Maxprop wrote:
How about letting individuals be less subjected to food advertisements
24/7?


How would you recommend that be accomplished?

I'm not sure. I have not personally examined the forces that
pushed the current system into place, so I'm not going to
say how to push things in a different direction.

.... Legislation?

Bad idea IMHO, for 2 fundamental reasons:
1- it's not likely to work all that well
2- that government is best which governs least.


.... Certainly the
food-producing/retailing companies won't voluntarily abstain from
advertising.

I agree, as long as the current socio-economic-legal systems
are in place. You seem to be on the opposite spectrum from
Frank B who seems to believe that advertising is just a
curious way corporations have of disposing excess dollars.


.... Thus the government would have to *protect us* from such
harmful advertising. And wouldn't that constitute a nanny state?


Depends on how it's done. If the gov't were to say "No
advertising cheeseburgers, people are too dumb to know how
much is healthy" then yes, that would be nannyism.

If OTOH advertising expenditures were to be penalized by
taxation, for example in a way similar to how research &
development is encouraged by tax rules, then that would not
be nannyism and might tilt the system away from heavy
advertising.




It's also the result of the profit motive: large corporations are making
lots of money convincing Americans to eat more, thus becoming larger
corporally.


Corporations also encourage us to smoke, spend hours in front of video games
and TV, and take medications we likely don't require. There appear to be
only two solutions: personal responsibility, or the good ol' nanny state.
I prefer the former.


If you see only two solutions, then you're being
intentionally obtuse, or your blinders are strapped on a
little too tight, or you're stupider than I'd have given you
credit for.


Capt. JG wrote:
Now that brings us to the question... which works better? No opinions now...
just da facts.


One fact that is already on the ground is that advertising
works. Personal responsibility also works, when it is present.

DSK