The Influence of Media on Teenagers' Diet

Advertising companies that produce commercials of food are taking an effect of teens healths. Anna Lappe discussed this situation in a video called, Real Food Media Project - Mythbusters Ep.2, she says, “... By the time Ida graduates from middle school one in three of her classmates will either have diabetes or on their way to getting it…” The children of this world are being affected by the foods that they are eating, these children are eating harmful products that can affect their health later on in their life. Another statement Anna Lappe discusses in her video is, “... only 16%...” of these kids are eating fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, most of these foods like chicken, burgers and other commercial foods are sold by companies like Tyson, McDonalds, burger king and other big food companies. In Jane E. Brody’s article, she says that “marketing of food and beverages is associated with increasing obesity rates and is especially effective among children.” As said in the quote, the marketing unhealthy foods are increasing the obesity rate and effect children

Pollution could be a reason. Pollution in the city can influence our hormones, which can dominate our weight and health(facts). If a adolescent’s family has a history of obesity, a child has a four out of five chance of gaining a disproportionate amount of weight as well due to heredity (facts). Obese adolescents, ranging from ages 13-25, may be more responsive to television fast-food advertisements than people who are not overweight or obese. Research professionals are not certain which part of the process happens in the beginning, rapidly absorbing television fast-food advertisements becoming obese (facts). Approximately 50% of all American broadcasting aimed towards children and adolescents is revolved around food (facts). Foods high in fat and sugar can stimulate the mind’s pleasure structure, which can overwhelm the mind’s capability to notify a person to cease consuming of food and drinks (facts). Americans eat three to four times the recommended amount of fat for each day(facts). French fried potatoes are the most commonly eaten “vegetable” in fast-food drive-ins in the United States

Childhood obesity is a significant concern among adolescents today. In the article, “The Impact of Food Advertising on Childhood Obesity” published by the American Psychological Association, expressed the effects of advertising on youth. The American Psychological Association explained, “Almost three out of every four foods advertised to children falls into the unhealthy categories that contribute to the obesity epidemic”. Children ranging from ages, eight to eighteen, consume on average about 45 hours of various types of media per week. The link between childhood obesity and advertisement

“The rate of obesity in children has nearly tripled in the last quarter century”(American Psychological Association). Children receive the most exposure to advertisements due to the amount of television they watch and online games they play. At an early age, children shape their first opinions on what they like and dislike, so just by watching advertisements they can develop product preferences for unhealthy foods that lead to poor eating habits. “In very young children, research has found that for every one-hour increase in television viewing per day, there are higher intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, fast food, red and processed meat, and overall calories”(American Psychological Association). Advertisements targeted at children use colorful images and characters to attract them to their products and add labels like “multi grain,” “no sugar added,” and “all natural” to influence parents to buy their products. But most of these food claims are unregulated and open to abuse. “Approximately 20 percent of our youth are now overweight with obesity rates in preschool age children increasing at alarming speed”(American Psychological Association). Naturally, being obese as children puts them at risk of being obese as adults, which can lead to health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some forms of cancer. In addition, advertising causes

Association, kids often do make food choices based on what they see on television. Doctors who study kids have noticed that food advertised is very powerful” (39). In order to prove that idea, the author adds that children and teens who watch more than two hours of television daily are more likely to be overweight than those who do not. Due to the many fast food restaurants and advertisements available to Americans, the realization that their food is unhealthy does not occur. The United States is aware of the consequences that come along with obesity, yet rarely ever are there advertisements promoting a healthy lifestyle. It is uncommon that an overweight person is shown eating a restaurant’s food in their commercial. It will give off the wrong

The obesity epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries is introducing greater risk for many causes of preventable death (e.g. heart disease, type 2 diabetes) and harming the quality of life for those affected. Many factors contribute to the rising rates of obesity, though some are implicating food-marketing techniques more directly (Miller, 2008). This study is part of a line of research that intends to understand how food advertising and marketing can be altered to make healthy eating decisions easier. One of the main ideas uniting this line of research is that when we are confronted with food, which we need to survive, it triggers primary biological motivations to approach and consume. Several factors about food, however, may

In order to live a healthy lifestyle and reach 142 children must eat healthier. 16% of children and teenagers are overweight, which means they have a body mass index of 25 or more. Food advertisements have served as an effective tool of persuasion to sway children toward unhealthy foods that have contributed to the current epidemic attitudes

Not only is the photographer deceiving people through their manipulation in food, but because of this people are more drawn into the product and want to buy it. A study published in the journal obesity reviews says that visual food cues like food ads can influence eating behavior and weight gain. Public health advocates say that food ads should have "tight regulation" they say that "food companies use them to entreat us to indulge in fattening products and they link our obesity epidemic to

One of the most recent epidemics known in the United States is obesity. America is considered worldwide to be the most obese nation (Top 10). Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past thirty years (Childhood Obesity). Obesity in children and young teenagers is due to the amount of fast food advertisements that the children see every day that causes them want to eat fast food. Children nowadays between ages 8 to 18 “consume multiple types of media” and “spend more time in front of a computer, television, and game screens” more than any other activity expect sleeping (Fast Food Advertising). “Studies show that advertising does help push children and adolescents toward unhealthy behaviors” which include fast food advertisements (Klass).

The media at times have a negative influence on issue especially when it says that what you eat is your business (Balko, 2012) . It means people should eat what they want without caring about what other people will say or think about them. As much as what you eat is your business, people should consider the health effects of what they eat to avoid the obesity issue or other bad eating habits related diseases. The advertisements of snacks and junk foods tend to attract people making them forget the staple food from the firms and adopt the new food stuff. The advertisement of these snacks makes the school going kids to have cravings for them leading to addiction and later on to the deadly disease (Brown and Walsh-Childer, 2002)

Childhood Obesity is known as the number one problem in the twenty first century. People today don’t realize how bad of a problem this is because they don’t most likely know someone who is going through it. But do you ever think what is causing children to be obese? Is it just their bad choices, or is it media? Like for example, pressured fast food commercials who are leading the children or young adults to make these bad choices. People today don’t realize how simple commercials seduces the human brain. Fast food commercials are pressured commercials who are dragging their customers into buying their unhealthy foods just because of a dollar less. Childhood Obesity is caused because of the media and their; influential pressured fast food

Obesity in children, who are exposed to advertising of unhealthy foods and sugar-sweetened beverages through the media. Television advertising has affected children due to their lack of nutritional knowledge and inexperience in making healthy food choices. The media which affects childhood obesity is one of the major public health issues that our country faces , due to increase weight gain and physical inactivity in children. According to the Center for Disease Prevention, overweight children are associated with a higher risk of contracting heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and many other physiological issues. If untreated, overweight children are most likely to develop obesity as adults (CDC, n.d). Overweight children spend more of their time

America, is now known for its mass amount of obese citizens, especially for child obesity. The majority of the people accuses food industries-primarily fast food companies-for their involvement in the American obesity epidemic. Although this is true in some aspects, people are also put to fault. Advertisements are ubiquitous in a child's environment. Therefore, both the people, mostly parents, and food industries contribute to the obesity epidemic of children.

Thousands of advertisements on junk food, fast food, soft-drink, etc are shown on TV and heard over radio have indirectly lead to the grown of obesity and anorexia in teenagers. This is one of the critical global problem of today which is threatening our next generations for being unhealthy and being exposed to many serious diseases and sicknesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problem and anorexia.