Soda Makers: Blame Video Games for Child Obesity
Soda Makers: Blame Video Games for Child Obesity
December 20, 2007
A lobbyist for the massive soft drink industry blames video games - not soda pop - for America's growing problem with childhood obesity, reports the International Herald Tribune.Responding to a plan by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome to place a surcharge on sales of sweetened soft drinks, Kevin Keane of the American Beverage Association said:
It makes no sense to single out any one single cause of obesity, which is a complex problem.
Keane added that if Mayor Newsome really wanted to fight fat, he would go after video game companies which, the lobbyist said, induced children to stay indoors instead of being "outside burning calories."
However, Nathan Ballard, a spokesman for the Mayor, said:
There's a well-established nexus between obesity, which is caused by high-fructose corn syrup, and the increased health care costs for the city... [but] The mayor has no intention of imposing a fee on pizza.
GP: So, if the soda manufacturers are so concerned about video games and obesity, why are they cross-promoting with popular titles like Halo 3? (see Mountain Dew cans at left)
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Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:40am
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:38am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:33am
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:30am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
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Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
And this is just a load of crap... Seriously. Parents, make the kids exercise. Then they'll gradually get less fat!
Thank you.
This is beyond Facepalm.
Keane first saying "It makes no sense to single out any one single cause of obesity, which is a complex problem."
Then turns around and "Keane added that if Mayor Newsome really wanted to fight fat, he would go after video game companies which, the lobbyist said, induced children to stay indoors instead of being “outside burning calories.”"
I mean, seriously, how totally STUPID is this guy?
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/kotaku/full/~3/203230800/soda-says-sorry-to-v...
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
*cracks open a Mountain Dew*
Basically he was saying that blaming soda for kids being fat (and applying extra tax burden to soda manufacturers and consumers) is just as bad as blaming video games (and applying special taxes to them).
http://kotaku.com/336032/soda-says-sorry-to-videogames
Parents are the ones buying the food, feeding the kids, and not limiting the amount of time they spend sitting around.
I had videogames since I was a wee tyke (all the way to the late 70's), and my parents ALWAYS limited my playtime. Also, soft drinks & candy was an occasional treat that they had TOTAL CONTROL over.
At least the game industry is lobbying honestly instead of mudslinging. You don't see the game industry blaming violence on sugar highs from soda..
Twinkie defense anyone?
Misquotes are common throughout the media. Heck, we should've known this by now. Jack Thompson and Lyndon Larouche misquote their sources all the time.
Honestly, how hard can it be to swear off soda? Quite putting the blame on drinks or other outside factors, and just admit you're an undsciplined slob!
Okay, so let's...
"if Mayor Newsome really wanted to fight fat, he would go after video game companies"
Um...
So much for "it makes no sense to single out any one single cause"...
calories in > calories out (on average).
I'm not nor have I ever been considered obese. Earlier this year, I was 6'0" tall and my weight had crept up to 210. (I have a pretty big frame, so getting to the government recommended body-fat-index weight of 172 pounds is never going to happen. I'd look like a skeleton.)
Then I realized I was probably drinking too much sugared sodas.
Here's the deal. I love Mountain Dew. I hate diet sodas. I love coffee (no cream, no sugar). Dropping caffeine out of my diet is out of the question.
But I dropped sugared sodas and any drinks with high fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient. I found a couple of diet sodas that actually taste pretty good. And I allow myself one Mountain Dew in the afternoon to keep me going. Everything else is diet or black coffee.
I've changed nothing else regarding my diet (I still love Chipotle burritos and Wendy's Baconators) or exercise habits (which consists primarily of Guitar Hero at this point).
I'm down to 190 pounds. I've lost 20 pounds in 6 months.
The point of this? The American Beverage Association is 100% wrong on this.
This is nuts... hypocrisy and backstabbing at its purest level.
Not only are they turning their heads away from the aforementioned Halo 3 deal, but if they JUST SAID that picking out a single 'cause' of obesity is not a smart way to end the problem, then why are they actually doing so?
Just... no. You know what? No.
I also wish GP would fix the news story. :\
What the hell? Does this guy realizes that he just contradicted himself by making this statement and then going on to blame video games?
When will the stupid stop?
Its not the sugar, you could do that all day an not deal with weight issues, its the high fructose corn syrup.
I saw several 12-packs at my local Wal-Mart this morning.
Screw you and your fizzy drinks.
Pop is another name for soda.
but pop is the right one
I chose this thread because it makes me laugh, it makes my family laugh, it would probably make my cat laugh if it could read.
That's possibly the most amusing attempt to squirm out of responsibility I have even seen. When Soda companies start actually showing some concern over the amount of crap they put into our children, then I'll start showing some concern about their opinion on other possible parts of the problem, until then, they are hippocrites and nothing more,
'I'm not doing anything until they do' is starting to become this planets' catchphrase....
Some things happened in my life and I stopped drinking Soda completely and switched to water whenever I got thirsty, and worked out. And now I weigh 140, and I'm 19 now. I still play games.
