As child obesity becomes a serious health issue in today’s society, some people feel that TV commercials advertising junk food aimed at kids should not be shown before 9pm. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?
Child obesity has become a growing concern in the modern world, owing in part to the prevalence of junk food. Some people, therefore, argue that food advertisements should be banned before 9pm. I partially agree with this idea.
TV commercials are one of the main reasons why children today eat an excessive amount of junk food. Children are psychologically immature and susceptible to media hype. TV commercials for junk food shown during prime hours every day give them more access to information about it, and these commercials are often so well made that most children cannot resist the temptation. If these commercials could be prohibited before 9pm, their powerful influence on children would be greatly diminished.
Other measures, however, should be taken along with regulation of TV commercials. In today’s society, children are also exposed to other types of media, such as magazines and the internet, thereby being affected by the advertisements on them. In other words, they are still likely to be persuaded to buy junk food without watching TV. Reducing the impact of commercials, therefore, is not the ultimate solution to child obesity. In order to address this problem, health education should be delivered both at home and school to raise children’s consciousness of consuming a balanced diet. In addition, children should be encouraged to do more physical exercise to offset the negative effect of eating junk food.
In conclusion, regulating TV commercials is a feasible way to cope with child obesity, but other steps should also be taken at the same time to make it more effective.
