Junk food adverts to be banned from London public transport

[Aeolienne]

Link

Is there actually any agreement as to what constitutes junk food? The above link mentions "food and drink which is high in fat, salt or sugar" - so are they going to ban adverts for butter or soya sauce? In any case, I thought that there is growing (no pun intended) evidence that the demonisation of fats is flawed, not least because the kind of low-fat food people are then encouraged to eat are highly processed and contain lots of added sugar to bulk them up.

 

[Judge]

Good questions to consider. I can only say from my own perspective sometimes I suspect such considerations often seem more political in nature than any genuine concern for "national health".

Elected politicians who attack certain industries or vendors mostly because they can- and largely for political capital in an election cycle. A dynamic compounded by proponents of socialized medicine where the state feels ethically empowered and compelled to control the eating habits of its citizens.

I'm just of a mindset to consider that micromanaging what we eat isn't all that removed from micromanaging what we think.

 

[Streetwise]

Good questions to consider. I can only say from my own perspective sometimes I suspect such considerations often seem more political in nature than any genuine concern for "national health".

Elected politicians who attack certain industries or vendors mostly because they can- and largely for political capital in an election cycle. A dynamic compounded by proponents of socialized medicine where the state feels ethically and authoritatively empowered and compelled to control the eating habits of its citizens.

I think junkfood is just as much an addiction as nicotine and people should be offered a substitute to get off it !!!!!! why should people addicted to nicotine be given help and not people who are addicted junkfood .

 

[Judge]

I think junkfood is just as much an addiction as nicotine and people should be offered a substitute to get off it !!!!!! why should people addicted to nicotine be given help and not people who are addicted junkfood .

Being offered help is a different dynamic than having terms and conditions forced upon society by political means. As a choice I have no problem with it. As a matter of official state policy, I would feel differently.

Where self-serving and ideologically obsessed politicians may begin to forget where the line is drawn in terms of advocating for healthy citizens, versus state eugenics yielding a pure-blooded elite.

 

[Streetwise]

Being offered help is a different dynamic than having terms and conditions forced upon society by political means. As a choice I have no problem with it. As a matter of official state policy, I would feel differently.

Where self-serving and ideologically obsessed politicians may begin to forget where the line is drawn in terms of advocating for healthy citizens, versus state eugenics yielding an elite of pure-blooded super-humans.

it sickens me that some addictions are almost pure !and others are treated as a scourge ! someone dying from secondary lung cancer I would say !in my opinion! is no less angry! than someone who is robbed and suffers grievous bodily harm !!because someone is addicted to a class A or class B drug!.
or an animal loses an owner because of heart disease because they were addicted to refined carbohydrates, fat and sugar.

 

[Judge]

it sickens me that some addictions are almost pure !and others are treated as a scourge ! someone dying from secondary lung cancer I would say !in my opinion! is no less angry! than someone who is robbed and suffers grievous bodily harm !!because someone is addicted to a class A or class B drug!.
or an animal loses an owner because of heart disease because they were addicted to refined carbohydrates, fat and sugar.

Secondary forms of cancer are in a different realm in comparison. No one should be able to put others at immediate risk such as smoking. A classic example of where that line should be drawn, IMO.

However sensing the aroma of junk food eaten by another person next to you never killed anyone either. As for pets, they can lose their owner for just about any reason at all not necessarily directly related to health.

 

[Tom]

I think bans are too frequently used nowadays. So called open societies increasingly restricted. Let people kill themselves as they wish, I say. But if Junk food bothers you, take out your own ads. Like show someone run over by a double decker bus. You can only see the arm still holding the burger king whopper sticking out.

 

[Progster]

I agree that obesity is serious issue and that some foods such as sugar are harmful to us in large quantities, but how are they going to define junk food? What consitutes junk food and what doesn't? Also, what one eats is a personal matter; how far is it acceptable for the state to interfere in people's personal affairs? That is going to open up an whole new can of worms.
Eating habits and preferences are formed at a young age, so education and change must start in the home with the family. Children copy their parents' example, and if the parents have an unhealthy diet, they will likely pass this on to the children. So it is important that parents bring up families ensure that their children are eating healthy food. However, I really don't think that banning junk food will be effective in educating families about unhealthy food or in preventing people from eating them - after all, many people still smoke despite the ban on tobacco advertising.

 

[Judge]

Philadelphia Soda Tax Experiment Failing - Tax Foundation

New York’s Ban on Big Sodas Is Rejected by Final Court

Why Chicago’s soda tax fizzled after two months — and what it means for the anti-soda movement

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Think twice about restricting what the electorate can eat- or drink. After all, the Volstead Act (18th Amendment) was a failure. The constitutional prohibition of alcoholic beverages in 1919 that would ultimately be repealed in 1933.

Reporter: "Mr. Ness, what are you going to do when prohibition ends?"
Eliot Ness: "Have a drink".

