Blaming the victim...

[asta]

Just so you don't think we are ignoring you, I agree that not all people from Appalachia are ignorant. There are probably just as many smart people there as everywhere else. But I do think there are pockets of poverty that rival third world countries. I also think that some of those people live in situations that need infrastructure improvements that would go a long way in improving their living conditions. I didn't grow up in Appalachia but my small East Tennessee town relied on a unfluoridated community well that provided dirty water most of the time and always ran dry for two-three weeks ever summer. I can imagine that there are areas in Appalachia with worse water supplies and I argue that has as much to do with rotten teeth as Mountain Dew.

 

[richmond282]

I'll respond too. I live in East TN and work in a city school system. We have PLENTY of kids who don't have water or electricity. Over 90% of our students are on free and reduced lunch. I have also worked in 3 school districts in SW Va at least one of which I would call "Appalachia." In my earlier post about this being a socio-economic problem, I did not mean only people in Appalchia have these issues. I certainly didn't mean everyone from Appalachia lived below the poverty level either.

I am merely saying, this IS a socio-economic problem no matter where it takes place. And, yes, I have seen this first hand. And, no, we did not allow soda to be drunk at school in any of the 4 school districts I have worked in. I guess kids could still pack the stuff in a lunch, though.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I live right in the middle of Central Appalachia. We have a large number of children on free and reduced lunch, but I know of no children who don't have electricity. I have heard of a few whose electricity was turned off but they had somewhere to go while waiting for it to be turned back on. Our main employers are coal companies, the school system, the hospital, etc, so maybe we are luckier than most Appalachian areas.

 

[mumto3girls]

I don't think these people are victims of Pepsi Co., nor is Pepsi responsible. It really just seems like these people don't know about basic dental hygeine and the effects of MD on teeth. I don't think this is a money issue at all. Yes they probably do have enough money for toothbrushes and toothpaste and water, especially if they stop buying MD. But they would have to know about the importance of these things to actually buy it. If you've never been to the dentist in your life, and your parents didn't know and didn't tell you to brush properly, and everyone around you has rotten teeth, how would you even know the right way to care for your teeth.

I agree with the poster that said there needs to be a culture change. They need to start educating the youngest children now, and maybe they will be able to pass it down to their children. The adults aren't going to suddenly change their lifestyle, because they've made it this long the way they are.

I agree with you. It's not pepsi's fault, but it is also not as simple as some people are making it. Things that may seem to be common sense for some of us may be foreign to those that just haven't had someone teach them how to do better for themselves and their children.

I thought the post about muddy water was interesting too. If you grew up thinking about water as something that you cooked and cleaned with, but didn't drink because it tasted and looked bad, that's a habit that you get into and pass along.

I am interested in watching the show tonight. I am taping it so I can skip the commercials.

 

[arminnie]

I have also worked in 3 school districts in SW Va at least one of which I would call "Appalachia."

Ever heard of Keoke, VA. That's where my dad was born.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Ever heard of Keoke, VA. That's where my dad was born.

Yes, I worked in Lee Co. for 2 years. Keokee and Lee County aren't as mountainous as the places that the report was filmed at. They have more rolling hills there than straight up and down mountains and hollers.

 

[piglet50]

anybody actually watch this last night? it was very interesting.

 

[Planogirl]

I didn't see this in the thread but I see people commenting on the tap water not being good in some areas. Mountain Dew comes in cans and bottles, couldn't the people get bottled water instead?

 

[Talking Hands]

Well you certainly can't blame the children, unless children are now responsible for making and paying for dentist appointments, oh, and being well-informed of things that are bad for their teeth.

When I was in school we had lessons on teeth and they would have a dentist come in and show us how to brush our teeth, hand out free toothbrushes, don't they do this in these kids schools?

Shame on the parents though for just buying Mountain Dew!

My sister has been on many mission trips to Appalachia. Bless her heart because it's just too depressing for me.

ETA -- I'm interest to watch the report tonight. I really hope ABC News/Diane Sawyer can some of these children!

Blaming the children. No blame the parents who allow the children to have an unending supply of Mountain Dew. And the schools that allow children to drink soda at school. Here you can't even buy a soda in the faculty lounge.

 

[luvsJack]

anybody actually watch this last night? it was very interesting.

I didn't see it. My cable doesn't include the networks so I don't get to watch 20/20 (wasn't that the show?) What did it say?

JC&Ali's Mom: I did not mean to offend you or any one else from that area. Heck, I am from Mississippi! And I know you know what the rest of the country thinks of us "red necks" down here in Mississippi! Obviously though, there must be some low income folks in the area who either cannot afford dental care or do not know any better than what they are doing just as there are some very low income people here in Mississippi that cannot afford medical or dental care and live in shacks, etc. etc. What we see on TV of your area, and mine, is probably just showing the worst of it; leaving out the good.



Sounds like Diane Sawyer would best serve the area by finding out why the school is allowing the MD on the desk tops and why the parents are allowing their children to drink so much of it. Blaming the parents or blaming pepsi is not doing a thing to help these kids.

 

[pperfectmom]

I didn't get to see the show, but I'm sure it would have offended me in some way. I have been battling misconceptions about Appalachia my whole life. We are not ignorant, nor do we need saving. People here are just like people everywhere. We just talk a little differently. Heck, my kids don't even drink pop and everyone in my family has all their teeth except for my FIL who was raised near Chicago.

 

[Lanshark]

As long as the "victim" chooses to drink Mountain Dew I'm not sure who else there is to blame for their rotting teeth. The parents, not Pepsi, are responsible for the health of their children.

If I eat a pound of bacon every day it's not really the pig's fault if I die of a coronary.

The school could stop the drinking of soda in school if they really wanted to.

