Disney Channel Bans Fast Food Ads

[Oryx]

Along with its current healthful-foods initiative in its theme parks, Disney will begin imposing strict new standards for food and beverage advertising on its boy-centric network Disney XD, during Saturday morning shows on Disney-owned ABC television stations, on Radio Disney and online. Disney Channel and Disney Junior, which are not ad-supported but receive brand sponsorships, also would be covered under the nutrition guidelines.

...

Food and beverage advertisers who seek to promote their products on Disney's child-focused cable networks will be required to meet guidelines regarding serving size, calories, and fat and sugar content. The standards follow federal recommendations.

Disney's stricter rules won't take full effect until 2015, both to honor existing contractual obligations with advertisers and to provide companies time to reformulate products.

Source

What do you think of this as relates to the war on obesity and the increasing government presence in controlling what enters our mouth? I thought this might be a nice topic to discuss when I watched this on the news with my mother, who promptly scoffed and said that the advertisers aren't the ones driving the children to McDonald's and that parents need to take more responsibility for what their children eat instead of blaming fast food for advertising or offering unhealthy food.

 

[Sydian]

Fast food places do offer a lot better choices now, actually. But I agree with your mother saying that it's the parents that are the culprits here, not the kids. Though I'm sure there are children that pester their parents into taking them McDonalds and such places. So I think taking the commercials off Disney was a good call, and it was kind of just a matter of time considering how Disney Channel is in the health fight, I guess you could call it. If they really wanna help though, they could cancel all those terrible shows and the channel in general and then kids would get off their butts and play outside. ;)

Though, some parents usually end up watching tv with their children, so if the parents aren't seeing the commercials either, I think that will help. Cause I know I see food commercials and think "man I need to get that" so it probably has the same effect on them. If they're absent, and/or replaced with the health food commercials, those might have the same effect.

Sadly though, one channel banning fast food commercials isn't gonna be enough. There are more channels aimed at children that aren't taking this stand. Well...let death to the happy meal begin, I suppose.

 

[Shiny Celebi]

This is ridiculous. Fast Food companies have the right to advertise their products, its the parents responsibility to feed their children healthy food. Children dont know about healthy eating habits, but thats why they have parents to teach them about it, not television.They may be trying to target children, but in the end parents have the right to refuse to buy and feed fast food to children, just because its advertised dosent mean you are forced to consume it. I get what they are trying to do, but its the consumer's choice in the end.

 

[Blade_of_darkness]

The only thing that I can say is, it's not going to work. Even if they do instill these regulations, it's not going to stop those people from eating this stuff en-masse. They're better off trying to get the children into exercising more, but that's still shooting at the moon.

Rather than try to instill regulations on fast food, why haven't they tried to instill a bit of a tax on this stuff, so that the government can profit out of the people's gluttony. Chances are, it might just be able to get this country out of its debt.

 

[The Fallen]

Fast food has earned their reputation for the simple fact of not caring for so long. Taking the cheaper way is unfortunately the unhealthy way. However, I cannot say that this surprises me. These channels (The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and any that attracts children) are having to cater to pleasing the parents, and what the parents don't like are their children being obese.

Now I know that the parents can simply say no to their child if they ask for some McDonalds or Burger King, but when it's what your child watches all day and is made to look so good and even comes with a toy, they will bug until they get their way. So, if you do away with these commercials it makes it easier on the parent.

 

[Mr. X]

Not going to comment on why this was done.

When I was a kid, I hated the commercials. I wanted to watch cartoons, not advertisements. I have a feeling that most kids who watch these channels, now, feel the same.

 

[Livewire]

We tried leaving this up to parents, and now we have an entire generation of obese children. Whether you want to or not, eventually it will come to things like this. I really see no issue with blocking blatant advertising of harmful substances towards our kids - whether it be trans fats, animal by-products, or alcohol, cigarettes, etc.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

Private entities can do whatever they want. I see this as a move on Disney's part (like the anti-obsity attraction they had at EPCOT recently). Not government intervention.

And even then, so long as the government (or Mrs. Obama) is just making recommendations or promoting healthy practices, then I'm fine. And encourage it. Once you legislate that I must go to the gym or that McDonald's is banned, then you've crossed a line.

Just find it hypocritical on Disney's part. Lots of burgers and fries when I'm in their parks

 

[Sydian]

We tried leaving this up to parents, and now we have an entire generation of obese children. Whether you want to or not, eventually it will come to things like this. I really see no issue with blocking blatant advertising of harmful substances towards our kids - whether it be trans fats, animal by-products, or alcohol, cigarettes, etc.

