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Persuasive Speech On Childhood Obesity

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Tommy Anderson, a pudgy young boy, casually walked home from school. As he rounded a corner, a large billboard with four obese children staring down at him caught his attention. The words “Fat kids become fat adults” written in bold text near the bottom gripped him tightly. Tommy glanced down at his own, bulging stomach; shame oozed its way into his body. He looked back up at the ad, and met the stare of the children displayed on the billboard. The shame flooded out, quickly replaced by a sense of defiant determination. Tommy decided he did not want to be a fat kid any longer. This moment, though he did not know it at the time, would change his entire life. That night, Tommy went home, talked with his parents, and started a diet and …show more content…

This sends the message to the reader that the advertisement is unbiased. It says that the ad does not have anything against obese children. The more subliminal part of the message says that balance is key in solving the problem, which would in this case be a balanced diet and activity routine. The fact that the whole picture is black and white provides a somewhat grim tone for the ad at first glance, making the audience instantly take the matter seriously. Orange has two meanings; cheer and friendliness, because of the sweet taste associated with orange foods and drinks, or hazards and danger, as orange catches the eye quickly considering is not common in nature and our brain is wired to detect abnormalities (“The Psychology of”). Hunting vests and construction signs are orange for this reason. In this case, the clear intended meaning is to warn against the dangers of childhood obesity. The combination of the two colors paints the advertisement as a grim and hazardous situation that is trying to provide warning for an upcoming peril, which is an ideal setting for trying to caution the public about the widespread yet relatively untreated problem of childhood obesity, also known as the silent epidemic (“The Silent Epidemic”). It is especially fitting in Georgia, which has the second highest rate of childhood obesity in the United States (Loren). There is also a sharp contrast between the colors, so it amplifies the attention-grabbing capabilities

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