|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
HFSS - how bad is the problem? Where is the line?
Of the last few years in the UK, there has been a rising problem with obesity. Teenagers and younger are becoming fatter & fatter as we progress into the 21st century: when will this trend slow?
In the Scotsman today, 18th Nov 2006, an article on banning television advertising featuring products of a HFSS content - High Fat Sugar Salt. This has been given a bad wrap, as the revenue from this sector is immense, the fear is programming quality would suffer the loss.
So, what is acceptable dietry habit? One can't walk down any main city street without an American brand fast food joint - at least one - or a fish and chip shop, the common case is a whole selection: chicken, burger, pizza, chip. This made me concerned on the horizons of society.
Reading through the Scotsman article, I realise that the youth learn most of their habits through home and school - ie parents and peers - as well as the mass media and societal inclination. I know for a fact that people's perception is changing, school adopting healthy eating habit campaigns, and parents in general being better informed of the better way - though this is going on, the media machine keeps on churning, and I have to admit that it doesn't seem pretty.
The article I read had a section detailing what advertising would be lost - I am surprised by the focus - though nostalgia and the fact that I never really had a bad dietry habit when I was young do bias my view. The loss would be no more Milky Bar Kid ("...is strong and tough.."-tra-la-la), Tony the Tiger ("GGGreat"), and the adverts with Gary Linaker and his crispy excapades. I would feel that kids would miss out a little, as one feels their childhood memories of such this, however trivial and throw-away, are a part of your culture. Are these advertisments wholly bad? I, as one, could resist their lure - is a banning a real solution, or is there a solution which could suit the TV market by balancing these ads with positive health promotion.
Where does the bad advertising stop and the 'okay-fine' advertising begin? What would replace these ads upon the TV? What would kids be drawn to spend their pocket money on in the future where the ban took place?
In the Scotsman today, 18th Nov 2006, an article on banning television advertising featuring products of a HFSS content - High Fat Sugar Salt. This has been given a bad wrap, as the revenue from this sector is immense, the fear is programming quality would suffer the loss.
So, what is acceptable dietry habit? One can't walk down any main city street without an American brand fast food joint - at least one - or a fish and chip shop, the common case is a whole selection: chicken, burger, pizza, chip. This made me concerned on the horizons of society.
Reading through the Scotsman article, I realise that the youth learn most of their habits through home and school - ie parents and peers - as well as the mass media and societal inclination. I know for a fact that people's perception is changing, school adopting healthy eating habit campaigns, and parents in general being better informed of the better way - though this is going on, the media machine keeps on churning, and I have to admit that it doesn't seem pretty.
The article I read had a section detailing what advertising would be lost - I am surprised by the focus - though nostalgia and the fact that I never really had a bad dietry habit when I was young do bias my view. The loss would be no more Milky Bar Kid ("...is strong and tough.."-tra-la-la), Tony the Tiger ("GGGreat"), and the adverts with Gary Linaker and his crispy excapades. I would feel that kids would miss out a little, as one feels their childhood memories of such this, however trivial and throw-away, are a part of your culture. Are these advertisments wholly bad? I, as one, could resist their lure - is a banning a real solution, or is there a solution which could suit the TV market by balancing these ads with positive health promotion.
Where does the bad advertising stop and the 'okay-fine' advertising begin? What would replace these ads upon the TV? What would kids be drawn to spend their pocket money on in the future where the ban took place?
 |