Funny to think in my own case that I have no reaction to static signs and ads. Much like "banner blindness", I just ignore them. Though tv commercials often catch my attention. If they involve a new product I might just try it. That much is true.

 

[Theta.G]

Link

Is there actually any agreement as to what constitutes junk food? The above link mentions "food and drink which is high in fat, salt or sugar" - so are they going to ban adverts for butter or soya sauce? In any case, I thought that there is growing (no pun intended) evidence that the demonisation of fats is flawed, not least because the kind of low-fat food people are then encouraged to eat are highly processed and contain lots of added sugar to bulk them up.

Pretty sure they are referring to bad fats.
Anyway i think it's a great idea finally someone who actually understands how ads impact the mind takes noble action!
Junk fooders who frequent public transport will probably complain about it but after a few months most will be eating healthier and be none the wiser (if their exposure to other junk food ads is limited). The hidden hand doing something right for once.

 

[tducey]

To me, people should be allowed to eat what they want. No need to ban junk food ads IMO.

 

[Mary Anne]

I think junkfood is just as much an addiction as nicotine and people should be offered a substitute to get off it !!!!!! why should people addicted to nicotine be given help and not people who are addicted junkfood .

People addicted to junk food seldom WANT to eat healthier. There ARE plenty of ways to change, and plenty of “substitutes.” People enjoy the ease of fast foods, and microwaved meals. Soda pop washes it all down.

I used to teach a monthly nutritional group to people who eat only over processed foods, and fast foods, lots of soda, etc. Some in the group were diabetic. Some were many hundreds of pounds overweight. Most were rigid in wanting to keep eating junk, and drinking sugary sodas exactly the same; despite gaining the knowledge and tools to make changes. Most also smoked cigarettes or cigars and did not want to change that either. They did not want to change even though all were aware of the dangers of their habits.

 

[Theta.G]

Ask yourselves...
Where do those wants come from?
Why do they want to eat junk food?

 

[Mary Anne]

Ask yourselves...
Where do those wants come from?
Why do they want to eat junk food?

Some of it is addiction. Some is laziness, and all of it is media brainwashing from the time our parents were born. Then there is peer pressure. We learned well!

 

[Mary Anne]

Philadelphia Soda Tax Experiment Failing - Tax Foundation

New York’s Ban on Big Sodas Is Rejected by Final Court

Why Chicago’s soda tax fizzled after two months — and what it means for the anti-soda movement


Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Think twice about restricting what the electorate can eat- or drink. After all, the Volstead Act (18th Amendment) was a failure. The constitutional prohibition of alcoholic beverages in 1919 that would ultimately be repealed in 1933.

Reporter: "Mr. Ness, what are you going to do when prohibition ends?"
Eliot Ness: "Have a drink".

Funny to think in my own case that I have no reaction to static signs and ads. Much like "banner blindness", I just ignore them. Though tv commercials often catch my attention. If they involve a new product I might just try it. That much is true.

Boy what a ruckus that few cents soda tax caused! I was in favor of it. Is your freedom to pursue happiness impacting others? That’s the question.
In the long run, society, and tax payers pay for skyrocketing costs of:
Obesity, childhood obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Which are caused by things like sugar, corn syrup, chemicals, and processed foods. Studies show people that are poor (American studies) eat more of these overprocessed foods, and they are most prone to subsidies and governmental aide in the form of Medicaid, and SSI.

Society and taxpayers pay for people’s smoking related illness and deaths. We pay for alcohol and opioid addictions. Not just financially but in all ways. A right to eat pizza and soda until winding up with a heart attack. Some pursuit of happiness-Ha!

 

[Theta.G]

Some of it is addiction. Some is laziness, and all of it is media brainwashing from the time our parents were born. Then there is peer pressure. We learned well!

And...
Constant reminders in the form of advertisements. Visual data taken in, stored and reinforced. Through this repetitive daily exposure the urge grows until it is pushed into conscious thought. In the form of "I" want dorito's. People identify themselves as being the conscious mind and have no knowledge of the subconscious or this mechanic. Those in marketing and advertising do. Regardless of if a person consciously spots the advertisement or not even if it's in peripheral vision it gets taken in and stored. In this case it would be like what water and sunlight is to a plant. When the plant reaches it's adult life it grows into the "i am" mind. Which the unknowing sees as "I want" instead of "How was this imposed?" or "where did this come from".

What's out of sight is out of mind and what's in sight is in mind.

 

[Judge]

Boy what a ruckus that few cents soda tax caused! I was in favor of it. Is your freedom to pursue happiness impacting others? That’s the question.
In the long run, society, and tax payers pay for skyrocketing costs of:
Obesity, childhood obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Which are caused by things like sugar, corn syrup, chemicals, and processed foods. Studies show people that are poor (American studies) eat more of these overprocessed foods, and they are most prone to subsidies and governmental aide in the form of Medicaid, and SSI.

