Anti-obesity ads could stigmatize kids

An ad campaign started by an Atlanta-based children's hospital featuring images of overweight kids "carries a great risk of increasing stigma", says Alan Guttmacher, a child health expert at the National Institutes of Health.

























Such childhood stigma "can reinforce unhealthy behaviours" as well as pose "risks to the psychological health" of obese kids, Dr. Guttmacher said in a letter to fat activist Shannon Russell.


Those behind the advertising however are defending the campaign.

"We saw the problem as something that we should take some responsibility for, and something that we had to fix," says Mark Wulkan from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

"When we looked at how do you get that awareness, really the most effective means are to use techniques that some might say are controversial," Dr Wulkan said.

"Our intent was never to stigmatise the children," he added.