This rant is a departure from my usual theme of fiction writing.
I have noticed lately that there is a new ad on TV for Coca Cola. It features a family coming home after a busy day. They are about to sit down for dinner - a dinner of greasy pizza and sugary pop!
In this day and age of better nutrition and with the knowledge that our grandchildren are the fattest generation ever, how can this type of ad be allowed? It has been proved that when children eat sugar, they get fat and stay fat. Not only that, with the addition of white flour pizza crust, fatty cheeses and nitrate laden cold cuts, they are set up to be fat adults - forever.
I realize it is the right of companies to advertise products and their own premises. We see ads for pop, chips, and pizza. There many ads for restaurants where unhealthy foods such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, are sold. One of the worst is McDonalds which aims its ads at little children. This gets them hooked on unhealthy fast food. They are as bad as drug pushers loitering around the school yard.
I think it is time that we as TV viewers and consumers stand up and say, "enough"!
In the past several years, cigarette companies have been banned from advertising in the media and even not allowed to display their wares in any location where children might be tempted by them. However, we continue to allow ads that not only "push" junk foods but encourage an unhealthy life-style. I think it is time that these types of "life-style" ads are banned.
However, I don't think that anyone is really concerned about this problem. How many of you take your kids or grand kids to McDonalds? How often do you grab fast food on the way home because it's easier than making a good nourishing meal at home? Okay, so your lives are busy. I hear this excuse all the time, but it is just that - an excuse. Maybe if we just took a good look around us at the state of the kids in the playgrounds and schools, we might think it's time to do something positive about changing our idea of what is "good enough".
And while I'm on the subject of "life-style" ads, I think the time has come to ban ads for beer and liquor as well. Our kids see these ads as readily as they saw the cigarette ads, but there seems to be no concern that these are going to encourage our kids to use these drugs as well.
The title of my blog is a song that I learned in public school that has stayed with me forever. I will try to add some of my writings to this blog from time to time - poems and short stories - as the mood strikes.
