Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity Glosses over Parents' Role

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The first paragraph of an Associated Press article today:

Combating the growing obesity problem among children will require stronger action at all levels from food makers to governments and schools, witnesses told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday at a hearing about how foods are marketed to kids.

Notice anything missing there? That’s right, “parents.”

Don’t get me wrong, I think food companies (certainly), schools and even the government each have a role to play in keeping our kids from eating a lot of junk food. But unless parents take the initiative, it will make little difference whether food companies join in the “voluntary” initiatives that the Senate Committee on Appropriations heard about today, or whether the government restricts advertising Twinkies to preschoolers.

The only mention of parents at the hearing, at least in the AP account, was when Julie Gerberding, the head of the CDC, said that “children can’t make healthy food decisions for themselves and they and their parents are being influenced by advertising.”

True enough, but at some point, parents have to take responsibility for what their kids eat, and blaming the obesity of our children on a nation full of zombielike parents whose minds are controlled by advertising messages seems like the wrong path to getting us where we need to be.

Tags: Food, Food Company, Advertisement, U.S. Senate, Food & Beverage, Government, Manufacturing, Dan Mitchell

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1

vincentmtang

09/23/08 | Report as spam

RE: Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity Glosses over Parents' Role

This is pretty much the same answer that politicians
come up with all the time. Just look at the Videogame
industry. Instead of making parents accountable on how
they raise their children, they are just proposing more
legislation.
2

johnnylingo

09/24/08 | Report as spam

RE: Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity Glosses over Parents' Role

Who is "buying" the food children eat? Parents and family should be the main source of common sense, habits, attitude, discipline, and responsibility. It doesn't take a "village" to raise a child, it takes "parents" who are involved and are not vying to be their kids "best friend", but instead their kids best parrent. Saying "no" to a child's desires is okay, especially if what they want is in excess, can be dangerous, unhealthy, or has a bad impact on others.
Children can cry, be upset and termporarily dislike their parents when they don't get what they want - it's okay. It's important the parents give a reason why the request is being denied, whether it's "too expensive", "unnecessary", or "unhealthy", or "morally wrong".
Parents, not the Government, have the responsibility to bring their children up to become good assets to society. If not, then society is doomed.
3

jennifer.k.butler@...

09/24/08 | Report as spam

RE: Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity Glosses over Parents' Role

Fresh, bacteria and pesticide-free produce and organic-fed cows and chickens aren't necessarily fostering a cheap solution to the crap parents choose for their children but EDUCATED parents will make do with what they can afford. It's a matter of priorities...do you buy a 2.5 lb organic-fed slab of beef and a 2lb package of brown rice to feed your family of 12 or do you buy 6 packages of hotdogs for $3 to mix with your Hamburger Helper and feed all of them with money to spare for the bus to work?

This whole country's a mess from the top down but one person, one parent can make a difference to the life of one child and prevent them from becoming obese and having diabetes at the age of 12. Each parent has an obligation to make a better choice including the one to get educated about what we put in our kids' bodies.
4

DanMitchell

09/25/08 | Report as spam

RE: Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity Glosses over Parents' Role

You make a good point, but the choice isn't necessarily between organic chicken on one hand and Cookie Crisp on the other. There's a happy medium, and while parents may be hard pressed to find affordable, healthy foods, it's usually doable.

I agree that parents should be primarily responsible for what their kids eat -- that was the point of my post. But I think there's a place for government and industry, to help parents make the right choices.
5

DanMitchell

09/25/08 | Report as spam

RE: Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity Glosses over Parents' Role

Oh, and now I see that this post was messed up, maybe by the image. Sorry. I will try to fix now....