The Effects Of Advertising On Children 's Obesity Rate

In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater” he focuses on the fast food industry and their role in the increasing health and obesity issues of our nation’s children, as well as these issues potentially becoming a serious problem that we will all have to deal with if we collectively don’t do something about it now. When it comes to the topic of fast food, most of us can agree that it is not the best source of nutrition. It is unhealthy and can be the cause of many serious health issues with our children such as obesity related Type 2 diabetes, stomach ulcers and even heart disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnea or even cancer. We can even agree that fast-food diets are a major contributing factor to

With obesity rates increasing at a high rate, David Zinczenko, author of “Don't Blame the Eater”, tells his readers about his argument about how it's not the fault of the children consuming so much fast food. He works as a nutrition and wellness editor for ABC News. Before working for ABC News he was also an editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazines as well as editorial director of Women’s Health magazines. Past jobs and the job he has now put him in an appropriate position to publish his thoughts on obesity. His intended audience for this essay are the fast food industries and also the people who laugh at the children for trying to sue for being obese. Zinczenko has written an effective argument by establishing himself as an authoritative

The government may not be the only responsible party for what is going on in America, Fast Food corporations have grown into a part of everyday life. Relentless advertising focused on children with the use cartoon characters and larger portions or extra sizes to entice people. Yves Engler, author of Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations, points out it’s not only fast food restaurants where unhealthy products are being consumed, but also soft drink companies with high calorie soda pop who are giving money to cash-strapped schools to advertise their product on school televisions. Meanwhile targeting young children who get their parents to buy their products. Engler proposes a solution regarding the increase in childhood obesity by first stating that vending machines should be removed from schools and the

In the article “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko argues that today’s fast food industry is to blame for obesity. Zinczenko says that when he was a child lunch and diner for him was a choice between “McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky, Fried Chicken, or Pizza Hut,” those are largely the only options for kids today. Lawsuits are being held against these big companies. Even though fast food restaurants are cheap and affordable, it’s very hard to find a healthy food that is cheap as fast food. On the other hand, it’s a person’s choice on whether choosing to eat at a fast food restaurant or buying himself a salad at the supermarket. Instead of getting a burger for three dollars, why not go to the grocery and get whole wheat bread, ham, and

From a consumer aspect, I agree that there is a huge issue with obesity in America; which involves adults and young children. Author of “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food”, Michael Moss argued “Today, one in three adults is considered clinically obese, along with one in five kids, and 24 Americans are afflicted by type 2 diabetes, often caused by poor diet, with another 79 million people have pre-diabetes” (477). This information scared me because it is amazing how much Americas are suffering of poor diet. As a parent this

The United States is mindful of this deadly disease and the lives it has taken, yet little has been done to spread awareness and decrease the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat in foods sold. In fact, America encourages unhealthy eating by displaying advertisements which convince the audience that the food will not have a negative effect on their health. A majority of these advertisements are directed towards children due to the fact that they are easy to convince. And this is a huge reason behind the increasing obesity rate in the United States because the decisions made as a child reflect those made in adulthood. If a child is constantly eating unhealthy food, rarely exercises, and is unaware of the consequences that come from the lack of living a healthy life, he or she will grow up continuing this lifestyle. O’Connor explains that, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, seventeen percent of American children and teenagers between the ages twelve and nineteen years old are overweight (39). Unless the child is taught about the harsh reality of eating so unhealthy, it may be too late before he or she becomes obese. Similar to tobacco and alcohol, food has addictive qualities which are hard to change. Another factor to consider involving the obesity epidemic in the United States is the expense of healthy foods. This high price hinders U.S. citizen’s ability to pay for a healthy diet. One of the many low income mothers in the United States, Maria Gonzalez, comments, “When you only have a dollar to spend and you have two kids to feed, either you go to the market and try to find something that’s cheap or just go straight through a drive thru and get two hamburgers for them and say, ‘Okay, here. Eat this.’ This is what’s going to fill her up, not that one single item at the market”

Obesity is a big topic in American society, it has grown over the years and it has become very well known. It has become an American concern and the food industry has been an easy target to blame for this “epidemic”. The truth to this is that it can be easy to blame the fast food industry, but the real truth it is, that obesity has become what it is now because our society has let that happened; the government, the citizens, the food industry's. They have all played an important role to what it is now obese.

