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Should television advertising of fast food / high sugar foods be permitted?
Copper_Boom
Posts: 85 Member
in Debate Club
I’m inclined to say that since Joe Camel doesn’t grace our television screens, the fast food and breakfast cereal commercials should get lost as well.
What do you think?
What do you think?
5
Replies
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It is not even remotely realistic to suggest that fast food or sugary snacks have similar health implications to cigarettes.
I am perfectly capable of moderating my consumption of fast food and sweet treats to fit into a calorie appropriate healthy diet. And there is no evidence that a diet that is calorie appropriate and includes fast food or sugary foods has negative health consequences.
So no, I have no problem with food advertising as it currently is.33 -
Fast food and high sugar items, despite what some people will have you believe, are not actually addictive substances, in the way that cigarettes are. And as @kimny72 said, they are not necessarily unhealthy in and of themselves. Only when consumed to excess as a contributing factor to obesity.
I would consider being supportive of limitations on certain types of advertising that are specifically advertised on and targeted towards children. I think that would be prudent. But considering alcoholic beverages can still be advertised on general programming, I don't see any reason why fast food and sugary food shouldn't.
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Nope. It's our lack of insight and moderation of these items that makes them potentially harmful. Why should the manufacturers get penalized for it?9
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Fast food and high sugar items, despite what some people will have you believe, are not actually addictive substances, in the way that cigarettes are. And as @kimny72 said, they are not necessarily unhealthy in and of themselves. Only when consumed to excess as a contributing factor to obesity.
I would consider being supportive of limitations on certain types of advertising that are specifically advertised on and targeted towards children. I think that would be prudent. But considering alcoholic beverages can still be advertised on general programming, I don't see any reason why fast food and sugary food shouldn't.
I was going to say exactly this.3 -
Almost anything that's sold can have a bad effect or outcome for someone. I prefer to live in a non-banning society. What's fast food, anyway? Chick Fil A has salads; should Chick Fil A be banned from advertising? Chipotle? Where do you draw the line? Are beer commercials OK? It's best to permit as much as possible, imho. Who gets to decide what gets banned, and based on what? What happens when we get our first Keto president - will Panera be banned from advertising on TV?
Cigarettes were and are a different story; those are just death sticks and the individual and societal cost of having a nation of 50 % adult smokers was so egregiously gigantic that something had to be done. Nothing else that's currently advertised even remotely rises to that standard. Cigarette advertising was like having advertisements for suicide, targeted at young, impressionable people; it just had to stop.6 -
I don't particularly want government regulation to stand in for my mommy and daddy, with respect to products that are safe and reasonable if I consume them like a responsible grown-up.
And before anyone even says it, actual children ought to have a responsible grown-up in the picture, too, when it comes to purchasing decisions about the majority of their dietary intake. If they lack that oversight, we can't fix the consequences by regulating food advertising.11 -
But where would you draw the line? You can't advertise anything that's not "healthy"? By whose standards? Do you really believe that advertising should be banned on alcohol, products with artificial sweeteners (which some people think are unhealthy)? Anything that has too much sugar, fat, calories by some random standard? What about advertising "unhealthy" habits, like gambling? Only "whole" or "clean" foods would be allowed to be advertised?
Sorry, but no. Businesses have a right to promote their products, even if you don't think they are in peoples best interests.2 -
Prohibited? No. But I'd be fine with them showing actual serving sizes and calorie counts.14
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What about automobiles? Over 100 people a day in the US die from car crashes. Just like fast food and "sweets" the automobiles don't cause deaths (or injuries) it is the only when there is no self control and care given that these items become part of the picture. Guess what did play a roll...alcohol. So ban automobile ads...alcohol ads and don't forget the ads about "Joe's Bar" because it might encourage people to drink and drive.
As for the children...my parents had no problem saying "no" nor did I when mine were growing up. They nor I didn't depend on others to discipline nor teach me right from wrong. When a tv show came on that they didn't think we children should watch...they turned off the tv.
