Advertising aimed at children

**pestiferous** · 29-05-2006 17:57

Health Minister Tony Abbot has refused the possibility of banning junk food commercials aimed at children (EG: the mac donalds happy meal ads) His reply when questioned was "I don't think we can cover our population in cling wrap,"

While i disagree with the 'blame big business' attitude (after all, it is parents who decide what children will eat, no-one else) If find it quite hypocritical that at the same time smoking has been banned from TV advertising for years, we now have to suffer grotesque images plastered on packets as well.

Images that effect not only smokers but anyone who enters a store, you only have to pay for your fuel to be blinded by swollen gangreanous feet and fatty arteries *ughhh*. I'm not saying we shouldnt have the bans and warning on tobacco products, sometimes we all have to suffer for the greater good. and If it stops one kid from smoking then hey, I can put up with feeling sick everytime i see them.

BUT if it's ok to 'wrap us in cling wrap' over smoking, why not over something that effects our childrens health as well?

If i have to suffer disgusting medical conditions then I want to see pictures of massive children being teased in the school yards on every happy meal box! Fat rolls seeping out between lycra tights and midrift tops on every mars bar!

images of half dead diabetics on every tim tam pack with warning labels like

"over indulgence in the contents of this pack may cause infidelity or divorce!"

O.K, Yes, i'm kidding. but seriously there's a lot of room on a happy meal box, I'm sure we could manage a few sensible facts to show what kind of **** is being fed to our kids!

You can't tell me the company that sells burgers containing so many preservatives that when left out for two weeks, they simply go hard (no mould, no deterioration, just harden like a rock lol) has any more rights to advertise than the company that sells tobacco.

**JasmineLouise** · 29-05-2006 18:09

As for the burgers.. On today tonight they had a cheese burger bought in 2003 and not much had really changed... still no mould etc..

Freaky stuff isn't it?

**MilkOnTap** · 29-05-2006 18:16

Great point Pesty. I must say, I do agree that scare tactics on cigarette packets certainly put me off the notion of filling my lungs with tar. I guess it comes down to choice - right?

Teaching your child about moderation certainly has to come into play. While I dont agree in 'cling wrapping' our youngsters from the world, the fact is that one day they are going to do what they want.

Isn't education better?

**MissSparkle** · 29-05-2006 21:12

Oh that cheese burger thing was DISGUSTING!!

My DS is only 16months and when we drive past maccas he starts pointing and squealing "Macca Macca!! Ooooooooo" Hes had maccas maybe twice in his life but he sure knows that big Yellow M from the telly!!!

**misskittyfantastico** · 29-05-2006 21:20

I don't know if it would help. I was a heavy smoker for nearly 10 years and the warnings had absolutely no effect on me whatsoever - I knew it was bad etc...I quit the day I found out I was pregnant. It had nothing to do with warnings.

**xkwzit** · 29-05-2006 21:41

Pesti, I'm finding that I agree with you on quite a few topics recently...

I also have the view that junk food should not be advertised during children's TV viewing hours. DD1 had never been to McD (we were not going to take her for years), but by 18months old, she still knew they sold chips, purely from the TV advertising.

Yes I know I could choose not to let them watch commercial TV, but if I had my way, I would prefer kids be watching ads for barbie and nintendo, rather than McD, icecream, lollies and chips. JMO

Cheers

**pestiferous** · 30-05-2006 11:30

Originally Posted by YoungMumSteph

Oh that cheese burger thing was DISGUSTING!!

My DS is only 16months and when we drive past maccas he starts pointing and squealing "Macca Macca!! Ooooooooo" Hes had maccas maybe twice in his life but he sure knows that big Yellow M from the telly!!!

My youngest is the same, Thankfully, he has no interest in the food only the toys.

This is probably because (as he has 3 older siblings) from a very young age we have only ever gone to macca's on the way home from school, and then it is only for a coffee (for me of course) and four kid's toys lol They all know the only time their allowed macca's food, is on a special occasion.

I know it will never completely teach the kid's that Macca's is rubbish and to stay away. But I think it does help counter-act those damned happy meal ads that you just can't escape. They can brain wash the kids into thinking they MUST have the toy all they want. But i'll be dammed if i'll let them hook the kids on foods that are specifically designed to addict.

**Jackson84** · 30-05-2006 12:04

Originally Posted by pestiferous

You can't tell me the company that sells burgers has any more rights to advertise than the company that sells tobacco.

i thinkt he difference is that you can consume junk food "responsibly" (ie once a year) but smoking is never responsible. it only takes 1 ciggi to cause irreperable damage. you might as well put forward the same argument against alcohol. goodnees knows that it causes a lot of problems in our society.

**BJelly** · 30-05-2006 14:05

I'm with you on this one pestiferous,

It's one thing to advertise to adults but another to aim advertising towards kids - I'm against it. Kids are too young to know what is good for them and advertisers use "pester power" because it works so effectively against parents - eg kids ask again and again for something that they've seen on TV.

I've noticed even the McDonalds ads aimed at adults (the one where the kids pop out of the adults' chests and they drive in toy cars) also catches my 1 year old's attention every time because of the high pitched music sounds like kid's music - and my baby loves ads with kids in them and this one has kids in it too.

I think governments should ensure companies behave like responsible corporate citizens and assist families do the right thing and to make healthy choices, not make it harder.

After all, obesity and diseases related to obesity like diabetes, stroke and heart disease are all costing us money with regard to health care, the government should be doing everything it can to ensure we stay as healthy as possible especially since we are living longer, and kids are getting fatter - this is not good news for our society and our health system.