Society and taxpayers pay for people’s smoking related illness and deaths. We pay for alcohol and opioid addictions. Not just financially but in all ways. A right to eat pizza and soda until winding up with a heart attack. Some pursuit of happiness-Ha!

Personally I opt to keep my personal freedom acknowledging a flawed welfare state that mitigates health concerns without government pointing a gun to everyone's head and dictating what they can or can't consume. If we allow government to increase such control over our daily lives, it's inevitable for them to eventually move on to other aspects of our lives as well.

So instead we mitigate. We moderate. And hold onto whatever personal freedoms that haven't been taken away over claims of good or rational intentions. And refrain from "solutions" to collectively perfect society as a whole. To avoid those who would pursue attempting to enhance the herd and end up culling it as well.

To avoid creating distinct underclasses of people who biologically or genetically for whatever reason cannot "make the grade" no matter how good their diets may be, based on government standards. In essence, if society is unwilling to tolerate the poor and unhealthy, is it reasonable to expect the same majority of society to tolerate a Neurodiverse minority? Probably not.

 

[Mr Allen]

Meh, if kids want unhealthy snacks and drinks, they'll get them.

The so called "healthy" stuff is still ridiculously expensive, this needs to be addressed on both sides of the Atlantic IMO.

Jamie Oliver needs to shut up, no one cares.

 

[Mary Anne]

And...
Constant reminders in the form of advertisements. Visual data taken in, stored and reinforced. Through this repetitive daily exposure the urge grows until it is pushed into conscious thought. In the form of "I" want dorito's. People identify themselves as being the conscious mind and have no knowledge of the subconscious or this mechanic. Those in marketing and advertising do. Regardless of if a person consciously spots the advertisement or not even if it's in peripheral vision it gets taken in and stored. In this case it would be like what water and sunlight is to a plant. When the plant reaches it's adult life it grows into the "i am" mind. Which the unknowing sees as "I want" instead of "How was this imposed?" or "where did this come from".

What's out of sight is out of mind and what's in sight is in mind.

McDonalds is extremely guilty of brainwashing kids (the scary yellow clown has discontinued due to to pressure). Sugary breakfast cereals during Saturday morning cartoons. Stores placing these over processed foods at child eye levels, with captivating box graphics and colors. Oh my. Parents are also to blame as they were brain washed too.

That being said, it is difficult to go sugar free, white food free (white flour, white bread, white rice, etc) if that was you were raised in. At out mental health agency, we served a lunch daily. People complained when we switched the white crappy bread to whole wheat!

People love their hot dogs, pizza, French fries, sodas. It’s all garbage! I am trying to eliminate wheat and soy from my diet now and it’s oh so difficult. Wheat is in nearly absolutely every packaged product! Sugar is a constant battle because I can succeed, for 3 weeks sugar free and then something is eaten that has a smidge of sugar, and I am instantly re-addicted and the cravings start all over again.

Sodas are easy - substitute juiced natural fruit (or a natural frozen or bottled fruit concentrate with no added sugar) and mix with sparkling /club soda for the fizz.

One way to stop a bad diet is to buy a juicer, and stop cooking or microwaving. Just juice raw everything. For proteins, use raw or toasted nuts and seeds. Drink your foods, and you will feel great, energized, and lose weight. I lost 48 pounds in 7 months just by changing my diet. I eat what I want, and stay away from those bad aisles in the grocery stores. I eat out very rarely. I usually will have a wonderfully complex salad with dressing on the siide if eating out. Or I just have a treat like udon soup or some Asian foods (I am crazy about Asian cuisines- Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, etc) and will splurge. Unfortunately they can use wheat and or soy, plus sugar in their dishes.

I know people wrinkle their nose at eating fruits and veggies unless they come in a can, or are cooked to death and drowned in sauce. Any salad is also drowned in unhealthy processed salad dressings. There ARE ways to gradually make changes though! I am living proof.

 

[Mary Anne]

Meh, if kids want unhealthy snacks and drinks, they'll get them.

The so called "healthy" stuff is still ridiculously expensive, this needs to be addressed on both sides of the Atlantic IMO.

Jamie Oliver needs to shut up, no one cares.

That’s simply not true. It’s not expensive to eat raw fruits and vegetables. Apples and Bananas are cheap! Eating foods in season makes financial sense. It depends on where you are shopping also. A cheaper version is frozen fresh fruits and vegetables which are cheap. If you must eat potatoes, eat one baked, not fried. I worked with people of very limited means, and I lived on social security disability. I changed my diet on very little money each month. I also learned what a real portion size means as I was eating three to four times more then I needed. I still am working on portion size, but at least I am aware of when I eat more then I should. Before, I just ate until I was full and bloated.

Jamie Oliver is my hero, and yes, people DO care. Kids eat junk because their parents don’t care to eat healthy either. Parents AND their kids sit around eating crap. Society pays for their health problems and laziness. Now, there is more scientific evidence that foods play a major roll in autistism, mental health, and addictions. What not to embrace about helping others deal with their challenges?