I am not sure I could be more disgusted

[cassidyrose]

TLC has a new fat-hating show it's been promoting with equally fat-hating commercials called Honey We're Killing the Kids. At first, I couldn't believe they were actually doing such a show. Why am I shocked by anything anymore?

The thing is, I agree that a lot of children's eating habits are crap and they don't get enough exercise. However, I think these things need to be addressed outside of the realm of weight loss, fat-hatred, and harmful stereotypes (There is a commercial for the show that shows a fat kid being transformed into a fat adult to the horror of his mother--talk about fat hatred. Then there is another commerical where a fat dad and a fat kid are sitting on a sofa eating a platter of donuts, because, you know, all fat people do is sit around and eat platters of donuts.) Not to mention the fact that a lame-ass "reality" TV show is not exactly an appropriate way to deal with the issue. The children involved are not old enough to give consent, which means their parents are giving consent and I find that appalling. Here, make a mockery of my child and use him/her as a schill for the diet industry, TLC and for fat-hatred. Way to give your child some issues. It makes my skin crawl.

There are just so many things wrong with this. It is difficult for me to coherently talk about it.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I once taught a little kid whose mom would put in her lunch a "tuna sandwich" of no-mayo (very dry) tuna on two big Stoned Wheat Thins crackers, because she was "chunky," then a big huge chocolate chip cookie every day so she "wouldn't feel deprived."

Imagine that poor kid, a few years later, watching that commercial.

[cassidyrose.livejournal.com]

That kind of weird food deprivation and mixed messages about food is so unhealthy for children. And yeah, I think about kids seeing fat kids made a mockery of on so-called "learning" TV and it makes me so sad.

[lightning-rose.livejournal.com]

She'll be so dull-witted from the mercury that she'll never notice. :\

[ptor.livejournal.com]

> It is difficult for me to coherently talk about it.

But I am glad that you do.