In the age of the upwardly overweight Americans, should ads like the KFC (O grams of trans fat) be unlawful?

Question

I love KFC.
I know how to cook a good tasty chicken but still, I crave KFC about once a month, their chicken and their cole slaw is out of this world.

Still, I'm smart and I know it's not healthy food (I do not use fat to cook my chicken, but they do), even if I never eat the skin, so I just indulge once a month or so, .

Their ad on TV, the 0 grams of trans fat, is bothering me because stupid fat people will think it is therefore healthy food...when in fact it's just 0 grams of trans fat but plenty of other fat that will make you fatter....

Very often, fat people are just people who are not educated enough about nutrition, exercise and the human body so they could be harmed by the "0 grams of trans fat" ad.

I'm pretty sure the trans fat will soon be illegal in the USA (as it's already it in Europe and a lot of USA restaurants) so KFC is just eliminating it because it will soon be illegal.

They should tell their customer about the other fat contents and high calories

I just said "stupid fat people" as opposed to "smart fat people" who know better. I did not mean to say that all fat people are stupid or that all thin people are smart.

Answer 1

Your quote says it all:
"Their ad on TV, the 0 grams of trans fat, is bothering me because *stupid* fat people will think it is therefore healthy food..."
There are a lot of stupid people who do a lot of stupid things. If we continue to legislate common sense, what happens is that the stupid get empowered by this! They're encouraged to rely on the government for moral and life judgements, making the next generation progressively weaker than the last.
Also, a side effect is:
-Bigger government
-More law enforcement needed
-Dramatically higher taxes
The average American's tax burden has leaped and personal freedoms have been eroded in the name of "help those that can't help themselves"

Government is not a parent. The more it acts as one, the less common sense America will have.

Answer 2

No trans fat is a fact. Therefore it is true. So why would you ban them from saying something that is an indisputable fact?

If you think it implies more than what it says, then the problem is you, not the ad. But KFC eliminated it because that is what consumers wanted, not because it will become illegal. The US isn't quite so fascist as to ban everything. We do still allow cigarettes after all, and they have killed millions more than transfat probably ever will.

Answer 3

Your generalizations about overweight people are both ignorant and insulting. Quite frequently, overweight people are very intelligent and know full well that the food they are eating is unhealthful, but they eat it for other reasons. Depression is a big reason, and who can blame them for being depressed when people like you are calling them stupid all day long. Banning advertisement isn't the answer, and indeed, when did we start infringing on people's freedom of speech in this country in the guise of protecting the ignorant and weak? People have to be able to choose to take care of their bodies (or not) as they see fit, and businesses have the right to advertise their products without more government interference.

Answer 4

I see you open a can of worms here. I have to watch my cholesterol and fat. KFC once a month isn't going to kill anyone. The trans fat is misleading but people are going to eat what they want no mater what. I not fat, maybe 7 lbs over weight, but my heavy set friend is smart. Her thyroid is out of control. So to call fat people stupid is not accurate. They know their overweight and try to watch their weight but it's not easy.

Answer 5

So skinny people are smart and fat people are stupid. Just because someone is fat does not mean they are uneducated and stupid. Most people that have a weight problem are aware of the fact that they need to lose weight and also are aware of what they are eating that is making them fat. They make choices; so let them make the choice on what to eat. You can ignore the TV ads.

Answer 6

What's the problem? My weight is a battle and I eat more vegetables than anything else. I'm not so stupid to think greasy chicken is good for you. But when us fat folks die young, that ;eaves more social security money for the rest of you.

Answer 7

People in general really know by now that they MUST make the effort to educate themselves about nutrition.
For example, we saw sugar advertised as "fat free". Now, come on now. Who would believe that means it was low calorie?

Answer 8

Perhaps a warning at the bottom of their ads in tiny print like I see in other ads. For example:
- for alcohol, I see things like "Alcohol should not be consumed by minors under the age of 21."
- for car ads where they show the vehicles speeding around corners, I see things like "Stunts performed by a professional on a closed track,"

So the KFC ads maybe should have some sort of warning that says "Please consume in moderation. Our product will make you fat."

Answer 9

Yes, once again lets make another stupid law about people who are so stupid that they can not make their own decisions.

Lets make more laws so that our people can no longer eat what they want, enjoy life, and it should be against the law to be fat as well.

From now on all fat people must go on a 1200 calorie diet or we should put them in the hospital and force feed them.

More laws, thats the answer, what a concept!

Answer 10

Quite frankly advertising, while not unlawful, should be greatly curtailed. It is misleading, and definitely preys on the weak. It should be banned during children's programming, and removed from billboards.