. It will only worsen it, and probably not that much. Kids don´t need reason to be ***, they just are. If they didn´t compare the kid with the ad they would do it with mount fuji or some other wide stuff and keep on bullying.

It´s like if people started "bullying" smokers. They need to lose weight. Gotta go, talk later.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

It´s like if people started "bullying" smokers. They need to lose weight. Gotta go, talk later.

I think the article said it best.

The obesity ads remind me a lot of the graphic cigarette warning labels that the US Food and Drug Administration plans to slap on cartons this year if they’re not stopped by industry lawsuits. They certainly grab your attention. But unlike the smoking ads -- which target a bad habit -- these ads target the people themselves, in this case overweight kids who are already taunted, teased, and stigmatized.

And unlike smokers who consciously choose to begin the habit and may be deterred from ever trying a cigarette in the first place, overweight kids don’t choose to get fat and can’t simply give up a specific bad habit (like eating) to shed pounds. The issue is far more complex than simply labelling obesity as bad for your health.

As the author said, the issue is far too complex and creating an environment that encourages bullying is not the answer.

 

[Me Myself]

The target of th adds are obviously not the kids. Are the parents. If they wake up on the problems of their childs instead of believing it´s just "how they are" (fat) then the childs might get a change of not being bullied when they get lean.

If the parents don´t wake up, they´ll be bullied for life. If they do, they take out weapons for the bullies, and when they reach highschool nicknames can change when appeareance change.

What we need is the health problem to be dealt with. It is much more harmful in both psychological and physiological ways. I mean, you are literaly getting the cause of the bullying away.

 

[Revoltingest]

Too far?
Hah! Not far enuf.
This is better.....
[youtube]RlMKcuNGEeU[/youtube]
In The Know: Should We Be Shaming Obese Children More? - YouTube