Are we feeding our kids to death?

A big row has broken out in Cincinnati after a charity called Closing the Health Gap initiated a campaign to highlight the dangers of obesity by placing huge billboard adverts with an image of an obese child with a big hamburger in his mouth and the strapline underneath saying “Are we feeding our kids to death?"

According to a spokesman from the Center for Closing the Health Gap they are trying to get parents to be aware that many children are quite simply eating too much, eating unhealthy food and not getting enough physical activity.

However not everybody agrees and the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance said that this sort of advertising would open up overweight children to bullying and ridicule. This Association as its name suggests tries to promote the general acceptance of overweight and obese people who often feel that they are marginalised by society.

The issue of childhood obesity is an incredibly sensitive one as parents do not like to be told that their children are overweight and many feel that people perceive that they are bad parents for allowing their children to overeat. It can be extremely difficult for parents to constantly monitor the eating habits of their children and fast food restaurant advertising can put pressure on parents to do the fun thing and take them out to eat instead of cooking a healthy meal at home.

It is important however that parents realise the dangers of childhood obesity and that they are aware that if children stay overweight into their teens they are likely to stay that way for the rest of their lives and end up suffering from obesity related health complications. Closing The Health Gap say that they are just trying to be honest and reach out to parents and they hope that these adverts will make parents sit up and ask themselves if they can do more to help their children eat healthily.