You cannot watch your favorite shows without coming across an advertisement for a fast food restaurant. It happens so often that people get persuaded to try out the new items at these places, but what the advertisement is not providing are the nutritional facts. Most of what is being promoted on television is not healthy for anyone, but people get blinded by that because the food looks appetizing and it is so easy to access. For instance you cannot travel anywhere around the United States without passing a McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) or Pizza Hut (“Don’t Blame the Eater”). These are the three most recognized food chains across the United States and they are also the same fast food restaurants that are causing major health problems within the community such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Some may say that it is not the restaurant’s fault that people are enduring these health problems because no one is forcing a person to eat the fast food which is true, but if these restaurants were not being promoted as much, people would not be so compelled to go out and eat that type of food. In David Zinczenko’s article “Don’t Blame the Eater”, he talks about how we cannot blame people for what they are eating. I agree with Zinczenko up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that the consumer is not to be blamed for the food that goes into one’s body because children eat what is being placed in front of their face at

The American society is being distracted by T.V advertisements, video testimonies, and fast food companies who’re encouraging individuals to consume fast food. This is an example of propaganda and a technological control. Obesity itself may cost a significant amount of money in the U.S. in addition to death. According to the article “Food for Thought: Malnutrition and Obesity” by D. J. Shaw, he states that the CDC has estimated that about 280,000 Americans dies each year from being overweight and also that obesity is costing the United States a whooping $240 Billion dollars in health care (351). Americans aren’t receiving the necessary motivation to exercise and practice a healthier lifestyle. Major fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Five Guys are falsely encouraging individuals to eat their food. They’re taking advantage of them by taking all their money. Instead of spending the money on whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, they’re spending all hard earned money on junk food. In addition, consumers don’t realize that these major food corporations aren’t telling how many calories are in their products. As customers, we have the right to know how’s are food being processed and how many calories (sugar, fats, cholesterol, sodium) are in the food.

In all the survey’s conducted, the calories for obese children were higher than any other (“America”). In addition, one article states that according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has doubled in the past decade. “According to the CDCP, obesity has more than doubled in the past decade“ (Paula). Finally, Children who eat fast food regularly gain an extra six pounds per year. In the past years, fast food consumption has increased, so has obesity, so the fast food must be doubling the obesity (Paula). Overall, fast food is causing a problem for overweight children and are making average weight children,

Obesity has become an epidemic in today’s society. Today around 50% of America is now considered to be over weight. Fast-food consumption has been a major contributor to the debate of the twenty-first century. Chapter thirteen, titled “Is Fast-Food the New Tobacco,” in the They Say I Say book, consists of authors discussing the debate of fast-food’s link to obesity. Authors debate the government’s effects on the fast-food industry, along with whether or not the fast-food industry is to blame for the rise in obesity throughout America. While some people blame the fast food industry for the rise in obesity, others believe it is a matter of personal responsibility to watch what someone eats and make sure they get the proper exercise.

Obesity causes serious health problems such as diabetes. According to David Zinczenko’s, “Don’t Blame the Eater,” “Before 1994, diabetes in children were generally caused by genetic disorder-only about 5 percent of childhood cases were obesity related. Today according to the National Institute of Health, Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of all new childhood cases of diabetes” (Zinczenko, 463). These statistics show the rapidly increasing health issues due to obesity. Children and adults are consuming fast foods on a daily basis and are not thinking about the long term effects. Not only does this affect consumers health but also fast food companies and the economy.

Obesity is a problem and we need to take action now. The rate of obesity in children and adults have doubled since the past decade. The fast food industry is to blame for this dilemma. "The U.S. food industry aggressively markets high-fat, high-sugar, super-sized foods."(Greenblatt) Fast food is causing people to live unhealthy and there are consequences to it. "Moreover, two-thirds of the adults are either overweight or obese, and at least 300,000 Americans die each year from obesity-related diseases."(Greenblatt) The statistics are there and if the people don’t take action now to change the way they eat then health will decline. The people do not know what's in the food their eating and decide to say its genetics to the reason why their obese. However, there is a reason they don't know.

David Zinckenko argues in his article “don’t blame the eater”, that it is a matter of personal responsibility but can sympathize with the obese individuals as there is a lack of alternatives and information regarding fast food consumption. Society in the United States has raised concern about healthy diets, providing alternatives sources of food but unfortunately at a cost. The increased cost for a healthy diet dissuades teenagers from eating healthier food thus without a change of environment it can result in a lifetime of obesity.

Americans have always had the mentality that bigger is better. Bigger cars, bigger houses, and bigger salaries are just a few ways that Americans supersize their lives. But, there is one other thing that has been growing in American households: their weight. Portion sizes are out of control, video games always beat a playground, and everything is motorized. This is the way that American children are growing up, and out. But in a society that is so obsessed with looking good and thus, thin, how are these children getting so large? Advertisements. The news has been attacking advertisements aimed at children, and rightfully so, they are showing unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits in a socially acceptable way. Children watch cartoons.