Health. America “values” health. With her organic produce aisles to healthy chain restaurants, America values health! Well, sarcasm aside, that is completely not true. America claims to value health, but in fact it is advertising unhealthy food to younger children.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama created her “Let’s Move” campaign which outlined “a wide range of initiatives to “attempt” to end childhood obesity within a generation.” We can see that America is “attempting” to create a healthy lifestyle for children. However, that isn’t the case.
NBC researchers reported “obesity is worsening in American kids.” And the cause; “society that continues to push junk food despite the overwhelming evidence about its dangers.” Advertisements that children view daily and hourly display attractiveness attached to junk food. A child’s favorite star eating at McDonald’s, a fun little bird stuck to sugar laced cereal, and tv families drinking Coca-Cola.
Kids can view more than 800 junk food ads a year while watching electronics. And during children’s viewing hours, “junk food advertising was 2.3 times higher each hour than for healthy foods.” That is completely unacceptable. Junk food is a marketable item towards young kids. It is just attractive as a new Lego or Barbie set, and the children will want all of those sugars that appeal to them.
Whose responsibility is it to take to remove those commercials? Certainly the former First Lady did not find it important. Broadcast companies claim that they only need “protect commercial broadcast interests, [and] should not be responsible for a public health issue.” A parent can’t control that when a child is left alone with Sesame Street unhealthy food ads won’t appear. Junk food is making children fat, and it is being commercially marketed to them. Somebody needs to take action. But who will?
Hello, Jake! My name is Ms. Blair and I have been observing your classroom for the past few weeks. I will also be student teaching in your class this winter. I look forward to getting to know you and your classmates throughout the school year!
ReplyDeleteYour post provides a strong example of when values differ from reality-- in this case, the prevalent obesity and advertisements targeting children contradict the value of health. Can you think of any other situations where this might occur? What might result from values clashing with reality?