But not all parents do this just because they can't cook healthy foods, don't like them themselves, or what have you. In today's society, you have both parents working usually. Mom isn't always there to make a meal. And in most households today, mom might be the only parent present, or maybe only dad. So if they're the only one there and they're working and are late getting home a lot and don't have the time to cook a healthy meal, where are they gonna go? Through a fast food line, most likely. And even households with two working parents, the same thing can happen. However, like I said before, fast food places do have healthier options more available now than when I was a kid. So if someone is a busy parent and has to use fast food as an option, it'd be nice if they used these better foods, even if they are from a fast food place. Or perhaps make a large batch of two or three meals that can be frozen and served throughout the week. That would work.

I'm not disagreeing with you though! I was gonna bring up the busy parent thing a while back and forgot to and your post reminded me haha. I do agree though. Even if banning these commercials doesn't seem like doing much, if it at least helps a handful of children/families, then it's still something worth doing. Every little bit counts.

 

[Illuminaughty]

I don't think this will have a significant effect on childhood obesity, but it could have some benevolent effects.

As mentioned above, this is not a government ban; it's a company's decision on which advertisers it wants on its channels.

There is not really a negative side to this issue, only that it would not have too much impact. It would be nice if Nickelodeon and cartoon network got on board, also foods like cereals, pop tarts, pizza pockets, candy, chips, among many others continue to be advertised, and it's these junk foods that are stocked at home that many kids usually eat in excess.

All-in-all, this is a step in the right direction.

 

[Nihilego]

I also don't see anything wrong with taking unhealthy things off of childrens' TV. Although it's mostly up to the parents to feed their children healthy food and to discourage fast food and all that, and although fast food places are trying to be healthier in general, I can't see any harm at all being caused by taking this step towards getting the unhealthy choice out of childrens' heads. Sure, it won't make a world of difference, but it's definitely a start.

When I was a kid, I hated the commercials. I wanted to watch cartoons, not advertisements. I have a feeling that most kids who watch these channels, now, feel the same.

Same here, although they'll probably just replace these adverts with something equally boring.

 

[Mr Cat Dog]

This has already happened in the UK at the legislative level. Foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar are not allowed to advertise during programs of which children may conceivably be watching. So that goes for kids TV channels like Cartoon Network and the like, kids shows on network TV, as well as shows not aimed at children but nevertheless get a large kid viewing audience (like The X Factor). Ofcom - the regulatory body for the media, and the architects of this policy - commissioned numerous reports about 6 years ago, and you can read the results in brief here. While restricting advertising won't have a large effect on childhood obesity, the report states, a partial ban should help reduce it somewhat.

Honestly, I really don't mind this development at all. Kids are, on the whole, much more easily swayed by advertising than their parents. And while parents should be the final control between what's going on in their kids mouths, more autonomous and older children can find ways to circumvent their parents in this regard. So, I've always liked this development, and it was really interesting to study at uni all those years ago as well. This thread brings back such happy memories! :D

 

[Spinor]

If anything, the government is crying in its closet at this move. Americans, in the end, want junk food. Companies are meeting that demand. Now companies can't advertise that. Now they can't make as much money. Then Congress Republicans will be calling Disney a bunch of liberal scumbags. For what? Disregarding money for one moment and caring about what is probably the future of the human race now, considering the obesity rates? Disney knows, if you watched Wall-E. There's too much stuff to point fingers at: Stupid irresponsible American parents, politicians, fat cats, social stigmas... We've locked ourselves in a serious supply-demand cycle of junk food thanks to your silly capitalism.

So I've come to the conclusion that though Disney's actions will help just a little bit, it won't be enough.

 

[Guest123_x1]

What do you think of this as relates to the war on obesity and the increasing government presence in controlling what enters our mouth? I thought this might be a nice topic to discuss when I watched this on the news with my mother, who promptly scoffed and said that the advertisers aren't the ones driving the children to McDonald's and that parents need to take more responsibility for what their children eat instead of blaming fast food for advertising or offering unhealthy food.

Glad I'm not the only one saying there's a war on obesity. Despite all the efforts by government to fight this war (including regulating children's programming on traditional broadcast TV to death, notably to the point of causing most non-EI children's programming to be moved to cable channels, and one of the principal causes of KidsWB! being discontinued {the 'cable competition' claim that broadcast networks use to justify this is just a smokescreen to cover for intense government intervention in the industry.), the obesity rate continues to climb with no end in sight.

We tried leaving this up to parents, and now we have an entire generation of obese children. Whether you want to or not, eventually it will come to things like this. I really see no issue with blocking blatant advertising of harmful substances towards our kids - whether it be trans fats, animal by-products, or alcohol, cigarettes, etc.

The US banned cigarette advertising from television and radio in 1971, yet I see a lot of young people, including those underage, smoking (at least in my area, where almost everybody that's in the in-crowd smokes and drinks). I've noticed that beer and liquor companies advertise a lot during and sponsor entire sporting events, especially those that are broadcast on TV. Every holiday is about watching sports (especially football) on TV and partying/getting drunk these days.

