Battling Childhood Obesity: Can We Go Too Far?

Reminiscent of "this is your brain, this is your brain on drugs" and the more current TV commercials discouraging teens from texting and driving by showing them the gory reality of deadly car accidents, the state of Georgia has taken on childhood obesity with some pretty in-your-face ads.

But have they gone too far? 

Yes, childhood obesity, and obesity in general, is a huge and growing (no pun intended) problem in our country.  And many people in Georgia believe this is the only way to take it on head first.  Critics chime in complaining that blaming the victims (the kids in this case) is not the way to go.  It will only make them feel worse about their bodies and therefore they'll be less likely to take care of themselves.

Personally, I'm a bit torn.  It's sad to see these kids "called out" in the ads, but I also agree that something has got to change.  The parents, and yes, the kids too, need a wake up call and maybe this is it! 

It's clear that this is a new issue for America.  Back in the day when kids actually spent most of their waking hours being physical and TV ads weren't pimping the latest and greatest sugar and fat laden foods, kids were mostly the weight they should be.  And don't get me started on the video games.  When you spend all day indoors in front of a computer or a video screen, your body will eventually rebel, it's not what we're built to be doing 24 hours a day!

For me, the issue is more about the parents.  Mostly, where are they??  You see what your kids are eating, it's likely you're feeding them the majority of what they consume- at least when they're younger.  Parents need to take charge, inform themselves and ensure their kids are eating right and getting enough activity in their day.  You can't rely on schools or daycare programs  or the government, it has to start at home.

Unbelievable to me, but according to Children's Health Care Atlanta, 50% of parents didn't know that childhood obesity was even an issue!  And and 75 percent of parents with obese children didn't think their own child was overweight.

So, maybe these ads are shocking, but maybe in today's world, that's what works.

What do you think, do the ads go too far and target the wrong audience?

See what other moms are saying about this and other hot topics at ABC News.