Then why is he singling out video games? I smell hypocrisy.
Guess what? Medical literature links HFCS to the problem far more than lack of activity.
Of course, you do need to get out and play outside, lard balls. Leave your handhelds inside while you do it.
This right here is the only argument needed.
"Facepalm.."
I second that.
If they really want to solve the child obesity thing, then maybe they should just tax or fine the parents. It's simple: their kids have to weigh in once each new year...if they are determined to be overweight, then the parents would have to claim it on their tax return and pay extra. Some people can never motivate themselves on the road to responsibility, so you have to mess with their paychecks...(maybe I'll call Spitzer and see what he thinks...or maybe I'm just being facetious...)
@Dog_Welder
I personally live for the brief time when Wendy's offers the Bacon Mushroom Melt - I act like Homer with the Ribwich ;)
I'm 33, 5'6" - and I have never weighed more than 120 lbs...soaking wet, after a sandwich, ad infinitum. It's beyond my control. I inherited my grandfather's genes (the man was a rail his whole life) and I have had the "metabolism from hell" for the entirety of mine. I'm "that guy" who can eat and eat and eat and never show it. Always with a clean bill of health, no malfunctioning glands or other body parts to speak of.
The only way I ever gain any weight is when I go to the gym regularly ( meaning muscle mass, of course). My trainer once said that he would have me drink heavy cream every morning, but the only thing it would do is give me a heart attack.
Not that I've been in quite a while, mind you, because I haven't been motivated to work out lately (not to mention the gas money I am saving by not going). I'd much rather watch a movie, play a game, or work on some music (a process centered around my PC).
My reason for this rant is to reinforce what most of us "think-for-ourselvers" already know: one simple thing alone is not to blame. Some of us can be drastically affected by a sleight change in diet and/or exercise patterns. Some of us don't even blink. It's a combination of individual genetic makeup, habits, AND mental health that dictates who we are, how we look, and so on...
America's absurd and redundant public education and healthcare system are partially to blame for child hood obesity figures. The main culprit, however, is a culture of corporate greed, unregulated advertisement, fast food, and sugar. It's difficult to find cheap, easy, tasty, and HEALTHY food options in America's cities. Major corportized food distributers, such as Conagra and McDonalds, sell products are incredibly hydrogenated, loaded with calories, and chalk full with bad sugars. Most also own stock, or are direct affliates, with major drug companies who will sell customers obesity related drugs down the line. We lack an adequate health care system, instead opting to profiteer off the sickness of others and ignore the needs of the poor, to properly address these issues in a preventive fashion.
When someone points out a problem that they admit to have done themselves, ie. singling out a single cause for a large problem, what does that make them? A pot recognizing how black it is? I think it this case, it knows its faulty logic but wants to divert that attention away by transparently attacking something else.
*stands on a soapbox, busts out a megaphone*
Attention, dinguses! The Soda Rep in question has stated that he was misquoted! The article with the explanation over at Kotaku has been posted twice, now! Learn some freaking reading comprehension already!
*steps off*
EZK: My father-in-law drink Diet RC. It has splenda. Not sure of any others off the top of my head.
When asked to explain she said that it leads to lazyness and a larger sex drive and that could lead to unprotected sex, which could lead to getting an STD which could be AIDS.
Stupidity all around.
AND that the vice-president of the American Beverage Association has also admitted that he is Captain N: The Game Master, now retired after saving Videoland, with three kids who he is ashamed to say have trounced him in today's games.
It wasn't too hard to piece together. Kevin Keene, Kevin Keane... just a simple change of a letter and WHOOSH! Perfect disguise! :D
Seriously, I'm glad that:
a) He was misquoted cause a guy named Kevin Keane really SHOULD love games, what with being Captain N and all.
AND
b) All kidding aside, the fact that he knows who and what Captain N is a statement in and of itself! ROCK ON! :D
Anyway, an UPDATE seriously needs to be tacked onto this.
Seriously.
~Otaku-Man
"It’s difficult to find cheap, easy, tasty, and HEALTHY food options in America’s cities."
It's called the grocery store, i belive that they sell food that has not been super processed for a low price in some sections...
Also Fast food and proccesed food is not cheap, cheap is what i consider to be less than $5 here in Canada, becuase for the $6-$10 range for one meal at Mcdonalds, i could just cook up my own meal for 4, for about the same price.
I think one of the major problems is, is that a lot of people dont cook very often, maybe becuase they dont know how to cook meals from scratch. I would kinda like to see more people cook from scratch rather then going to a fast food place every other day, and those people that say it takes too much time, it's a lie, becuase theirs many things you can do to make sure food is on the table, such as preparing it ahead of time, using a slow cooker ect ect.
Another point i would like to make, is that if you are going to a fast food place, be sure to know what you pick. It's not as hard as you think, you dont have to pull up nutrition charts of any sort, you just have to watch what they do in the kitchen. Stupidly Mcdonalds has some sort of open "kitchen" where you can obviously see the french fries being dreaded in a pitcher of salt, or frozen products being prepared, or burgars being prepared on buttery oily surfaces, which kinda informs that yea, this might not be the best place for "X".
ya around 30 you motablisim slows some and if you ave a slow one to start with sugar can just convert straight to fat, I am trying to move to diet but I cannot drink apspertime and thats mostly what is used in soda drinks.
