Junk Food Advertising
Because of the alarming rate of childhood obesity and the power of advertising to attract children, a growing number of people think that junk food advertising should be banned or limited in some way. Would you be for or against such a ban? Write a persuasive paragraph in which you develop and support your position on this issue. I strongly believe that junk food advertising should not be banned because it will not resolve the childhood obesity issue and this measure will go against the customers’ right to be informed about new products and discount prices.
First, junk food advertising should not be banned to reduce childhood obesity. People who support this new measure think that it is the perfect solution. However, the reality is different. Although a ban will probably decrease of childhood obesity at first. In the long term, it will certainly not last. It is the parents’ responsibility to educate their children concerning the methods companies use to attract them to their products. It’s the parents’ duty to teach them that even if they are shown something that they desire, they can’t always get what they want.
Junk food commercials are not the problem. However, over permissive parents who allow their kids to have and eat anything they want are the culprits. For instance, I remember when I was younger I used to watch my favorite cartoons every weekend. Between two cartoons most of the time there were some junk food commercials shown, which had an effect on me because after seeing these advertisements I really wanted to go to MacDonald’s. I also remember that my parents told me that it was not healthy. They taught me good eating habits and they also allowed me to eat junk food only once or twice a month.
This example shows that junk food advertisement has very little impact on children. On the other hand, parents play a major role in the fight against obesity. Second, consumers have the right to be informed about new products and discount prices. Banning junk food commercials will contradict this right. That is inconceivable. In 1962, President John F Kennedy presented a speech to the United States Congress that mentioned the right to be informed. This right states that businesses should always provide consumers enough appropriate information to make intelligent and informed product choices.
For example one night I did not know what to eat and I saw on TV that Domino’s pizza was offering good deals. So, I decided to buy pizzas for dinner. Without this commercial, I would not have been informed about this special price. In addition, banning junk food advertisements would interfere too much with the right of companies to sell legal products and would require a cumbersome bureaucracy to determine what junk food was and which programs were intended for children. Third, banning junk advertising will have deleterious effects on the economy.
According to the Federal Trade Commission food corporations spend at least $1. billion in the US every year to advertise their products. If the government bans specific commercial advertising enterprises. Advertisement companies, as well as the makers of the products advertised, will see a decrease in their revenue. Disney channel estimated that the ban will cost them 7 million of dollars. In conclusion, banning junk food advertising is not a solution because it will not resolve the child obesity problem. Also, consumers will no longer be aware of new products and services. Finally, it will have negative effects on the economy.
