Thursday, February 25, 2010

Safer of just plain lazier?

I was perusing Facebook this morning, which I will admit I do quite frequently, when I came across a status having to do with the apparent redesigning of the hot dog.

That's right, the hot dog, around in some form since the fifteenth century, may be getting a new look due to it's status as a common choking hazard. Now don't get me wrong I know that hot dogs can be dangerous. The only person I have ever seen choking was in fact choking on a hot dog. My brother's toddler lips turned blue before my mom successful unlodged the hot dog from his throat and it's a scene that has always remained in the forefront of my mind when preparing them (the vegetarian version anyways) for my own children. But really this proposed redesign has me thinking only one thing: Will this change make our kids safer or just us parents lazier?

Will selling hot dogs in the shape of dinosaurs or smiley faces make them safer for our children? Perhaps, but what is so wrong with the slice and dice method that parents have been using for ages? And besides there will still be foods that pose choking hazards, which truly can be any food, but what about grapes, nuts and popcorn? Is it only because hot dogs can be altered that the suggestion is being made? And while you're at it APA, why not try suggesting they be made a tad bit healthier? I mean nitrates? The childhood cancer link?

Overall, my biggest problem lies in the fact that a lot of these suggestions made by the American Association of Pediatrics wouldn't even need to be made if parents were more on the ball with their children. I know the American Association of Pediatrics is only trying to inform parents in the hopes of keeping them safe. It seems to me that parents, myself included, are the ones who need to be making changes, not Oscar Meyer.

But alas, if made some people will buy the sliced and diced hot dogs, Oscar Meyer will make more money (because they're bound to charge more for that convenience) and some children, unfortunately, will continue to choke on hot dogs.

Damn that glass looks half empty.

4 comments:

Sue said...

Sylvan and I had this very conversation the other night. For crying out loud, of all the things that are harmful to kids, not to mention, as you said, of all the ways Hot Dogs are harmful to kids, THIS is the thing people are worried about.

On the other hand, if some one could force those Chilean grape farmer to grow those things in a safer shape that would be awesome.

James said...

I followed the link about the nitrates. They studied kids that ate 12 or more hot dogs per month?! Holy crap. Who is feeding their kids 12 hot dogs a month? That's nearly a hot dog every other day. Cancer from hot dogs is probably going to be the least of those kids' problems.

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The Running Couple said...

I never liked hot dogs anyway, I just wanted to leave the comment. I also wish to earn on the blog. ?

But really folks, without hot dogs what would the slaughter houses do with all of those lips and assholes?