Childhood Obesity And TV Advertising

My rant today concerns the recent ban on Children's TV advertising of so called junk food in the UK.

The worst thing about it is it's yet another half hearted gesture to the pressure groups, who somehow think people have no free will.

Kids are getting fatter, who's to blame. Well they seem to think it's the TV advertisers and the evil junk food peddlers. Can you see a problem with that statement? cause I can. The reason kids are getting fatter is nothing to do with that at all, its the fault of the parents.

I have a 7 year old son, and he is perfectly healthy and normal, because I and his mother control what he eats, and we give him advice on what he should do to look after himself. That my friends is called parenting. He watches TV, Jetix, cartoon network, CBBC etc, and he sees the McDonalds ads, (yes they are still there , more on that later), but so what! he gets taken to McDonalds every few weeks for a treat, and that does him no harm whatsoever. They, like the vast majority of the chain fast food people,and most of the independents as well for that matter, produce a very good quality product, that tastes good, they wouldn't be in business for long if they didn't, just don't eat at them everyday, and you will be fine trust me.

Since when did we loose control of our kids , It's our responsibility to bring them up, not the governments. They will be exposed to lots of stuff that they should be protected from, but its our responsibility to protect and guide them not anyone else's, and if you're a parent, and you think its not, then you are not fit to be looking after anyone let alone a child. Now if you don't know already, and if you read this blog regularly enough, you will get to know my views on government, and its mis-guided and often cynical nanny state interference in our lives, and this TV ad ban is a great example.

From what I can tell this is what happened in this case. All the pressure groups say, TV advertising of Junk food is Bad stop it now ! Government says OK, Large corporations for example McDonalds, and the TV companies, say, but this will hurt our business. Government thinks yes and our Tax revenue too, and so gives the companies a back door to getting around the ban.

Yes within two weeks McDonalds were back, advertising as much if not more on TV, but with the added option of a fruit bag or carrot sticks that you can have in your happy meal. I don't have and can't get the sales figures, but my guess is, very few kids are choosing the fruit or carrot stick option on the happy meal, well it wouldn't make me happy would it you? I can tell you what my sons reaction to a carrot stick is in his happy meal, because I got him some as a joke, And it wasn't a happy one I can tell you.

So to sum up my rant today, Boo to the government for another half hearted crap nanny state intervention, and congratulations to Mc d's for getting around it, but people take responsibility for your own lives and lets all tell the meddling pressure group do-gooders of this world where they can stick their interference.

The above rant is my personal view and opinion, if you agree or it annoys you or if you have anything to say please leave a comment