Junk Food Advertisement Analysis

Obesity is a prevalent health complication that is affecting children across the United States. A child is considered obese when their weight is twenty percent higher than the ideal weight for a boy or girl of their age and height. Several factors including poor diet, lack of exercise, genetics, environment and socioeconomic status are linked to causing unnecessary weight gain in children. Many children lack the knowledge needed to be conscious of their health. They are unaware of the damage their body is enduring as a result of the poor health choices they are making. It is important that children learn to value their health especially while they are young. Food marketing makes it challenging to instill proper eating habits due to the constant advertising of unhealthy foods directed towards children. Placing stricter regulations on advertisements for food is an effective solution that would allow for the United States to have a healthier population of children. Let’s Move is a program dedicated to ensuring children a healthy and active life. The program specifically engages schools,communities and the government to take action against childhood obesity. A major goal the program intends to accomplish includes collaborating with the government to place stricter regulations on food advertisements. This goal should be taken seriously because companies are taking advantage of the vulnerability children display. Michelle Obama is the leading voice for Let’s Move. In September 2013 she summoned the first government meeting to discuss food marketing to children. She explained to executives that ad campaigns are negatively affecting children. In her words “ Children’s preferences are being shaped by the campaigns you all create” (Economist). Children are making choices based on what they see and hear. According to the World Health Organization the majority of adverts seen by children around the globe are for heavily processed foods high in fat, sugar and calories (WHO). The more accustomed children become to seeing ads for junk food their cravings will be enhanced leading to the indulgence of unhealthy and harmful foods. Technology has greatly changed the techniques companies utilize for marketing. Companies have the ability to advertise on a much larger scale, making it even easier to target children. As described in the Report of Digital Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents, marketing has become “Multidimensional- simultaneously and purposefully integrated into a range of social media and online applications: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, gaming and mobile communications” (Montgomery). Having such a wide variety of applications exposes children to unhealthy foods more frequently. Obesity rates will continue to rise if action is not taken against these companies. Technology is going to continue to advance, providing even more opportunity for companies to promote their unhealthy foods. However, this will be prevented once the government implements stricter policies. As previously mentioned, Let’s Move is striving for the government to place stricter …show more content…
However, there are simple procedures the government could ask companies to follow. On average kids watch over ten advertisements a day that are associated with food (Prevention Institute). The government could ban junk food advertisements during children 's programs shown on television. For example, on weekdays from 6 to 9 AM and 4-9 PM and 6AM-12PM and 4PM-9PM on weekends companies would not be able to advertise junk food. The government could also regulate, by requesting junk food companies to promote the idea of moderation and exercise in regards to consuming their products. For example, a commercial for a candy bar could show someone eating the product and then going for a walk to burn off the extra calories. Doing this would not only allow companies to continue promoting their product but it would send an important message to children. By incorporating moderation and exercise children would learn that as long as portions are controlled and they stay active it is okay to occasionally indulge. Many companies have started to offer healthier products such as low calorie or low fat. The government could require companies to advertise the healthiest version of their products. An example of this would be Frito Lay advertising their baked chips instead of regular chips. The baked chips have less fat which would make them a healthier alternative. Regulating advertisements does not have to be difficult, as you can see there are several simple adjustments that could be made in order to ensure children are exposed to healthy foods and positive