The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a suit against Kellogg and Viacom for marketing unhealthy foods to kids. [Read SpongeBob SquarePants, Health Risk in ‘The Nation’]
What about parents? Do they have a role to play in deciding what their children will consume, and how much of it? Or is it ok for them too be too busy providing for the family to worry about what is it that they are providing? How many kids do you know who eat mountains of chips, drink buckets of soda, and are married to their screens – TV, PC, PSP, Gameboy…
There appears to be too much happiness all around for this to change any time soon! The kids are obviously happy to get cheap entertainment and calories; the parents are happy, with the children out of their way, they can focus on their careers, friends, whatever. The corporations (are not saints!) are happy to sell one more box of cereal, chips, soda, video game… Even the health industry is happy – all these potentially obese, diabetic, heart-patients represent lots predictable future profits.
PS: Just encountered the story of Author Judith Levine, she spent a whole year without shopping. Read ‘A Consuming Life’ at Newsweek.
First published on March 30, 2006
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