Companies to curb ads for unhealthy food directed at kids.

[Quickie]

It's about time.


Companies Propose Curbing Junk Food Ads for Kids - FoxNews.com


The Federal Trade Commission and several other government agencies were directed by Congress to come up with voluntary guidelines for marketing junk food to children, and those were issued earlier this year. The industry balked at that proposal, saying the voluntary standards were too broad and would limit marketing of almost all of the nation's favorite foods, including yogurts, cereals and even some whole wheat breads.

[Longhair]

If a parent is not responsible enough to properly feed their kids, no amount of scaling back on junk food advertising is going to help.

[macaroni tony]

I'll never understand why you need high fructose corn syrup in wheat bread

BTW I like this idea

[fourstringdrums]

Originally Posted by Longhair

If a parent is not responsible enough to properly feed their kids, no amount of scaling back on junk food advertising is going to help.

+1 Just because something is advertised and aimed at a child doesn't mean that they have to eat it. The parent is largely involved in that decision.

[Quickie]

Originally Posted by Longhair

If a parent is not responsible enough to properly feed their kids, no amount of scaling back on junk food advertising is going to help.

I disagree. I thing anything positive will AID the parent.

[fourstringdrums]

Originally Posted by Quickie

I disagree. I thing anything positive will AID the parent.

Aid the parent in what? Any competent parent should know what is and isn't good for their child. If a child sees some sugar laden garbage on tv and wants it, the parent can say no.

Parents are not taking responsibility and we are blaming advertisements more than we ever have when nothing has changed except that kids are more sedentary but that isn't food advertising's fault.

[macaroni tony]

Originally Posted by Quickie

I disagree. I thing anything positive will AID the parent.

Exactly. Come on man. Of course, it won't stop ALL parents from feeding their kids unhealthy food ALL of the time, but it will make SOME parents and kids think twice. It will do some good, and I think it will yield a noticeable improvement.b The "noticeable" part is just my opinion, of course...

But advertising does do a lot to shape our habits. As soon as cereal came out with a bang and was advertised as the "healthy" breakfast food of choice, all the health-conscious people bought it. As soon as the sugary concoctions of cereal came out and were advertised as a kids' alternative, they became the "healthy" cereals' chief rival. The same could be said for pretty much anything, everywhere, ever.

[Selta]

In before all the Fox News haters.

So far, I'm with those on the "It's up to the parents to do it right" side of the fence. Just because it's advertised, doesn't mean I need to go out and get it.

[macaroni tony]

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

Parents are not taking responsibility and we are blaming advertisements more than we ever have when nothing has changed except that kids are more sedentary but that isn't food advertising's fault.

I agree with you there. It chaps my hide that so many in society are constantly looking for someone to blame for everything, anywhere, ever.

[Quickie]

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

Aid the parent in what? Any competent parent should know what is and isn't good for their child. If a child sees some sugar laden garbage on tv and wants it, the parent can say no.

Parents are not taking responsibility and we are blaming advertisements more than we ever have when nothing has changed except that kids are more sedentary but that isn't food advertising's fault.

Kids ARE influenced by what they see on TV. This is fact. If a child sees a new cereal, they want it. Now, if they DON'T see it .....well you understand. That in itself helps the parent.

Parents (most) DO try to take responsibility but cereal manufactures could care less. Their main goal is to move product. At whatever cost necessary.

Common sense here people. If the child does not see it, he or she does not know it exists.

[jmattbassplaya]

Can people not be held responsible for their own actions anymore? Give me a break.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by Quickie

Common sense here people.

Exactly.

"Mommy I want those cookies!"
"No."

Parents need help telling their kids no? That's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What's next? Are they going to make it so that you have to be at least 14 to go down the cookie and chip aisle at a store?

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by Quickie

Kids ARE influenced by what they see on TV. This is fact. If a child sees a new cereal, they want it. Now, if they DON'T see it .....well you understand. That in itself helps the parent.

Parents (most) DO try to take responsibility but cereal manufactures could care less. Their main goal is to move product. At whatever cost necessary.

Common sense here people. If the child does not see it, he or she does not know it exists.

The child is still gonna see it. In the store, or in a crafty product placement. Or, they might see it in the home of a friend.

My mother had no problem telling me no to eating garbage, and I have no problem telling my kids no, either.

Common sense here, people. Parent your damn kids.

[Quickie]

Originally Posted by guy n. cognito

Common sense here, people. Parent your damn kids.

Yes, agreed, but a little less "bombardment" will go a long way.

[macaroni tony]

See it more often = kick and scream for it more often.

See it less often = kick and scream for it less often.

I don't really think any harm is being done by LIMITING junk food ads aimed at the chillins. Just to tow the line of ridiculously exaggerated comparisons, I don't believe that the bulk of the population would be OK with a blitzkreig of malt liquor commercials aimed specifically at preteens. Or a drug dealer standing on every single corner of a neighborhood.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Quickie

It's about time.


Companies Propose Curbing Junk Food Ads for Kids - FoxNews.com


The Federal Trade Commission and several other government agencies were directed by Congress to come up with voluntary guidelines for marketing junk food to children, and those were issued earlier this year. The industry balked at that proposal, saying the voluntary standards were too broad and would limit marketing of almost all of the nation's favorite foods, including yogurts, cereals and even some whole wheat breads.

Kinda pointless. Its not the kida who are buying that crap, its their parents. I guess the reasoning is that kid sees ad = kid asks parents for junk food = parents say no = kids complain until parents give in.

Maybe instead, they should have ads that teach parents how to make a stance and not cave in to their kids behavior?

Personally, Id like to see all advertising removed from society, but that utopian dream will never come.

[Quickie]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Maybe instead, they should have ads that teach parents how to make a stance and not cave in to their kids behavior?

A very good point.

[jmattbassplaya]

I promise you that the amount a kid kicks and screams is in no way proportionate to how many ads they see on TV, but it is directly proportional to how 'well' you're parenting your kid.

Speaking of which, why is your kid watching so much TV that he'd be bombarded by all these commercials anyways? Whatever happened to saying no to TV and video games and instead taking your kids out to the park for an hour?

[viper4000]

I think a lot of it comes down to honesty in advertising. Just like the debate a few years ago about what "Light" means. The food industry balked when "the gov't" said they need to change. The food industry used the word "Light" to mislead their customers into thinking this other product offering is healthier. Which in fact was not the case, and labeling and branding has changed for the better IMO.

Now we also have brand recognition. Kelloggs, General Mills, Con Agra and others have a brand recognition through the older, more long lived sub-brands they own. So if a parent sees that Kellogg is offering a cereal with marshmallows and other sugar additives, they intuitively assume it is healthy due to the association with a trusted brand.

Yup, I think we all agree that it should be the parents' responsibility to manage the food intake of their children. But what about the idea that this advertising also misleads parents?

[macaroni tony]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Maybe instead, they should have ads that teach parents how to make a stance and not cave in to their kids behavior?

I am sure that somehow, some way, somewhere, that would be considered child abuse and it would be screamed at the top of some crazy person's lungs from some crazy mountaintop