*cringe*

Apr 02, 2010 12:32

So I just have to vent....one of my classmates from med school just posted on Facebook all excited that his daughter is in a Similac ad. And of course, everyone has replied how wonderful it is. Now, I'm not going to say that formula is OMG EVIL!!!! and I certainly don't know why they're using it and won't judge on that. However the idea that a physician is all excited that his daughter is part of a formula ad really makes me cringe. I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that I just wrote my Master's paper on barriers to breastfeeding which included a significant amount of discussion about the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's an international regulation about formula marketing, which includes stipulations that formula companies shouldn't do direct advertising to consumers, shouldn't give out free samples, etc., etc. It was passed in 1981 at which point the US was the only country present that didn't sign it. The US did eventually "sign" it in 1994, but obviously didn't enact any laws about it, since as everyone who lives in the US knows, that means nothing as we have ads and free samples and hospitals giving away "breastfeeding kits" w/ formula in them ALL OVER THE PLACE. But even the US supposedly "agrees" that advertising formula directly to the public is WRONG. So for a physician to be excited that his daughter is part of that.....frankly makes me want to cry.
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