Pass me a Hot Dog: And Tell the Vegetarians to Grill a Piece of Squash

The Fort Worth Star Telegram ran this little below-the-fold lead on the front page of the Wednesday edition:

“The TV ad shows kids eating hot dogs, with a boy saying he has colon cancer. But he doesn’t have cancer, and the ad by a vegetarian group grossly overstates the possible link between high consumption of processed meats and cancer.”

Naturally, none of the children has colon cancer. We are fairly adept at sorting out that actors are paid to appear in commercials, just as musicians make a little cash providing the jingles. But we are not always quick enough to make the leap to the next level. In the article that follows on page 3A, the commercial is discredited as being sensationalistic. Your child can eat a hot dog every day and probably awaken to each new morning free of colon cancer. But the article, neglects an important piece to the puzzle. Environmental carcinogens are one thing. Understanding the role of genetics, another.

What can be a causative factor in childhood colon cancer? Do you need to be guilt-ridden firing up the backyard grill to provide a cheap dinner option of hot dogs for the neighborhood teens lurking near the smell? Of course not! But the causative factor might be.... “you”.

Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. Yep. If your genome map shows FAP, you have greater worry that your child will develop colon cancer than if you toss them a foot long Coney Island.

Personally, the worst kind of media manipulation is that which plays on fears for our children. We will rush into a burning house to save our child. We will push them aside to face a gun-cocking neighborhood criminal while telling them to run as fast as they can. Gosh! And to think that we are killing our children with a hot dog! Vegetarians with an agenda are ready to take you on. They have sponsored this ad.
You can view it here.
Scroll to the bottom of the page.

So go buy a pack of hot dogs this weekend and fire up the grill. And if you invite me, load mine with chili, mustard, cheese, onions and relish. Ice down a Dr. Pepper for me. We will enjoy an American tradition. smile

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com