In Georgia, billboards and video ads featuring overweight children alongside grim messages such as "Chubby kids may not outlive their parents" or "Big bones didn't make me this way. Big meals did" have been stirring up controversy.
While supporters of these striking ads argue that anti-obesity campaigns like these are necessary to convince parents that obesity is a major problem, critics note that ads like this could spark a backlash against overweight children rather than highlight the causes of childhood obesity. They also note that obese kids are already more likely to be bullied, and fear that these ads -- like BMI report cards sent out by schools -- will only serve to reinforce the message that it is okay to target overweight kids.
I'm inclined to agree with those who say ads like this could exacerbate the stigma already faced by overweight kids. Fact is, the money and effort spent on creating these ads could've been spent more wisely on, say, getting healthier foods into schools or creating neighborhood-based campaigns showing parents how to make healthier food choices that fit into their family budget. And if an ad campaign is truly the best way to reach parents, I find it hard to believe that some effort could not have been put into creating more imaginative yet still hard-hitting ads that show families some concrete solutions such as how to reduce sugar or calorie intake. Showing some pictures of overweight kids to highlight the problem? That's just laziness.
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That is just plain stupid. If you want to reach the parents, then you send things home for them. Set up meetings with them. Those ads are only going to make other kids pick on the overweight kids, which in turn will cause major damage to the overweight kids self esteem. That can cause serious problems into their adulthood. What is Georia thinking? Glad I don’t live there.