Lawsuit obesity issues at the kid level

[collwen]

Nickelodeon and Kellogg to be sued for promoting junk food to kids

I heard a little about this on the radio before getting into work. Basically, a consumer group and some parents are putting together a lawsuit against Nickelodeon and Kellogg to try to stop marketing junk food (and other low nutrition foods like sugary cereals) in venues (like Nickelodeon) where most of the audience are kids. Since they're filing in the lawsuit in Massachusetts, they have to notify the company 30 days in advance of filing.

While I understand that more kids are getting fat (speaking as someone who was one of the fat kids in school), I don' t think that a lawsuit is the best way to deal with it.

Parents have a responsibility to buy and serve healthy foods to their children and teach them about good nutrition. Parents also need to learn how to not to give into a child's demands for junk food, or if they do give in to limit the amount that the child has. Parents also need to encourage exercise, and lead by example in all healthy habits.

I also understand that it's hard to tell a kid no when they go to the store and see a box of super sugary cereal or Pop Tarts with Spongebob Squarepants on the front and it's their favorite show and they're begging for it.

But this food isn't illegal. Selling it to (or giving it to) kids is legal (unlike tobacco products and alcohol). And the junk food for kids market is there and strong and companies won't really change until the demand goes down (by parents not buying the product) and the demand for healthier kid-oriented food grows.

Pressuring them with a lawsuit is only going to encourage them to get creative in how they continue working the junk food for kids market and not solve the underlying issues..

Comments

[rtreesbane.livejournal.com]

There's a reason why I don't let the kids watch Nikelodeon... Not because of the adds, but because of teh shows. I miss "You can't do that on Television" and "Danger Mouse". Now, they watch PBS kids where the worst 'snack' food that is advertised is "Danimals yogurt".

We're at an age where NO ONE is required to take personal responsability for their actions. Just sue someone else because they told you to do it and we can't think enough without a lawyer there saying "Hey, that's stupid!"

[collwen.livejournal.com]

I miss "You Can't Do That On Television" too. That was a good show.

Personal responsibility seems to be a rare commodity these days.

[auntiegrizelda.livejournal.com]

I miss shows like "You Can't Do That on Television" too. Now all the shows are the same. Considering the crap on Nickelodeon and even the Disney Channel, I wouldn't let any kids I had (which are currently non existent and will hopefully stay non existent for a good while) watch it. They'd get better entertainment from the Discovery Channel (okay, maybe that's just me hoping that any kids I ever have turn out to be geeks like me).

And it's just sad that we live in a society that has that thought process. Course, the celebrity role models out there for kids teach them a lot about how anything can be fixed with a law suit or something quick.

[collwen.livejournal.com]

PBS Kids isn't bad either (I end up seeing a little of it at times when I'm waiting for one of the news programs to come on and it's in that between time just before it starts).

PBS Kids, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Food Network (ok, so the food isn't always the most balanced, but it's interesting and I'd be watching it anyway. And if you're watching a show on cake, you'd know beforehand to specify to a kid that this is treat food and not everyday food), the do it yourself shows.... there's a lot of programming out there that isn't mind numbing for kids to learn from.

That's if I have cable tv when I have kids