It’s time for parents to realize that the obesity buck stops with them - at least according to a bold new public health initiative in Georgia. Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Strong4Life campaign (link) is a hard-hitting response to a survey that revealed that 75 per cent of parents with overweight kids didn’t see the emotional and physical toll it was taking on them.

Additionally, the survey also revealed that 50 per cent of the parents didn’t realize that childhood obesity was a problem to begin with – despite the fact that this is a state where approximately 40 per cent of children are overweight or obese. The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta health organization produced their campaign as a direct result of the survey findings.

The campaign, called “Stop Sugarcoating” consists of bold black and white pictures of children with subheadings saying “Warning: It’s hard to be a little girl if you’re fat,” and “Fat prevention begins at home. And the buffet line.”

These in-your-face billboards aim to drive parents and children to a website where they can learn about the childhood obesity epidemic, learn about what questions to ask their healthcare provider, and access quick tips on how to help raise a healthy child. On the website, there are further pictures and videos meant to drive home the reality of childhood obesity; in one a young boy asks his Mom why he’s fat, which she cannot answer.

But while the videos and billboards are making people take notice, they’re also being accused of doing more harm than good. The ads have been criticized by experts who worry about their impact on the already rampant biases that are endured by children with obesity.

On the campaigns Facebook page, one commentator noted that “This is APPALLING, fear-based, shame-based tactics like these are not only cruel and hurtful, (but) research has demonstrated again and again that they're downright ineffective when it comes to promoting behaviour change.”

This is the type of reaction the campaign organizers were hoping for. The Children's Healthcare of Atlanta defends the ad campaign, with senior VP Linda Matzigke saying "We needed something that was more arresting and in your face than some of the flowery campaigns out there.”

Though this campaign has certainly gotten the attention it wanted, this story has gone international and there are numerous discussions online about it, we have to wonder if this approach is really the best approach. Blaming the victim rarely helps. Children who are obese or overweight already face being teased and ostracized by their peers. Is it really worth shaming the kids to deliver an impactful message? In addition, while guilt, fear, shame and embarrassment can be great motivators for change, they should also provide solutions.

As Marjorie Nolan, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics told, Yahoo! Shine. “I agree that more needs to be done to raise awareness about childhood obesity, but these ads lack a message of what should be done to ultimately solve the problem.”

What do you think? How effective is a campaign like this?