NIE

01/09/2012

Georgia's childhood obesity ads stir outcry

New ads by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta are intended to fight childhood obesity, but critics say the ads will make overweight kids feel bad about themselves and fuel bullying. The critics say they fear kids will use the ads as an excuse to tease chubby classmates. But, Children’s Healthcare defends the in-your-face ads, citing a poll that found 50 percent of those surveyed didn’t see childhood obesity as a problem, and 75 percent of parents with overweight kids didn’t think their children had weight issues.

■Class discussion: Find newspaper reports about both bullying and childhood obesity. What are the dangers of each? Have you ever teased someone or been teased yourself about weight? What pastimes, foods and advertising contribute to obesity? Can you find any newspaper reports about programs that have proven effective in reducing obesity?