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I wouldn't support a ban. But I would support a requirement that food companies must show the food looking as it is typically served, instead of the dressing up they do for TV commercials. Imagine if they showed a Whopper they way you actually get it: squished bun, patty halfway sliding off, condiments awkwardly all on one side of sandwich.14
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I reckon that we should ban most everything... and then work our way back up.
Or..... maybe allow everything, then those of us who are left standing can sort it out.
Dunno.6 -
I wouldn't support a ban. But I would support a requirement that food companies must show the food looking as it is typically served, instead of the dressing up they do for TV commercials. Imagine if they showed a Whopper they way you actually get it: squished bun, patty halfway sliding off, condiments awkwardly all on one side of sandwich.
Or cereal commercials with a huge bowl Coco Puffs filled with milk.0 -
Yes it should be permitted. We have enough censorship and government involvement in our lives.9
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So we're keeping television programming and discussing banning advertisements? Seems logical.1
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I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say that the food industry has a major role to play in rising levels of obesity so I would absolutely support a ban on advertsing of these products. Food manufacturers are far far more savvy about the effects that certain food combinations have on our ability to resist temptation than the vast majority of the gen pop do. While it's right to point out that none of this food is addictive, there's no denying the reaction we have to highly palatable foods. The science is clear and the release of dopamine we can experience simply when we think about certain foods is used extensively by the food industry to sell their products.
Try eating 3500 calories of chicken over the course of a day versus eating 3500 calories of muffins or cookies. I'd guarantee you'd be completely stuffed after the chicken and wouldn't be able to eat another mouthful, while you could probably eat a few more muffins.
The desire to overeat is genetically inherent in all of us. We have evolved to prioritise nutrient dense and highly palatable foods over thousands of years and really don't need the food industry bombarding us with images of how much more we can eat.7 -
I have just as much right to know the newest "limited" greasy burger from McD's exists as the the next grilled chicken thing. It's my choice which i choose to eat. I don't go by every day to check the menu. I go based on what the TV ad or someone on here mentioned. Thank you whoever mentioned the stroopwafel fluffy that was awesome.5
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Prohibited? No. But I'd be fine with them showing actual serving sizes and calorie counts.
Or the actual food vs the doctored up/photoshopped version
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LOL
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Prohibited? No. But I'd be fine with them showing actual serving sizes and calorie counts.
This strikes me as a most interesting solution. I'm not sure how much it would impact people - I'm of the belief most people haven't internalized calories enough to effortless understand what a number means, and that a lot of MFP can't remember their own naivete when they discuss this as a solution. Regardless, I think it would be very interesting to have this required on screen similar to a surgeon general's warning - a little black and white box that's say at least 15% of the screen that lists the calories every time a meal is shown, smaller disclaimer text allowed when they have selected a diet drink for the picture.
I would wonder if over time people would gain a bit more calorie awareness, or if they would just mentally tune out that part of the picture.1 -
I just can't wrap my brain around the irony in TV ads. It seems as if half the ads are pushing junk foods and the other half push pills which supposedly remedy the results of the over -consumption of said junk. Very often I just want to put my foot through the television...**sigh**7
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No.
How about people stop blaming others for what they have done to themselves? A commercial on TV doesn't put that food in your mouth. You have to make a conscious decision and effort to get the food and eat it. The commercials are not making anyone fat. This is simply ridiculous.16 -
Slightly OT but hey, it's Debate.
The best thing I've done for myself in the past ten years is get rid of cable and network TV. Netflix or nothing, those are my choices. Yeah, I miss a couple things - but the one huge positive is no commercials.12 -
cmriverside wrote: »Slightly OT but hey, it's Debate.
The best thing I've done for myself in the past ten years is get rid of cable and network TV. Netflix or nothing, those are my choices. Yeah, I miss a couple things - but the one huge positive is no commercials.
Agreed. I can't recall the last time I saw a TV commercial, and as for the ones online (like the much deplored ones at MFP), I tend to not note them unless I try.2 -
cmriverside wrote: »Slightly OT but hey, it's Debate.
