I was not allowed to have war toys when I was a child. I could not have a plastic gun or rifle, nor toy soldiers. My parents forbade them.
During Lent, my brothers and sisters and I were not allowed to watch TV except on Sundays, a day not counted among the 40 days of atoning for one’s sins.
We were not allowed to eat candy or drink soda in the morning. On those rare days during high school when my mother did not pack a lunch for me she gave me a dollar to buy lunch in the school cafeteria and ordered me to buy a hot lunch. She did not consider a hot dog or hamburger to fall under that category.
We did not have ice cream stored in the freezer when I was a wee one. That would have been too much of a temptation to overindulge. We bought ice cream bars or cones individually. We were allowed only one, and we didn’t get them every day. We usually had ice cream only in the summer.
I remembered all this after watching a commercial for a new fruit-and-vegetable juice that I didn’t know was on the market. It comes in three yummy flavors and is chock-full of vitamins and antioxidants.
And then I wondered if parents who saw the commercial would turn to their children and say: “That’s what you’re drinking with your meals from now on. It’s 86 on the soda for you guys.”
That’s a possibility—maybe.
Millions of parents take an active interest in what their children eat, to the point of buying or cooking healthful meals for them. Millions of others do not, however, or the nation would not be in the midst of what is being called a childhood obesity crisis.
I’m not placing the blame of childhood obesity squarely on the shoulders of parents. I’m placing it on their shoulders but setting it there slightly askew to cut them some slack. Children do have a tendency to eat whatever they like when their parents aren’t looking and then lie about it.
But I’m convinced that parents are the ones who deserve the bulk of the blame for their children eating too many burgers and fries and drinking too much soda.
Friends and relatives that I’ve talked to about this—none of them are in the ad business—agree with me.
It’s not advertising that’s forcing kids to overindulge. It’s overindulgent parents who give in to their children’s every whim who are causing kids to become overweight.
I do believe that children are influenced by advertising. I believe they see an ad for a toy or cereal or a fast-food restaurant and pester their parents to buy them one. And I believe it’s the parents’ responsibility to take a cue from the old anti-drug commercials and “just say no” when their kids want something that the parents think is bad for them.
I’m preaching. And I’ve never preached in a column before, but the assault on advertising as the major cause of childhood obesity is just a convenient smoke screen by politicians to ensure re-election by winning the votes of parents who are in denial about their responsibilities toward their children.
Here’s an idea for parents: Give the kids fresh fruit every day. Don’t go overboard with the fast food.
And for God’s sake, get them away from their Xbox games and tell them to go play outside.
