Source: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/parentcentral/familyhealth/article/769499--redesign-the-hotdog-doctors-urge
Mustard, ketchup, and relish might be losing a friend, as the well-known shape of the hot dog may change. According to the above article, the hot dog is in need of some serious redesigning, as it has become one of the leading choking hazards to small children. The article notes that due to the distinctive size and shape of the hot dog, it can effortlessly lodge itself into a child’s throat, thus blocking his/her air passages completely. Being a human manufactured food item, pediatricians believe that the shape of the hot dog can be changed without any difficulty.
I agree with the idea that because the hot dog is a highly manufactured food item, the shape of it can be changed effortlessly. This however, does not mean that the shape of it should be changed. To me, a hot dog just wouldn’t be a hot dog if its shape were to be redesigned. For instance, it is because of its unique shape, which allows for it to be consumed so conveniently on the go. Through redesigning the hot dog, a lot of money as well as jobs (from hot dog stands and sellers) can be lost. Additionally, if the hot dog’s shape needs to be redesigned, does this not mean that other potentially dangerous food items should also be redesigned? Perhaps parents should just not provide their children with such food items at such a young age. I understand that parents cannot be watching their children at all times, but the children are obviously obtaining these potentially dangerous food items from somewhere within the house or environment in which they live in. This thus ties into the importance and increased need for community education in parenting. Perhaps more parenting programs should be initiated within communities, teaching parents what foods are acceptable and not acceptable for their children to consume at different ages. On another note, hot dogs arn't exactely the most nutritional food items that children should be encouraged to consume anyways, so perhaps restricting children from eating hot dogs would not be such a bad idea after all. This is evidently my opinion on the matter, so I end this post with the question:
Should the shape of the hot dog be changed?
No way! Why don't parents cut up the hot dog they are feeding their children into smaller pieces? Or teach them to take small bites and chew slowly instead of inhaling their food?
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of the "stabbing issue" in some schools where children are not given cutlery in cafeterias anymore because parents, teachers, schools (whatever) are afraid of children stabbing themselves or each other with them. Great, so they've eliminated cutlery and thus eliminated foods that need to be eaten with cutlery and consequently introduced processed, packaged foods that can be eaten with their hands instead.