Stop Childhood Obesity Ad Analysis

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Obesity is a huge issue in America because of a lack of sufficient education regarding the risks of unhealthy eating as well as establishments that make it easy to gain excessive weight. Some parents don’t properly nourish their children and they become overweight. Obesity is a huge risk factor for heart disease, stroke, cancer and type 2 diabetes, all diseases that can lead to fatal complications. Studies show that overweight children have a 66% chance of being overweight adults. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, aware of this issue, launched a new campaign around Atlanta in August.
The creator of this ad saw obesity for what it was, and thought there was no more time for sugar coating. On the center of the ad is an overweight caucasian girl that looked around 10 - 13. She has a melancholy expression on her face. Her arms are crossed which makes her seem closed off and/or frustrated. The caption on the ad read, “Warning: Chubby isn’t cute if it leads to type 2 diabetes. Stop childhood obesity.” The whole picture is in black and white with no color. Black and white gives the picture a very gloomy and sad feeling. Making the picture black and white was purposeful in order to bring out sad emotions from the audience. The only color in the ad is the word …show more content…

Many people thought the ad was much too harsh targeting overweight children. They thought the ad could have achieved the same goal but in a more positive way. A child health expert at the National Institutes of Health said Atlanta-based Strong4Life "carries a great risk of increasing stigma. Stigma also poses risks to the psychological health of obese adolescents”. Fat activist Marilyn Wann designed a template so that people could create their own version of the Strong4Life advertisement. She posted photos, with messages like "I stand for happy and healthy children of all sizes" and "I stand for dignity, kindness and the delights of