Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by corporations to market fatty fast foods to children. Instead of these corporations blaming themselves for endangering our children, they are blaming parents. If it were a toy that could potentially injure a child, the corporation would likely be at fault. However, since it is only unhealthy food, corporations are expecting us to apply a different standard.
Obesity rates have skyrocketed over the past thirty years causing children to suffer from diseases that were once limited to grownups. Sadly, being overweight is one of the top reasons military recruits are rejected.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation spends $100 million a year in effort to stop childhood obesity. However, major food and beverage corporations spend at least $1.6 billion a year to convince kids to eat unhealthy foods. Young children aren’t able to separate reality from marketing, causing them to be receptive of what they hearing and seeing. The fast food industry attempts to distracts us from these facts by simply blaming the parents, although they know very well that targeting America’s children pays.
Title of Article: Despite Spending Billions on Advertising, the Fast Food Industry Blames Parents for Skyrocketing Obesity Rates
Author’s: Leslie Samuelrich
Publication Source: Alternet, October 18th, 2010
URL:
http://www.alternet.org/health/148544/despite_spending_billions_on_advertising%2C_the_fast_food_industry_blames_parents_for_skyrocketing_obesity_rates
Faculty Evaluator: Sheila Katz, Sonoma State University
Student Researcher: Erin Newton, Sonoma State University