Reply #4: I hate to use the phrase “think of the children”… [View All]

[ohbill]

…but consider the fact that children really don’t have a choice as to what they eat. Their parents buy the breakfast, the school (or the parents) provides the lunch menu, and the parents cook the dinner. My parents made me collect, wash and fold the entire family’s laundry by age 9 but didn’t even trust me near the microwave until I entered high school. I was also very naïve about what I was eating until I reached the end of my high school years.

(Also: why advertise to kids? They have no income.)

Admit it — were you looking at the nutrition facts before you got your degree? High school health classes will discuss sodium and fat intake, but even the most rigorous curricula don’t cover such topics as ketosis¹ or fructose consumption².

If kids don’t see it on television, they won’t want it as badly, and if kids don’t want it, parents won’t buy it. It’s no substitute for parenting, but it helps.

¹ Ketosis kicks in when you go on one of those fad “no carbs” diet. The main side effect is that you have horrible breath.
² Apples are naturally high in fructose, but the enormous amount of fiber keeps you from binging on it like you would with a cheap soda.