Why does the FCC allow obese people to be in commercials? (lose weight, danger)

[grannynancy]

Originally Posted by new2colo

Since there is such an obesity crisis in the country, I am wondering why we are constantly bombarded with images of gross overweight people. Obesity is a public health crisis but yet people act like it's all right. With the FCC being a governmental agency, it surprises me that they allow obese people to parade around in front of us.

You don't see people smoking or drinking heavily in commericials, so why is an unhealthy addiction to food acceptable?

Thoughts?

Maybe for the same reason jerks are allowed to post on public forums.

[Caligula1]

Originally Posted by new2colo

We don't advertise people doing shots or playing drinking games on commercials. We don't show people smoking on commercials. So why is it okay to show food addictions?

They show plenty of Captain Morgan rum, beer,wine,Grey goose Vodka commercials.
Maybe not doing shots, but do they have to be?
Cigarette adds and coupons are in Many Magazines.
Further who is to say that an obese person in a commercial is Addicted to food.. YOU.?
What makes you an authority on addiction?

I do agree that people consume way too many calories then their bodys need.
A certin salad at The Cheesecake factory contains over 1800 calories..
Who needs a cheeseburger thats stuffed between 2 grilled cheese sandwiches including condiments?

Without education on nutrition starting at an early age obesity in the US will keep rising..
It doesnt matter if it's from seeing a fat guy on TV eating 3 whoppers with cheese..
Or hearing on the news that someone Just broke the world record by eating 90 Nathans hotdogs in a contest..

[Escort Rider]

While the prevalence of obesity in this country is deeply troubling, we are an over-regulated society and I would hate to see government regulation of commercials increase.

What is perhaps even more deeply troubling than the actual prevalence of obesity is the amount of denial surrounding the dangers of it; there seems to be a trend toward making it into something which is just "normal". More than our eating habits and lack of exercise habits as a society are sick; our attitudes are becoming sick, which is what I think the OP is complaining about. Just look at this thread; how many times have we read about the "unhealthily thin"? Is this becoming the new term for normal-weight people? What is the definition of unhealthily thin? (I do recognize that there is such a thing as being unhealthily thin, and I do recognize that anorexia is a serious disorder. But what I am objecting to is the emotional, as opposed to the rational, use of terms. On other threads I have read that normal-weight women have been subject to the "anorexic" epithet.)

[theatergypsy]

There are some very good reasons for obesity besides over-eating. Some medications, notably prednisone, that cause weight gain. Some diseases, Cushings comes to mind, that cause weight gain. Some people are afflicted with conditions that make exercise practically impossible.

No mercy for the unfortunates among us? Maybe all the obese people, no exceptions, should be locked in cages with no access to food other than salads and water until they reach what others determine an acceptable weight?

There are two cures for self-inflicted obesity; a realization that change is necessary, or death.

[Caligula1]

First let me say this At 16 I was 260 pounds..
I got down to 190 pounds that put's me near overweight as a caluclated BMI 23.7
I have a larger frame and am 6'3 People would ask me if I was sick.
My ideal weight at the begining of the BMI scale at an 18.7 I'd have to lose another 40 pounds.
at 150 I'd look like I was on my death-bed.. No thanks!!
I'm perfectly happy where I am.

[njkate]

Change the channel..no one is forcing you too watch

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Originally Posted by new2colo

Basejumping and surviving are not public health crises. My health insurance premium doesn't go up because people jump out of planes.

Obesity should be characterized with other addictions such as drugs and alcohol.

And when those people jumping get injured? Who do you think pays for it? Get real, any dangerous activity ends up costing all of us as insurance, whether private or governmental, still has to pay. Especially when one of them gets paralyzed.

[jackinyc]

Is this really a serious post??? Are you talking about commercials in general? are you just saying you dont want to see overweight people on television? How old are you? have you had any kids yet? Once your metabolism starts going and you just cant excercise off that 20lbs are you going to become suicidal? Sounds pretty shallow and bogus to me. I am kind of "normal" weight I guess you could say, per the "charts" I can stand to loose 15 lbs But I enjoy my food too much so too bad

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by foxywench

in the past 2 hours ive seen 5 comercials involving people in bars with a bottle of beer, 2 comercials for breweries, 2 comercials involving cigaretes, 10 comercials involving women scantily clad (of which 4 of those involved women whome could poke your eye out with their hip bones) and 0 comercials with fat people in...
oh and 1 comercial with a guy dressed in what could possibly construd as drag...

mabe your watching the wrong channel?

i am obese, still morbidly so, i know what fat looks like and i dont fool myself thRtat people are 'bigger" than they are so i can feel better about my weight...
and i havent seen a single advertisment with fat people in, and i know fat, ive been around fat my entire life...

lets see...
ok mabe 14-16 was an exagreation, most people in a sixe 16 are plus sized (though certainly not unhealthily obese...)
But...
a healthy weight for my height and build would be between 140-155 lbs, that would but me in a healthy bmi (though for me anything under 145 would probably look too much on my frame) at 145 lbs, i will be in aproximatly a size 10 or a medium...im 5'8".

ill put money on it that many people will consider a size 10 FAT, and yet that would be a normal HEALTHY weight for me.

as a side note i think you should be more concerned about paying for the medical care of illegal aliens and dead beats, and people who skip out on their bills than obese people.

I don't know where they have advertisements for breweries at 9 in the morning. I have also never seen a commercial advertising smoking. Do you live in the US? Even with brewery advertisements there are people who can drink responsibly. Again, I have yet to see a commercial with people binge drinking. Obesity is a sign of binge eating and should not be tolerated in advertisements.

As much as I despise both illegals and deadbeats, they don't cost me nearly as much as the morbidly obese person who refuses to put down the quarter pounder and extra large coke.

[jackinyc]

Originally Posted by new2colo

I don't know where they have advertisements for breweries at 9 in the morning. I have also never seen a commercial advertising smoking. Do you live in the US? Even with brewery advertisements there are people who can drink responsibly. Again, I have yet to see a commercial with people binge drinking. Obesity is a sign of binge eating and should not be tolerated in advertisements.

As much as I despise both illegals and deadbeats, they don't cost me nearly as much as the morbidly obese person who refuses to put down the quarter pounder and extra large coke.

What commercials are you speaking of with all of these morbidly obese people?? In a day of tv I would say I see way too many anorexic people on the tube but hey thats just me