UK Government Ads Link Games With "Early Death"

An anonymous reader writes "The UK government, backed by a bunch of charities that raise funds for research into cancer, heart disease and diabetes, has launched an advertising campaign that links the 'inactive' or passive gaming lifestyle with death and illness. It's part of a bigger 'Change4Life' campaign that has also linked playing games with making children obese. The new ads show a young child playing a PlayStation game, with the caption 'Risk an early DEATH, just do nothing.' To say this has annoyed the UK games industry would be a grave understatement. Trade association ELSPA has already called an urgent meeting with authorities to have the ads pulled, and trade magazine MCV has complained to the country's Advertising Standards Authority as well. As MCV Associate Editor Tim Ingham says in an impassioned opinion piece, 'Change4Life's advertising campaign makes a mockery of everything the industry has achieved in the last decade.'"

Comments

Re:I've got a bone to pick with them over this

[drinkypoo]

Funny, the same people who think up all this shit are the same people who think smoking pot is safe too.....

Are you an idiot, or a troll? This is not a false dichotomy - there's no third way. Smoking of the hemp plant has been shown for years to have health benefits, people have used it for multiple purposes including successfully as a medication for literally millenia, yet you're going to let big pharma tell you which medications are or aren't safe? So, which one is it?

Re:genetics.

[drinkypoo]

I'm speaking from personal experience here - last summer I reached 16st 1 (225lbs) and decided Something Must Be Done(tm).

Your anecdotal evidence is not interesting or useful whatsoever, and I'm not sure why anyone (including you) thought it would be.

In addition, your comment is pretty offensive and without more information on your body, downright stupid. 225 lbs is somewhere around what I would consider my ideal weight. At 255 lbs I was at 16% body fat, which is into the healthy range. I currently weigh about 280 lbs. Fuck you and your "225" pounds being "quite that fat". I hope you choke on a lettuce leaf.