"Blackice,
This is beyond Facepalm."
I've already done too many HEADDESKs today.
Video games save the day with healthy eating habits with Cooking Mama! But remember kids- don't try to cook in real life, it's only a video game!
Oh no, we shouldn't put blame on just one thing...EXCEPT VIDEOGAMES LOLOLOMGWTF.
And are you kidding me? Sodas contribute to the health issue around here. Young people (Like me...and younger) drink sodas all the bloody time. So don't act all innocent.
Hell, the only cause of obesity is the actual person and nothing more. God, I cannot stand people who can let themselves way over 700lbs (Remember those stories of half ton people who cannot move, and must stay in their bed?)
I won't lie to ya, I'm not the thinnest person around, but I would freakin' starve myself If I see myself getting *too* large. But anyway... I'm getting ahead of myself here. Going a bit off topic...
It's a combinations of factors. Soda is right up there with sedentary lifestyles.
Anorexia is just as bad as obesity, if not worse...
Just wanted to put that out there...
Beautifully said
I can already see Pepsi and Coke stating it's because they have diet versions of their drinks.
Anyone for the XBox 1.5? It's 358.5 less calories than the XBox 360!
Oh man... Gotta love statements like this from the PR geniuses.
http://kotaku.com/336032/soda-says-sorry-to-videogames
I know that GP likes to get news stories up fast so you get the hits, but basically all you're doing is being like the Fox News of the gaming world.
Considering you criticise other publications for sloppy journalism, to do it so often yourself reeks of hypocrisy.
Trust me, I know the issues facing a news site, but it doesn't take too much to go beyond what most of them do - a phone call here, an email there.
When you do break stories and have researched them and gone beyond copy & pasting an AP feed, you have some extraordinary good journalism going on, and I guess that's what annoys me so much about GP.
The link to ABA
context is important.
Edward Norton once said, "I hate anyone that is a white Protestant."
but that was in the movie american history x
Also I can see how this could have been misread.
*isnt
I hate anyone that isnt a white Protestant.
And second, why on earth would they want to profit from schools, that they also tribute to obesity.
Lay off those sugary drinks kids. They can give you diabetes.
Thanks for the link.
Ok so GP goofed. It happens. We're human. I'm sure Dennis will have an edit up before JT can get another lawsuit on the books.
*goes back to drinking his Dew*
For those of you who do not know, corn syrup has replaced sugar as the sweetner of choice for american food. And it's not just a matter of "you need to avoid sweets"!
Go to your grocery store. Find any food stuff on the shelf. Read it's ingredients. Unless it's a raw vegetable, it has corn syrup added. I picked up a pack of uncooked italian sausage last night and right there on the label was corn syrup.
Are kids are fat because companies want their foods to taste better. The easiest way to appeal to a person's palate is with sugars or fats.
"Keane added that if Mayor Newsome really wanted to fight fat, he would go after video game companies"
Conflict in logic detected. Why single out when it makes on sense to single out?
One thing that people blame is all of the commercials of fast food and sugary snacks that is placed during children's programming. But these are the only companies I've seen that buy commercial airtime on children's television. I've barely seen any commercials about healthy food. I blame the healthy food companies for not putting commercials on children's time slots. (correct me if I am wrong.)
Videogames MIGHT be a factor.... if played the whole day....No DDR or Guitar Hero....
But it is ultimatly up to the parents to prevent obesity. That is the truth.
How the hell are you going to be the one that MAKES something that contributes to obesity, then say "oh, its not us...its them". Is the child EATING these games? Do these games have low nutritional value? Come on. Stop being an idiot.
Has anyone looked at the Nutrition Facts label on a can of normal soda recently? They all have around 150 calories, and 40 grams of sugar and carbohydrates.
The ABA is still lying. HFCS is still a leading cause of obesity, and singling it out for surcharges would be beneficial to health.
Here's a simple argument:
How much time can you spend playing videogames in a day? The maximum is 24 hours, and your body shuts down after a day or several of this.
Do you have caloric intake from videogames?
No. You burn varying levels. Not as much as good exercise, but you are still expending some trivial energy. You can starve to death if you don't eat.
How much soda can you drink in a day?
A huge amount, it tastes goooood! And the caffeine helps you stay up longer!
Do you have caloric intake from drinking soda?
YES.
So, what makes you fatter, really? Not exercising, or consuming sodas and other fat-generating foods?
Holy crap, this is right.
What's next?
McDonald's blames taxi drivers for Big Mac-induced heart attack surges!
We all know the real reason kid's are fat these day's. EL-NiNo is to blame. God damn storm. They told us year's down the road all kinda bad stuff would happen. See and yall thought nuffin was gonna happen. Well i guess that storm showed us eh? ;)