In-your-face advertisements target childhood obesity

The ads have drawn strong criticism, but Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is standing by the effort.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Grim Childhood Obesity Ads Stir Critics
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is hearing strong criticism from some camps for its in-your-face advertising campaign designed to attack Georgia's childhood obesity epidemic. But the pediatric health system stands firmly by its approach, saying the grim advertisements featuring overweight kids are necessary to get families to recognize the widespread public health problem. Using tools such as television commercials and billboards late this year, the campaign has offered stark black-and-white images of overweight children sharing bold and often uncomfortable messages (Teegardin, 1/1).

CBS News: Ga. Childhood Obesity PSAs Spark Controversy
Childhood obesity public service announcements airing in Georgia have some critics crying foul that the dark-themed ads featuring grim overweight kids could backfire. … The commercials, made by an organization called Strong4Life, show overweight kids describing how other kids pick on them or how their health has been impacted because they are overweight. … The ads are part of a $50 million campaign in Georgia  where nearly one million kids are obese and 75 percent of parents of an obese child don't recognize it as a problem, Strong4Life says. It's the second worse obesity rate in the country behind Mississippi (Jaslow, 1/2).