Monday, October 7, 2013
Prompt for October 7th
In a recent reading you saw the reaction to a Breast-Feeding Ad as part of a campaign for the department of Health and Human Services. The designers of this original advertisement intended for the message to be one of public awareness concerning the research on the benefits of nursing. Write about your thoughts on what happened to this ad, who opposed it, and what was later put out for public consumption. Also talk about whether the DHHS should consider these topics and ad campaigns in the future. Why or why not?
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Sorry. I still can't figure out how to do a blog post.
ReplyDeleteI believe that everyone should be educated about the benefits of nursing so that one can make an educated decision about whether or not to breastfeed. For a mother who is able to nurse, knowing information about the advantages of breastfeeding and the disadvantages of not breastfeeding seem like strong evidence to give nursing a try. If DHHS wanted to educate the public about this subject, then I don't see any problem with them trying to be as effective as possible. If being effective means making some able moms feel guilty about not breastfeeding, then so be it. Advertising in our country is insane and it brainwashes the population to mindlessly consume; But when an advertisement comes out to inform people about the great benefits of something that mothers naturally do, our government doesn't allow it because of private monetary interests. The commercial put out for later consumption was toned down in order to be ineffective, so that formula companies could profit. It appears that the government cares more about profiting from formula companies than it does about the overall health of our population. Clearly, our government does not have the peoples best interest in mind. I mean, Mcdonald's exists. I think that DHHS, or anyone, should continue to educate people about the benefits of breastfeeding, through ads or anything else. Breastfeeding is pretty awesome for both the baby and mother, but some women just may not know about it because they're not educated. Some people feel guilty when they choose to smoke a cigarette because they are educated about the adverse effects of smoking. If someone is educated about the topic, they can still choose to do whatever they want, and they may feel guilty about their decision. If educated (and capable of breastfeeding), is feeling guilty about smoking much different than feeling guilty about not breastfeeding?
I think that smoking during pregnancy is not equivalent to not breast feeding. Breastfeeding is absolutely the most beneficial choice for babies, but formula is not as detrimental the 4,000+ chemicals in cigarettes.
DeleteGovernment is to protect the people. McDonald's is a threat to the public if they are misinforming the public about their food. McDonald's does not go out of their way to say a Big Mac is healthy. Additionally we have a tort system in place to prevent misinformation should the government fail to respond accordingly.
DeletePeople have the right to choose, even if it's a choice that is detrimental.