the MORETIVATOR | 有种激励

Ban on fast food ads: Are you still loving it?

The Information Ministry is stopping fast food advertisements from being aired over Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) stations, to help Malaysians practise a healthy lifestyle.Are you loving it? Your finger’s licking good? If the banning takes immediate effective, it means we will never hear these slogans again in the TV and radio.

My questions are: What do u mean by fast food? And why the banning?

If food that is served ‘fast’ happens to fall in this category, then Maggi, which is under Nestle, will having the same fate.

To answer my first question, our Health Minister Dr Chua said fast foods is a “silent killers” and they were in the same league as liquor and smoking. Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said it was not a matter of profits, as RTM, being a government body, has a social responsibility. His support did not mean he was against fast food companies, adding he feared the culture (of taking fast food) would become more difficult to tackle in future. He even said there are many other types of food that can help Malaysians to be healthy.

Well, I afraid the healthy foods that he means are vegetables and fruits. But we hardly see any ads promoting these healthy foods. And still, we don’t see what is the meaning of fast food, and the reason behind this, I mean for Malaysia la…

You see ar, New york did it, so were Australia & New Zealand. Singapore has even adamantly refusing to introduce trans fat in the restaurant.

You know what is the reason given by NZ on the ban? Last July, The Public Health Association (PHA) of New Zealand said that a new report showing a link between watching television and childhood obesity shows the time has come for a ban on the advertising of fast food during children’s television programmes.The study, which had launched at the PHA conference in Palmerston North last July, was commissioned by Agencies for Nutrition Action. They found that every hour children spend watching television increases their risk of becoming obese. The unexpected finding in their study was the likelihood that the increase in obesity was due to children being bombarded by advertising of high fat, high sugar foods and drinks, in other words, the obese, TV watching children were virtually as active as the normal weight non-watchers. The difference was that the TV-watching children ate more snack and treat foods, and fewer fruit and vegetables.

Well, that’s the reason we see on tha banning. So Malaysia, what is your reasons? Any facts and figures to alarm us? U know la, Malaysian only get scare when we see some shocking figure mah… Or else, we keep on smoking and getting fat lor. None of your business wat?!

Now I know what does ‘culture imperialism’ means when I study Mass Comm last time. We always say Malaysia should develope according to ‘acuan sendiri’, but we always act when the rice becomes the porridge. Of course, it’s never too late to start, I just wish we can do more to promote national wellness, much more early. And once it started, please make it a commitment. It’s national wellness as a whole u know?

Well, don’t blame the parents if their children are overweight, but I think the issue is actually far more complex than the fast food ads. It must have something to do with our health consciousness. Frankly, I really hope Malaysia can do more to promote national health. I know you can do it, Malaysia.

Hey, can somebody tell me whether Maggi Mee is considered as fast food or not? Opps, never mind la, only ban on TV and radio, still can eat…