Blunt Billboard Warns That 'Feeding Kids Meat Is Child Abuse'
For Immediate Release:
January 5, 2012
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Atlanta -- While some parents might consider the new Strong4Life anti-obesity campaign from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to be too hard-hitting, PETA agrees that childhood obesity is too serious a topic to soft-pedal. That's why the group is currently negotiating with Atlanta-area outdoor advertisers to display a billboard that shows a chubby little girl scarfing down a burger and reads, "Feeding Kids Meat Is Child Abuse. Fight the Fat: Go Vegan." One million of Georgia's kids are overweight or obese, and 75 percent of overweight and obese kids' parents reportedly don't recognize that their children have a problem—so PETA hopes to point out to Georgia's parents that cholesterol-heavy burgers and chicken nuggets are taking a serious toll on kids' health.
"The potential for damage caused by a meat-heavy diet is like a ticking time bomb in kids," says executive vice president of PETA—and mother—Tracy Reiman. "Vegetarian and vegan kids are, on average, slimmer and enjoy all-around better health than their meat-eating peers. 'Eat your veggies' has become more than just off-the-cuff parental advice—it can mean the difference between a healthy, happy kid and one who's overweight and sick."
In addition to facing the social challenges caused by childhood obesity—which can lead to lifelong psychological trauma—children who are fed a diet of chicken nuggets, hot dogs, fish sticks, and other animal-based foods that are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol have their health put at risk. Our national addiction to meat is bad enough for adults, but it is even worse for kids: Some children show symptoms of heart disease by the time they reach first grade. The American Dietetic Association, the nation's largest group of nutrition professionals, found that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than do meat-eaters and that a meat-free diet is appropriate for all age groups.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.