The best thing I've done for myself in the past ten years is get rid of cable and network TV. Netflix or nothing, those are my choices. Yeah, I miss a couple things - but the one huge positive is no commercials.
Agreed. I can't recall the last time I saw a TV commercial, and as for the ones online (like the much deplored ones at MFP), I tend to not note them unless I try.
I opted for the HULU option with commercials and the kid's response to this is hilarious. They completely tune out and walk away or moan and complain "What is this?!" "Now I'm not going to buy your product!"3 -
cmriverside wrote: »Slightly OT but hey, it's Debate.
The best thing I've done for myself in the past ten years is get rid of cable and network TV. Netflix or nothing, those are my choices. Yeah, I miss a couple things - but the one huge positive is no commercials.
Agreed. I can't recall the last time I saw a TV commercial, and as for the ones online (like the much deplored ones at MFP), I tend to not note them unless I try.
You don't have to see the ones on MFP either. JS.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Slightly OT but hey, it's Debate.
The best thing I've done for myself in the past ten years is get rid of cable and network TV. Netflix or nothing, those are my choices. Yeah, I miss a couple things - but the one huge positive is no commercials.
Agreed. I can't recall the last time I saw a TV commercial, and as for the ones online (like the much deplored ones at MFP), I tend to not note them unless I try.
You don't have to see the ones on MFP either. JS.
My eye just rolls over them, so I don't see them enough to care. I find it funny sometimes when ads become a topic of discussion to look to see what ads are coming up.0 -
I like the solution about making advertising be honest. Ads just flatly lie. Anyone remember the Heart Foundation "tick" of approval? I think McDonald's Filet-O-Fish got a tick as well. Labels lie and hide sugars or preservatives under numbers. Like I have to shop with a chemistry book and a food cypher. A lil more honesty in the industry would help but it will not be the "cure-all". People still smoke and people will still eat their weight in sugar.2
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Copper_Boom wrote: »I’m inclined to say that since Joe Camel doesn’t grace our television screens, the fast food and breakfast cereal commercials should get lost as well.
What do you think?
People who don't practice restraint are going to not practice restraint regardless. Ads are never ending and dishonest and people can be inclined to do what they please regardless of what they know.
Besides, while I dislike the ads, I do enjoy breakfast cereals and fast food. Ads or not, I'm going to partake.
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I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say that the food industry has a major role to play in rising levels of obesity so I would absolutely support a ban on advertsing of these products. Food manufacturers are far far more savvy about the effects that certain food combinations have on our ability to resist temptation than the vast majority of the gen pop do. While it's right to point out that none of this food is addictive, there's no denying the reaction we have to highly palatable foods. The science is clear and the release of dopamine we can experience simply when we think about certain foods is used extensively by the food industry to sell their products.
Try eating 3500 calories of chicken over the course of a day versus eating 3500 calories of muffins or cookies. I'd guarantee you'd be completely stuffed after the chicken and wouldn't be able to eat another mouthful, while you could probably eat a few more muffins.
The desire to overeat is genetically inherent in all of us. We have evolved to prioritise nutrient dense and highly palatable foods over thousands of years and really don't need the food industry bombarding us with images of how much more we can eat.
Misconceptions and ill-conceived notions that lead to the demonization of foods combined with conspiracy theories about the food industry do nothing but cement my stance that the government (made of people with the same propensity for misconceptions and ignorant, though well-intentioned, ideas) has no place regulating the way I eat or how someone else advertises the foods I choose to eat.14 -
Right after Vaping, Drug Manufacturers and Insurance companies are banded as well. Wait, why not save the American population completely and ban all commercials and advertising on TV.
I am not sure why the Government is legislating at all other than for "Truth in Advertising". Hence, you are walking on a slippery slope, and those to me, are where we need to step up and say we can handle it, we do not need Big Brother over seeing every single aspect of our sheep like lives.3
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