Yale University recently did a survey where the parents that took part said that sixty percent of the responsibility for childhood obesity was the parent’s fault. According to the parents, the rest of the responsibility falls on an unhealthy food environment. According to the survey conducted by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, parents spend an estimated fifty-eight billion dollars a year on food and beverages. The survey was taken by 2,454 parents with children ages two to seventeen years old, during a three-year period from 2009 to 2011. The average income of most of the respondents was $59,000 and most had at least some college education. The easy access to junk food, the expense of healthy food options and advertising and media exposure were cited as three of the top obstacles to a more healthy diet. The parents also admitted to giving in to their children and not setting good food examples. When asked about their children’s exposure to media marketing around food, fast food and soft drinks were the most often cited examples. When asked what the parents would like to see changed in regards to finding a solution to the obesity problem, 72% of the parents supported stronger school lunch standards and healthier food being sold in the schools vending machines. 57% of the respondents wanted to see all media advertising stopped for children under 8 years old.
This story represents a global issue because children around the world are being affected by childhood obesity. It is important for parents everywhere to understand their role in preventing childhood obesity. By understanding this and acknowledging the other factors involved with this problem, parents are then in a much better position to take action to ensure that their children maintain a healthy diet and maintain appropriate weight levels. The media also needs to become more aware of their affect on the health of the children that they are marketing to. While it may be unrealistic to think that the media will stop advertising to children, they can choose to create a more balanced environment to present to the children. The article mentions that less than one percent of the television based food ads targeted to children were for fruits and vegetables. The lack of healthy advertising messages will certainly have a negative affect on the children viewing the ads.
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-parents-in-survey-take-responsibility-for-childhood-obesity-20121031,0,1900086.story
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