Doctors Warn Spicy Snacks Are Harmful for Kids

A story out of Los Angeles, on the website of KABC, caught my eye because of my love of spicy chips. The story is about how local (to Los Angeles) doctors are warning parents about the hazards of their children eating spicy chips.

One of the pediatricians interviewed said it was not uncommon for her to see five or six children a day with gastritis caused by spicy foods. Another ER doctor said children have come in to the emergency room "doubled over in pain" due to eating spicy snacks.

Why have I never heard of this before? Spicy snacks have been around a long time and people (including me) have been ingesting their deliciousness with no ill effects. Our house always has Hot & Spicy Cheez-Its in the pantry, and its not unusual for there to be Jalapeño Krunchers, Spicier Nacho Cheese Doritos, or Flaming Hot Cheetos in there as well. It makes me nervous to see an article like this because I'm afraid this is just the opening gambit in a game that leads to a ban on something I love. Also, the KABC website story quotes a previous Frito-Lay comment that says, "committed to responsible and ethical marketing practices, which includes not marketing our products to children ages 12 and under."

Why is it unethical to advertise Frito-Lay products to children under 12? Isn't that part of the prime demographic of Frito eaters? If the parents don't want to buy the products, they don't have to; its not like many 10 year olds do their own grocery shopping.