Aren’t parents at least partially to blame?
Parents struggle against massive odds. Children who watch TV are bombarded with food ads. Even parents who limit TV eventually take their children to movies, food stores and school, where the commercial assault is in full gear.
Do schools bear responsibility?
Schools have become addicted to the income of selling soft drinks and snack foods. But now major school systems are throwing out the soft drinks, and other schools are doing the same with snack foods. I believe the next front will be marketing food to children, particularly on television.
What’s wrong with TV ads?
The average American child sees 10,000 food advertisements a year on TV alone; nearly all are for foods like soft drinks, fast food, candy, sugared cereals. Other countries, such as Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Greece, limit advertising aimed at children.
Opponents call you a food nag.
Gandhi once said, “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” Proposals such as ridding schools of soft drinks and snack foods, regulating advertising aimed at children and considering small food taxes were ignored for many years, then ridiculed, and now are part of the national debate. Major change is underway.
