Jul 13 2007

Should TV Ads Disclose Calories?

A reader writes: ”
I am a fan of your work, and am writing to ask your opinion of an idea.

Can you think of an appropriate lobbying group to consider demanding that all TV food advertisements carry a listing of calories, fat, and sugar content? I was watching a TV show that had several ads for restaurant meals, hefty desserts, etc and realized how seductive such ads can be. Perhaps, if we viewers saw that a certain ice-cream creation had over 1,000 calories and 40 grams of fat, we might not hop in the car for a fix.

If alcohol ads have ‘Drink Responsibly” all over them on TV, and cigarettes only show up in print ads but still with the Cancer warnings, could not food ads have a simple listing of the three common obesity triggers?”

Opinions, please. Would something like this be useful?

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  • Dianne Nissen
  • July 15, 2007
  • 12:51 pm

Television advertisements are a major contributing factor and I think there needs to be a change.

Advertisements for alcohol and cigarettes were banned because of their heath hazard.

Now junk food is the villain.

A few things, with the help of the FDA, would help. The packaging and labeling of food could have a warning if the fat , sugar, or carb was over a specified acceptable amount as they did with cigarettes and alcohol.

Food advertisements on TV would either be eliminated or could end by saying something like the fat content is…and could cause diabetes, cardiovascular disease…

And I strongly believe that non-competitive physical activity needs to be put back into the academic curriculum along with health education.

  • Love
  • June 13, 2008
  • 11:41 am

Interesting take of it all.
Good written!

  • taryn
  • December 15, 2008
  • 1:00 pm

great idea!

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