Yet another example of a powerful industry lobby pressuring a government agency to change course. This time, it's baby formula manufacturers convincing Health & Human Services to tone down an ad campaign urging mothers to breastfeed.
I have various opinions on this. I'm disgusted by the reasons the ad campaign was toned down... but on the other hand, I don't like the negative tone of the original ad campaign either. I strongly believe women should breastfeed if they can, I think there are a lot of benefits to it for mother and baby — and really, having been doing it for nearly a year now, I can tell you it's really a good experience overall — but I don't like the idea of making women who can't breastfeed, or who gave it a good try but it didn't work out, feel like sh*t either.
In an attempt to raise the nation's historically low rate of breast-feeding, federal health officials commissioned an attention-grabbing advertising campaign a few years ago to convince mothers that their babies faced real health risks if they did not breast-feed. It featured striking photos of insulin syringes and asthma inhalers topped with rubber nipples.
I'm sorry, but there are other factors that cause asthma. It seems like it's easier to blame the bottle-feeding mama than to, I don't know, do something about our weakened air quality standards.
Personally, I'd like to see a campaign with a more positive slant. What about the money you save? What about the convenience (once you get past those hellish first few weeks when it seems like you're nursing 24/7?) What about not having to get up to fix a bottle?
And also, can we please elect an administration that doesn't kiss the ass of EVERY CORPORATION OUT THERE?
Edited to add: and I'm apparently not the only one that feels this way about the ads.
