Obesity on the menu for children
Fast food giants are wowing kids with their enticing marketing tactics including talking dogs, kooky clowns, and colourful cartoon and crowned characters.
And don't forget, each kids' meal comes with the latest and greatest toy.
The list goes on. And so does the obesity.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), childhood obesity is not improving.
The organization points the finger at advertising as the main culprit specifically targeting children via television, social media and smart phones.
Zsuzsanna Jakab, director of WHO's regional unit for Europe, says, "Children are surrounded by adverts urging them to consume high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt foods, even when they are in places where they should be protected, such as schools and sports facilities."
However, there are champions out there rallying for better healthy eating choices, including nine-year-old Hannah Robertson of Kelowna, B.C.
She recently decided to take a stand about unhealthy fast food by challenging McDonald's CEO Don Thompson in her poignant speech at the company's annual shareholders' meeting.
An excerpt from her prepared statement to the CEO, states, "Something that I don't think is fair is when big companies try to trick kids into eating food that isn't good for them by using toys and cartoon characters. If parents haven't taught their kids about healthy eating then the kids probably believe that junk food is good for them because it might taste good."
His response? "First off, we don't sell junk food, Hannah."
The American Medical Association (AMA) is now recognizing obesity as a disease and recommending a number of measures to fight it.
Now, mayors from major cities across the United States are pushing against the use of food stamps to purchase sodas and other sugary beverages claiming it is an important step in the fight against obesity.
In 2012, more than 47 million Americans used food stamps under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The program provides benefits to eligible low-income families enabling them to purchase prepackaged foods with the exception of alcohol, cigarettes, hot food, pet food, vitamins, prescriptions and some other items.
If the 18 American mayors get their way, SNAP recipients will be unable to purchase sugary beverages under the program.
The mayors believe the government should not be supporting unhealthy food purchases under a program that promotes healthy nutrition for families in need.
And now, John Guarino, President, Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada, is speaking in Toronto to talk about his company's business in Canada and to discuss how Coca-Cola is taking a leading role in fighting obesity by bringing together business, government and civil society.
So where do we go from here?
Do we let decision-makers decide what is best for us or do we continue to make our own decisions -- healthy or not?
By Donna Donaldson, MSN Money
Do you think there is a problem with childhood obesity? What do you think can be done?
Posted by: Nick | Jun 24, 2021 3:37:36 AM
Have they started blaming entertainment yet? Some people used to have very few tv channels, let alone videogames, let alone internet...etc. back in the 80's or before. Did atari really have the majority of kids hooked on games for hours and hours, or did kids eventually get bored and go outside and play? There used to be times when nothing good was on tv. There was a DRASTIC difference in my rural cousins neighborhood kids' behavior before and after satellite tv became prevalent in the late 80's. People live their lives vicariously via something on a screen in front of them now. I'm no better, and it's sad.
Posted by: Get Serious | Jun 26, 2021 3:58:48 AM
The "prepared" speech was written by her mother, who was using her own 9 year old child to promote her nutritional activist business and According to another article on Everyday Money, her mother better be worried about getting Hannah a job real soon, since it'll cost mommy over $400K PER YEAR to live in a long-term facility when she's over 80. And since everybody knows that healthy eating makes you live much much longer... Hannah better be munching on apples, carrots and celery sticks for the rest of her life so she can afford to pay 3/4 of a Million $$$ PER YEAR for her long-term care about 75 years from now. Maybe that McDonald's burger doesn't taste so bad ?
Posted by: lauren | Jun 27, 2021 11:12:51 PM
Most likey the governed stats to advertise the intensions to make money who ever they offer some good taste of making all to easy for time away from the home kitchen, and tv of course, so whats up with the so many chains causing huge suppliers to give what the goverend body of educations sending out the terms of company, and the future tax rate payers of tommoow? They know something what goes into the agreeing chemical structures for if not, the changes by the govered educations and learning of the ads to sell and give rise to vote in sales of taking the nation by storm by heath and changes of venues in the way we taught the generations in the first place, go out spend, eat a little, dine, and wine, fast it up a bit, catch up in the fast pace, any ways we pass the plate on to another in canada, if you dont believe me blame some one with creditble means of having nothing but every thing and see how tooth n nails exchange the blame shame in the empire.