New York – The latest New York City public health campaign warning against diabetes features a photo of an overweight amputee.
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But it turns out that an ad agency, not diabetes, was to blame for his missing leg.
The New York Times reports (http://nyti.ms/yOfBsy ) that the man in the photo has both his legs. The image was digitally altered to make it appear that his right leg is missing below the knee.
The ad going up in subways warns that growing portion sizes can lead to diabetes and amputations.
Other New York City health campaigns have featured real people. In one anti-smoking campaign, a man spoke through a voice box after throat surgery. A Health Department spokesman said it’s sometimes necessary to use actors, noting the food industry uses actors in its ads.
Big Brother???
Who is John Galt?
Much ado about nothing. The HD spokesman is right: if actors can pretend to love the foods they’re promoting in ads, the same process can be in place for ads warning of the consequences of detrimental eating habits. (Is this called “truth in advertising”?)
Despicable!
The Ad industry does this the whole time – If you have no problem with other / regular advertising, you’ll have no problem with this.
Suddenly when the government wants to advertise – to benefit YOUR health, you find it offensive???
Yeah I don’t really understand why this matters.
What if they had a very realistic painting of the same thing… We have reenactments of all sorts of heinus crimes with an actor paying victim and perpetrator, etc etc and anyone who takes ads to all be 100 percent exactly as seen should ask someoene else to be in chaarge of their $ or they will be VERY poor quickly.
This is deceiving and these types of ads are disgusting. They do nothing to change the behavior of the fressers and they make everyone else recoil in naseau.