Blunt Anti-Obesity Ads: Helpful or Too Much?

By: Jenée Desmond-Harris | Posted: January 13, 2012 at 12:42 PM

Strong4Life's "Stop Sugarcoating It, Georgia" campaign takes addressing the childhood obesity crisis in an entirely different direction from Michelle Obama's "Let's Move." Forget cheerful, affirming messages about healthy food, jump-roping and choreographed dance -- these dreary PSAs feature obese and overweight children whose messages seem designed to shock and depress rather than inspire.

Three out of five of the ads star black kids. In one, black-and-white footage of an African-American teenager with diabetes is narrated by her mother, who says, "Being thick runs in our family. I never noticed Tamika eating any differently than the rest of us. She likes junk food, but what kid doesn't? When the doctor said Tamika had type 2 diabetes, I never thought what we eat made her sick."

The ads have been criticized for placing blame on and stigmatizing children who are already suffering. But we can't say they didn't get our attention. Weigh in: Is it time to get serious when it comes to this national health issue, or do the non-"sugarcoated" ads take the wrong tone?