Should formula milk advertising be completely illegal

[Reallytired]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6933188.stm

I think so. Mums who need to use formula, are better off getting advice from health professionals rather than advertising.

as a formula feeder (not through choice) i dont like formula being classed in the same category as tobacco advertising

I reckon instead of focusing on the advertising by formula companies, screened breastmilk should be made available in supermarkets in bottles or powdered form, ready to feed tiddlers. Or anyone who wants it. I bet an ill person would benefit from breastmilk.

Just think, breastfeeding SAHMs could earn money producing the stuff and mums who want to breastfeed could buy it instead of formula.

I know it would take some people a while to get their head round drinking human milk but if you think about it, it's pretty weird drinking cows milk when we've got our own.

ooh that's a good idea Winky.

It would open up a whole world of ethical dilemmas.
And would you trust a complete strangers (or dozens of strangers tbh)diet and lifestyle choices? I wouldn't.

Noooooooooooooooooooo

"would you trust a complete strangers (or dozens of strangers tbh)diet and lifestyle choices?"

Well, you trust cows and the farmers who feed/medicate them.

Well, the milk could be screened and checked. And individual women could produce quite a lot because the more you pump / feed, the more you produce.

We're meant to drink human milk - not sure as adults but I'm not convinced our bodies are particularly good at processing cows milk. Look at how many are dairy intolerant?

Well, dont we all? (vegans excused)

Formula is heavily processed, on the one hand thats a minus but at least very rigid prcesses are being followed in the manufacturing on order for it to adhere to extremely strict guidelines.

By virtue of selling breastmilk as a natural product, it would not then go through these processes. Therefore i would not trusu it.

absolutely

I wonder, given all these doulas and private midwives and alternative therapy bollox, why wet nurses haven't come back in. You could go back to work and leave your baby nutritionally balanced, not fed evil formula.

'evil formula' nourished my son for the first months of his life.

Jeremy, I was posting with a

Formula's not evil. It's just the claims the companies make. And their misleading women in 3rd world countries too. That's wicked.

Ok.

Yes, but aren't we talking about advertising in the UK and not 3rd world countries?

A wet nurse could charge quite highly, I'd have thought. Perfect job for SAHM who wants extra income. I may set up an agency...

Well, yes we are talking about advertising in the UK.

But then if formula companies are British and are making misleading claims abroad AS WELL, I think they should be banned from doing so anywhere in the world.

Those with the obsessions over the wrongs of FF (and every bloody offshoot thereof) will continue to obsess and argue the toss.

Whilst mothers who cannot or choose not to BF will just get on with the business in hand of feeding their babies to the best of their abilities.

So you don't think it's important that companies have integrity when it comes to describing their product, JV?

I think that goes for ALL companies.

Hence this discussion.

I think people get 'obsessed' as you put it because many mums use formula because they are led to believe it's as good as or even better.

And that aggressive marketing involving babies pisses off a lot of people.

...and again that insinuation that mothers who FF do so through ignorance.

No no no. Not through ignorance. There's a difference between being ignorant and deliberately misled. That's the issue here.

Jeremy Vile you talk a lot of sense