PrintNew Anti-Obesity Ad Campaign: Intentional Shocker, or Unnecessarily Nauseating?
Today, the New York Department of Health launches a new ad campaign aimed at preventing obesity and decreasing sugar consumption—by asking if your drinking habits are making you fat. (Not the fun sort of drinking habits, but that daily sugar-filled soda, Gatorade, or Frappuccino.) But their imagery is a bit, well, unappetizing: a soda bottle literally pouring out a glass of human fat. Clearly, obesity is a problem that demands action, both in New York and around the country. But are these images we really need clogging the arteries of our subways every day?
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10 Comments:
Well, as I always say, "I would prefer to eat my calories than to drink them." I think this ad campaign, albeit nauseating, is necessary. Unlike with smoking, I really don't believe that many people understand that their beverages are laden with sugar, etc. Here, a large soda is the default. Go to Europe and their large is smaller than our medium.
bkbella at 4:54PM on 08/31/09
It's not nauseating; it's true.
runnereater at 9:17PM on 08/31/09
it seems that there's this backlash from people who feel this doesn't apply to them. and that's true for many people, but the fact is that the message is one that's important. and hey, this is what voters get. don't want a soda tax? well you get this instead.
foodinmouth at 11:58PM on 08/31/09
This ad isn't nearly as nauseating as PETA calling overweight women whales... I don't think these ads are necessary, typical liberal thinking to believe we're all too stupid to run our own lives... people KNOW smoking is bad for them, they KNOW eating too much is bad, they KNOW drinking too many sodas is unhealthful.. they make the choices, they deal with the consequences.... leave the nanny state out of our lives.
cambriana at 12:27AM on 09/01/09
@cambriana: what's with the liberal bashing? and nanny state? really? the gov't can say whatever they want, i don't see anyone physically stopping people from eating crap.
QueenAlli at 5:47AM on 09/01/09
@cambriana: I'm not convinced that people DO know drinking too many sodas is unhealthy. I know people who go through liters of the stuff a day. I know people who will turn to a soda when they're dehydrated.
My mom likes to tell me that when she and my dad were first married, they were so poor that their summer splurge was buying one 6-pack of Coca-Cola to last the whole summer. This was 1948, so we're talking those old small bottles. It was a treat, it wasn't a default. But today too many people think of it as a substitute for water. "It's just flavored water!" I'll hear. Well, no, it's more than that.
So, yeah, I think it's an effective campaign--like the guy with the hole in his throat has been for anti-smoking. Yeah, it's gross. But it's real.
klg19 at 7:05AM on 09/01/09
it's actually our government who has allowed the agra-corn-business to fatten up our population, by the way..... so, now it's up to the government to undo the mess.
the tobacco companies got busted down because people put the pressure on, maybe a few other lobbies need to get busted as well.
the people hold the power but they're too fogged up to exert it.
pooch at 8:00AM on 09/01/09
A nanny state would restrict you from doing those bad things. Using the term "liberal" and "conservative" when it comes to advertising makes you look ignorant.
formz at 10:08AM on 09/01/09
In principle, I'm against the trans fat and smoking bans (I am not drinking beer and eating donuts for my health, yeesh!), I think that there is a need to educate the masses. Until we have junk food taxes to incentivize people to make the right decision, this is what is needed. But we also need our government to provide people with access to fresh produce and heatlhy food. It simply doesn't exist in many areas of the city.
bkbella at 10:10AM on 09/01/09
I think this ad is great.
ReneeRobinson at 5:28PM on 09/01/09