Bottom line, even if this new advertising ban reduces obesity, the effects will be negligible at best. At worst, I expect this to completely backfire, just like the wars on drugs and illiteracy.

This has already happened in the UK at the legislative level. Foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar are not allowed to advertise during programs of which children may conceivably be watching. So that goes for kids TV channels like Cartoon Network and the like, kids shows on network TV, as well as shows not aimed at children but nevertheless get a large kid viewing audience (like The X Factor). Ofcom - the regulatory body for the media, and the architects of this policy - commissioned numerous reports about 6 years ago, and you can read the results in brief here. While restricting advertising won't have a large effect on childhood obesity, the report states, a partial ban should help reduce it somewhat.

Honestly, I really don't mind this development at all. Kids are, on the whole, much more easily swayed by advertising than their parents.

As a comparison, in the US, as recently as 10 years ago (or less), junk food advertising littered children's programming on broadcast/antenna platforms (especially KidsWB! and Fox Kids). Yet, as I stated earlier, despite such advertising being restricted to the point of being banned altogether, obesity rates continue climbing. Then again, there are some differences between culture in the UK and the US that cause the variables that I stated.
With broadcast networks in the US effectively being forced to sell their Saturday Morning time slots or dedicate it to newscasts (such as American Broadcasting Company discontinuing their kids block and replacing it with a package provided by television syndication company Litton Entertainment), many such blocks no longer provide advertising targeted to kids, but adult-audience-oriented spots such as direct response ads, pharmaceutical advertising, reverse mortgages, whole life insurance pitches, payday loans, and ambulance chasers/injury lawyers (the latter five of which I absolutely despise).

 

[.:CoralSoda:.]

I think it's okay to remove the ads, I don't see it doing much though, other than sucking up to parents maybe. Kids are already well aware of junk food and fast food and these changes won't fully take place till 2015, so this story doesn't really make that large of an impact on childhood obesity at the moment.

 

[Calipornia]

And the health professionals behind this decision are.. oh, forgive me. There are none.
Obviously, they don't understand the problem if that's what they're doing.

Ironically, what they're doing makes them look no better than the fast-feeding parents.

 

[DestinyDecade]

After reading the article, I feel that the fight against obesity is taken to the next level. I know for sure that it will not be good.

 

[Guest123_x1]

^That's exactly the problem. Much like when the government continues stepping up the war on drugs, with the result we have more illegal drug users and trafficking, and an ever-increasing prison population-the result of stepping up the obesity war will quite likely be more obesity than ever before. Despite the efforts on the War on Obesity being stepped up dramatically in the past decade, we have more obesity than ever before, and it's not expected to reverse anytime soon. We've also waged war on illiteracy and educational underachievement, yet despite ever-tougher curriculum requirements tailored to globalism and one-world-government (e.g. GOALS 2000, NCLB, Common Core Standards), we have more people graduating illiterate than ever.

 

[Illuminaughty]

^That's exactly the problem. Much like when the government continues stepping up the war on drugs, with the result we have more illegal drug users and trafficking, and an ever-increasing prison population-the result of stepping up the obesity war will quite likely be more obesity than ever before. Despite the efforts on the War on Obesity being stepped up dramatically in the past decade, we have more obesity than ever before, and it's not expected to reverse anytime soon. We've also waged war on illiteracy and educational underachievement, yet despite ever-tougher curriculum requirements tailored to globalism and one-world-government (e.g. GOALS 2000, NCLB, Common Core Standards), we have more people graduating illiterate than ever.

First off, this is not the government stepping-in and restricting the number of fast food commercials. The network has a choice in which commercials it airs. The mention of government intervention is irrelevant to the story.

With that being said, this is a not an accurate analogy. When drugs are restricted more and more, they become more and more difficult to get, and therefore, more and more valuable. People are desperate to make a lot of money fast without a job or education so they turn to dealing drugs in some way shape or form. There is no money to be made by citizens in this instance. There is no reason why this would cause more parents/kids to eat less healthy.

Simply because people put money and/or effort into something and the results continue to be poor doesn't necessarily mean that the money and effort was the cause of the poor progress. Not to mention, the rate at which obesity is increasing might have been higher if the money and effort was not being expended on the cause.

 

[DestinyDecade]

^That's exactly the problem. Much like when the government continues stepping up the war on drugs, with the result we have more illegal drug users and trafficking, and an ever-increasing prison population-the result of stepping up the obesity war will quite likely be more obesity than ever before. Despite the efforts on the War on Obesity being stepped up dramatically in the past decade, we have more obesity than ever before, and it's not expected to reverse anytime soon. We've also waged war on illiteracy and educational underachievement, yet despite ever-tougher curriculum requirements tailored to globalism and one-world-government (e.g. GOALS 2000, NCLB, Common Core Standards), we have more people graduating illiterate than ever.

Looks like this is going to bring more bad than good.