I was wondering how long it would take for something shocking to happen besides the images of childhood obesity. The Boston Globe is running a story about a $250,000 billboard campaign designed at getting parents to start acting in their kids interest in fighting the fat.
The campaign also will include television spots and print advertisements. In addition to the campaign, the foundation has handed out more than $1 million in grants to schools, community centers, and social service groups for fitness, nutrition, and health education programs aimed at reducing obesity.
The campaign is directed at parents, not children, for a reason, Martin D. Cohen , president of the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation says.
“In targeting children, we [would be] competing with every other advertiser — all the cereals, the McDonald’s, the Pepsi, Coke, and so forth,” Cohen said. “But the issues surrounding food are largely controlled by parents. They buy the groceries. They cook the food. They are deciding what’s in the refrigerator.”
Childhood obesity has been a big issue for a number of years and has been highlighted on almost every talkshow as well as shows like “The Biggest Loser” and the movie “Supersize Me”. There have been a few changes in recent years but nothing outside of schools banning pop and lots of people talking.
I hope that this billboard campaign can start getting a dialog started and maybe even get programs outside of schools like fully integrated sports, meal and snack info targeting kids that is not based on high fat foods the way things are now and lastly a real push from government giving a national awareness program on eating and exercise that is aimed at kids and parents and not just advertising that is cute and artistic instead of loud and effective.
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