Archive Index: September 2006
Archive: September 2006
What's the Skinny on the Media and Weight?
Earlier this month, Spain’s top fashion show banned the use of ultra skinny models, prompting a worldwide debate about the influence of the fashion media on girls’ body image and eating disorder rates.
This week, the Federal Communications Commission and Congress announced the formation of a joint task force to examine the media’s contribution to America’s childhood obesity epidemic.
These trends might seem paradoxical, but studies have shown that the media can have a major impact on kids’ health, in terms of both eating disorders and obesity.
NYC Says No More Trans Fat
New York City's Health Department is proposing a ban on trans fat at its restaurants, calling it a "unnecessary and dangerous ingredient in food."
Seems like a good idea -- especially given the rate of heart disease in this country -- but you've got to wonder how hard this ban will be to enforce, especially in a city so large.
But -- at minimum -- this proposal will raise awareness. Comparing trans fat to lead is gonna get parents to pay some attention. Maybe this proposal is a step towards helping families make smarter choices about what they put in their mouths and on their own tables.
Read on for the full press release
MySpace and Seventeen Join Forces for Internet Safety
MySpace is joining with parnters, including Seventeen magazine, in "a nationwide effort to educate Internet users about safe online practices."
Well, hmmm. Whether you think that MySpace creators are really concerned with your kids' safety or just trying to cover themselves -- and whether you think that Seventeen editor-in-chief Atoosa Rubenstein, who's been known to say things like " I feel like I want to start starving myself so I can wear those clothes now," is the best spokesperson for anything teen related -- we've got to say that teaching kids (and parents) Internet safety is always a good idea.
In fact, we are so concerned about Internet safety that we launched our own campaign -- way back in July. You can download our guide for free on our site. Or read on for tips from Atoosa, which actually aren't too bad.
Cocaine in a Can
While runway models are keeping the press humming about the slim scene, I’m tracking what’s going on behind those curtains with celeb and ad types abuzz (literally) about a new "energy drink" that crashed the runway parties.
Just when you thought marketing to kids couldn’t get much more toxic, “Drink Cocaine” is the message, with 280 milligrams of caffeine in an 8.4 oz can, coming soon to a homework tribe near you…
Sexy Halloween Costumes
Halloween is approaching, and kids are starting to plan their costumes. But, according to the authors of Packaging Girlhood, their creativity is being limited by oppressive marketing that begins with the smallest kids. Read on:
When it comes to selling Halloween costumes, Web sites sort their categories explicitly along gender lines, with categories like "Princesses and Barbie" and "Star Wars and Sci-Fi", or even more pointedly "girl costumes" and "boy costumes."
