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marketing food to kids should be illegal

I just finished wathching the clip that someone posted about processed foods. I am convinced that food ads on kids tv should be outlawed. This is extreme, but something needs to be done.

Tue. Jun 5, 2:29pm

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Uuummmmm I don't think it is the kids doing the grocery shopping. The parents are the ones who have final veto

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 2:30 PM

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agreed 2:30.

Plus, it's also the parents that have the final veto to turn off the TV and get the kids moving!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 2:45 PM

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Second the TV part 2:45

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 2:46 PM

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True, it's not the kids grocery shopping or turning on the TV, but I do think putting cartoon characters on junk food should not be allowed. These are characters that children love, so of course the children are going to assume the food is something they would want and love. So, even if you have a responsible parent who is going to say 'no' and educate the child about 'good-for-you' foods versus bad foods, that child is going to grow up wanting food they can't have and feeling deprived. Does this particular food dynamic sound familiar to any of the people on this board trying to lose weight? It is very familiar to me.

I was flipping through a magazine yesterday and saw a picture of a box of spinach with SpongeBob on it, and the little blurb indicated that children ask for and eat fresh veggies and fruits much more if they put cartoon characters on them. duh! Why can't they put the cartoon characters on healthy stuff?

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 3:16 PM

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I grew up in a VERY healthy household, my mother was very much into vitamins (incl supplements), natural grain bread (never ever had white bread), lots of fruits and vegetables, good home cooking not even peanut butter in the house, and I didn't end up feeling deprived.

My parents simply told me I was the child they were the parents and they had my best interests in mind, and that I couldn't have any of the forbidden food.

I thank my parents for that

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 3:33 PM

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I think its wrong to use education characters (sesame street, barney, blues clues) to market food to children. Kids are not yet able to tell the difference between something education and marketing.

I mean come on Shrek supposed to be partnering up to promote good eating habbits and daily physical activity, yet they sell him in happy meals, sugary ceral, drinks, and who knows what else.

I dont think kids need to be bombarded with character marketing.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 5:54 PM

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It is not up to the child to decide, or to make the differentiation it is the parent's responsibility. So what if it is marketed towards kids? It is the parents who determine what comes into their house



Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 6:03 PM

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It's probably a good thing that kids are bombarded with advertising early- think of it as building up their imune systems for when they actually have credit cards.

Look at it this way- using children's entertainment to advertise stuff to kids is as old as children's entertainment- little orphan annie ho'ed herself out to Ovaltine, Roy Rogers sold all maner of stuff, and the Flintstones pimped Chesterfield cigarettes! And that was back in the days when the ads were inseperable from the shows.

It also leads to the obvious question, where do you draw the line? At what point is someone able to understand marketing? For example- Pop music is marketed towards the under 18 crowd. They buy a lot of CDs, DVDs, etc. Why is it OK to sell them music but not coco-puffs? You can't say that pop music is particularly healthy (promoted body image issues, misogyny, violence)...

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 6:04 PM

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