Essay about Advertising and Obesity - 1695 Words

Obesity is defined as an excessively high amount of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass.[2] According to data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), during the years between1988 and 1994, 45.3% of American white males and females, 60.1% of black males and females, and 64.5% of Hispanic males and females were obese.[3] Since obesity has been rising at an epidemic rate during the past 20 years in the United States, reducing its prevalence among adults to less than 15% has become one of our countrys national health objectives for the year 2020.[4] This recent epidemic of obesity has created many health problems nationwide, such as increased rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and†¦show more content†¦To analyze how the media help to shape the values of our culture, I chose advertisements and articles on weight reduction which appeared in the magazines People Weekly, Working Woman, and Prevention. The ad in Working Woman entitl ed Now, I Believe in Miracles! focuses on the diet pill called Xenadrine. The ad features a young woman who lost 84 pounds in 12 weeks using Xenadrine. She is pictured both before and after using the drug. The ad claims that Xenadrine, the #1 diet supplement in America, is clinically proven to increase fat loss an extraordinary 38.6 times more than will diet and exercise alone; it also claims that one can feel the results immediately.[6] The second work I examined is People Magazines article on a surgical treatment performed on Carnie Wilson, a musician, who lost 150 pounds after having surgery to remove excess skin and shrink an enlarged stomach. In the article, the authors applaud her ability to make such a brave decision.[7] The third work is Prevention ad; it is about weight-loss herbs that help people overcome obstacles to diet and exercise. It is anShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Advertising On Childhood Obesity Essay1042 Words   |  5 Pagesentirely accountable for childhood obesity because other factors may affect the childhood obesity epidemic, such as household environment, psychological issues, sleep disturbances or even actions taken by the mother while she was pregnant. Parents or guardians have a responsibility to control what the children in their care are consuming. According to Amanda L. Willette (2007), Where have all the parents gone? Do efforts to regulate food advertising to curb childhood obesity pass constitutional muster?Read MoreEssay on Advertising and Obesity in America2871 Words   |  12 Pagesthey can portray both their products and a lifestyle. Their intense advertising focus on minorities and children, however, has begun to exacerbate the epidemic of obesity that is sweeping our nation. Fast foods televised advertising is a significant contributor to obesity in todays minority youth. By promoting unhealthy tendencies and high-calorie foods as well as an attitude that promotes tolerance of diseases such as obesity, these companies are influencing people to such a degree that it isRead MoreThe Correlation Between Television Advertising And Obesity1508 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION The increased prevalence of child obesity has served as momentum for research to determine the nature, dimensions and significance of the relationship between Television advertising and obesity. This issue has raised major debates among policy makers, academicians, the public and even marketers themselves. The most commonly used measure of obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI) and it is calculated by dividing the weight by the square of individual’s height. The Hasting’s review (2003)Read MoreFast Food Advertising and Childhood Obesity1870 Words   |  8 PagesFast Food Advertising And Childhood Obesity A rise in obesity has been observed in the United States in the last two decades. Obesity is one problem that gives birth to numerous fatal diseases, including but not limited to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a survey and found that, â€Å"More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese†Read MoreEssay about Advertising and Childhood Obesity2520 Words   |  11 Pagespouring a bowl of sugary cereal, or convince their parents to take them to McDonalds for a Happy Meal lunch. These advertisements are showing children â€Å"wants† instead of â€Å"needs.† These advertisements are promoting negative social consequences, such as obesity and health risks, including smoking and alcohol. Abstract Through an examination of the background of advertisement aimed at children, an explanation of each side of the argument, and an analysis of each side, it can be proved that a regulationRead MoreFast Food Advertising Causing Obesity1916 Words   |  8 PagesFast Food Advertising Causing Obesity â€Å"I think America s food culture is embedded in fast-food culture. And the real question that we have is: How are we going to teach slow-food values in a fast-food world? Of course, it s very, very difficult to do, especially when children have grown up eating fast food and the values that go with that†(Waters). The fast food industry is controlled by many powerful companies who feel the need to keep costs low. This is because they believe that the lower theRead MoreFast-Food Advertising Causes Obesity Essay1395 Words   |  6 Pagesshows that greater familiarity with fast food advertising on television is associated with obesity in young people (Pediatric Academic Societies parag.1). It is known that these children and adolescents are being extremely exposed to fast food advertising including the internet, social media, and particularly on television. The marketer and owners of these fast food restaurants use many techniques to attract children and help cause childhood o besity. Not only are they mainly targeting children butRead MoreThe Effects Of Advertising On Children s Obesity Rate1056 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effect of Advertising on Children’s Obesity Rate It has come down to this, there is an obesity epidemic. It s like people can’t stop themselves from eating so much. Well, I guess eating isn t necessarily the big problem here... It s the type of food that people are consuming, fast food. America tops the list of world s most obese countries. It s just sad and something needs to be done about it. The worst part is that there are so many children being affected by obesity. According to CDCRead MoreShould Obesity Be Solved With Exercise Using The Media And Advertising878 Words   |  4 Pagesmore about eating responsibility for our health. Because, we are in the obesity epidemic which causes many diseases and threatens our health. The film starts with that government and many industrial companies say that people become obese when they don’t do exercise as much as they eat; on the other hand, overweight is the lack of people’s effort and exercising. However, it is not true that exercising can deal with every obesity. In the video example, fat people like to eat the food that makes peopleRead MoreExcessive Advertising of Junk Food is Adding Fuel to the Obesity Epi1571 Words   |  7 PagesExcessive Advertising of Junk Food is Adding Fuel to the Obesity Epidemic I distinctly remember watching Fruit by the Foot commercials as a child. Not just what the commercial showed, but the feelings it evoked in me. In the commercial, the boy unwrapped the snack with a look of excitement on his face. He unrolled it and started rolling it up and down, as if it was a yo yo. Then it was utilized as a jumprope. The boy danced around, using the snack as a prop. He flung it up and down and all around