The Blame Game

Inappropriate advertising contributes to many kids' ills, from obesity to
anorexia, to drinking booze and having sex too soon, and Congress should crack down on it, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.

...

In response, the academy says doctors should ask Congress and federal agencies to:
• ban junk-food ads during shows geared toward young children;
• limit commercial advertising to no more than 6 minutes per hour, a decrease of 50 percent...(AP via CNN)

This reminds me too much of Plato's censorship in The Republic. The advertisements are making them fat! If kids don't see Oreos and french fries on TV, they won't want them!

In The Republic, Plato advocated banning poetry and most storytelling because they contained tales of violence and immorality (Books II and III). The logic was that if kids don't ever hear about murder or deceit, they'll never kill or lie.

So the solution is simple. Just censor the advertisements, and kids won't want junk food, right?

The last time I checked, kids couldn't drive themselves to the store and buy their own Pringles and Snickers. Take some responsibility, parents.