 

[pperfectmom]

It's the same with the folks from the mountains. I see so many of you blaming the parents. Please understand that these folks have almost zero education in most cases. Brushing their teeth! Seriously, many have no indoor running water and most have no indoor toilets. THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER!! It's not their fault. We get so wrapped up in starving children in Africa or Chernobyl for that matter, we forget about our own children here in the US. And the mountain people are very proud and very suspicious, it's not easy to educate them, to tell them any different. It would be unusual for an adult to have any teeth by the time they're 50, that is NORMAL for them. They love their children as much as we do, please believe that. And they're doing the best they can with what they have and what they know. They may be uneducated but please dont' judge them as if they should know better.

OMG-this is just one of the many posts that are horribly offensive to me that I saw on this thread. I guess I shouldn't have gone back to read through. Those of you who really believe this kind of propaganda, replace the word Appalachian with African-American and see how long you last. You would be labelled a racist and booted off this site, but it seems perfectly acceptable to insult a whole group of people from this area.

 

[Vijoge]

If you lived here would seeing a dentist be a top priority?

http://www.pbase.com/kstuebin/image/21795903

More importantly, would it even be an option?

 

[rabx5]

If you lived here would seeing a dentist be a top priority?

http://www.pbase.com/kstuebin/image/21795903

More importantly, would it even be an option?

I live in Illinois have seen the same images in some rural areas. I don't think it is just in that mountain area. I think no matter how poor a person is, they can still brush their teeth. I know around here, there are free clinics for health and dental treatments for those who live in poverty. I am sure there are the same in each area of the country so it could be a priority considering it could be free for them.

One thing I NEVER will understand- and I am not trying to be snarky about this, is the filth. I don't care how poor a family is, they don't have to be filthy. What does it take to throw something in the garbage instead of the ground or floor? It only takes effort-doesn't cost a cent to do the right thing and throw it away.

I watched the show Friday night. I feel bad for the boy who dropped out of college because he couldn't handle not having $$ and the pressure. ABC has no problems building entire homes, they could have given the young man a break and helped with his expenses. I realize he had a scholarship, but you still need an income to eat and buy neccessaties. Oh well. They are busy blaming bad teeth on Pepsi Company instead

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I live in Illinois have seen the same images in some rural areas. I don't think it is just in that mountain area. I think no matter how poor a person is, they can still brush their teeth. I know around here, there are free clinics for health and dental treatments for those who live in poverty. I am sure there are the same in each area of the country so it could be a priority considering it could be free for them.

One thing I NEVER will understand- and I am not trying to be snarky about this, is the filth. I don't care how poor a family is, they don't have to be filthy. What does it take to throw something in the garbage instead of the ground or floor? It only takes effort-doesn't cost a cent to do the right thing and throw it away.

I watched the show Friday night. I feel bad for the boy who dropped out of college because he couldn't handle not having $$ and the pressure. ABC has no problems building entire homes, they could have given the young man a break and helped with his expenses. I realize he had a scholarship, but you still need an income to eat and buy neccessaties. Oh well. They are busy blaming bad teeth on Pepsi Company instead

I am probably completely generalizing here, but I've noticed that meth addiction and filthiness go hand in hand (which doesn't make sense, but it does seem to). I didn't watch the show, but just basing on living in a state with a very high meth population, it's a generalization that often rings true.

 

[delilah]

I don't know about "blaming the victim", but I have parents in my office who have Mountain Dew in their baby's bottle! I can assure you that I have never told anybody that they ought to give their baby Mountain Dew, certainly not one who is young enough to drink from a bottle (we advise weaning from a bottle at 12 mos of age). At that age, a child should be drinking milk and limited amounts of fruit juice and water. No Mountain Dew. So, I think that it is time for peopld to take responsibility for their own health and welfare, as well as that of their children.

 

[rabx5]

http://mj.z1077.com/pages/mainfeed.html?feed=204719&article=5058795

PepsiCo, the makers of Mountain Dew soda, says it has reached out to a dentist working to save children's teeth in eastern Kentucky, after ABC News reports on the problem of tooth decay, or "Mountain Dew mouth," in the region.


Dr. Edwin Smith, a dentist in Barbourville, Ky., invested $150,000 of his own money to build a mobile dental clinic, Kids First Dental Care, inside an 18-wheel truck.


In a statement, PepsiCo said that its vice president of global health policy had reached out to Smith to learn more about his clinic after Smith's appearance on "Good Morning America" today.


"They also discussed how we might support his efforts to educate people in Appalachia about proper dental care and help them lead healthier lifestyles," the statement said.

CLICK HERE to read the full statement.

We would welcome any support we can get from Pepsi," Smith said. "Our concern is bettering the dental health of these kids. Kids who need help right now -- not just with education, but with the practicalities of getting their teeth fixed."


Several days a week, Smith criss-crosses the curvy roads of 16 eastern Kentucky counties to offer free dental screenings and services to hundreds of students. Most children dread the dentist, but those who line up outside Smith's van are often giddy with anticipation. For many, it's the first and only dental check-up they'll have for years.


"It's a generational thing, I think," said Smith. "Grandma had dentures, mom had dentures, it's just inevitable that I'm going to end up with dentures, is the way some of these kids feel. I really believe we have to do a better job educating." Smith says he's seen firsthand the results of neglect among these children. Teenagers have pulled their own teeth with pliers because of tooth pain, and he's treated 2-year-olds with up to 12 cavities in their baby teeth.


It's a stereotype rooted in a terrible fact. Central Appalachia is No. 1 in the nation in toothlessness. According to dentists, one of the main culprits is Mountain Dew soda. With 50 percent more caffeine than Coke or Pepsi, Mountain Dew seems to be used as a kind of anti-depressant for children in the hills.

Read more of this story at: ABCNews.go.com