As if our trust in government isn't low enough, leave it to Mayor Bloomberg, Thomas Farley and the New York City Health Department to play us for fools once again.
As reported in an article in today's New York Times, a fear-mongering ad depicting an overweight man with only one leg sitting behind cups of soda is not what it seems.
The ad is visually disturbing and probably effective in perpetuating the myth that soda causes obesity and Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to, among other things, poor circulation in the extremities and amputations. The only problem is that it was made up. The model in question just happens to have two legs, not one. Thanks to Photoshop.
I'm going to take the liberty of assuming that the leg did not grow back since the photo was taken. In which case, one can only assume that they deliberately used fraudulent material to push their agenda. Perhaps I'm naive, but shouldn't the job of the Heath Department be to deliver factual information to the public they are supposed to serve? Well, not only did they fail to do their job, but Farley should lose his.
This isn't the first time this group has played fast and loose with the truth. In 2009, Farley's department ran an ad showing a soda bottle pouring a large volume of disgusting looking fat into an overflowing glass. This was the centerpiece of their "Pouring on the Pounds" campaign. As if a 16 ounce of soda gets converted into 32 ounces of pure fat. Sorry guys--it doesn't work that way. And you know it.
In 2011 they ran a really nasty TV ad showing a few examples of drinks that contain sugar, then cut away to an obese man's black, gangrenous toes, followed by the poor fellow flopping around while being given (presumably futile) defibrillation in an emergency room. Very subtle.
And, while I'm at it, please shut up about salt. The city's job is to put it on roads after it snows--not to tell me how much of it to eat.
Perhaps I'm being unreasonable, but shouldn't the Health Department try to provide us with facts, rather than scare the hell out of everyone?
Finally, what about the poor guy modeling for the ad? I sure hope he doesn't get typecast. It could be devastating to his career. Most ad agencies seem to prefer models with at least two legs.
NYC Department of Health is Stumped for Facts/Medical Progress Today