/siberia/ - Off-topic

most desires are artificially created by advertising and therefore "let people do what they want no matter how unhealthy it is for them" is a lie. am i an asshole for thinking this?
i don't believe advertising is some magical jedi mind trick shit that plants desires in your unconscious but i think it can cause desires in people in some very straightforward ways, sometimes by literally lying to you about the advantages and drawbacks of something.
but even beyond that there's the simple matter of controlling demand by obscuring alternatives. people don't like mcdonald's because they've tasted every possible burger and concluded that mcdonald's appeals more to their innate "personal taste". they just prefer it among the limited options that are accessible to them and then get used to it so that they're often uninterested in other burgers even when more options do become accessible.
so isn't it actually pretty justified to criticize people's personal desires, whether it's food or hobbies or fetishes or drugs or etc? and even to advocate for government intervention in these matters in the case of really unhealthy things like hard drugs and poor nutrition?