How Food Companies Influence the Childhood Obesity Epidemic in America
"We're Not Buying It: Stop junk food marketing to kids"
This video asks viewers to think about whether food industries really have kids’ best interest in mind. They talk about how food industries advertise in ways that make them appear good by doing projects that are for good causes. Pepsi is one of the major companies they mentioned in this video. Pepsi demonstrates that they support good causes but the product that they sell, soda is terrible for kids and loaded with lots of sugar. Also mentioned in this video is how the food companies spend tons of money on advertising their products. In these advertisements they focus on gaining the interest of children and selling their product to children.
After watching this video it is easy to see that food companies do play a large influence on the childhood obesity epidemic in America. They not only load their products with ingredients like sugar that are bad for children but they target children in their advertisements to buy their unhealthy products. |
The Impact of Food Advertising on Childhood Obesity
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Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?
By:Board on Children, Youth and Families & the Food and Nutrition Board
This article states that the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies reported that, "Food and beverage marketing targeted to children ages 12 and under leads them to request and consume high-calorie, low-nutrient products".
We agree with this statement because we see how so many food companies target children in their ads in order to gain customers. Television Commercials, toys, and billboard ads are all ways food companies gain the interest of so many children to want their products. McDonald's is a well known food company that has proven they know how to get children interested in their products by handing out toys with every kids meal served. But looking at the nutritional value of the kids meal it is easy to see that these greasy foods are not helping our childhood obesity issue in America, they are only adding to the issue.
This article states that the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies reported that, "Food and beverage marketing targeted to children ages 12 and under leads them to request and consume high-calorie, low-nutrient products".
We agree with this statement because we see how so many food companies target children in their ads in order to gain customers. Television Commercials, toys, and billboard ads are all ways food companies gain the interest of so many children to want their products. McDonald's is a well known food company that has proven they know how to get children interested in their products by handing out toys with every kids meal served. But looking at the nutritional value of the kids meal it is easy to see that these greasy foods are not helping our childhood obesity issue in America, they are only adding to the issue.
"Companies spent an estimated $10 billion to market foods, beverages, and meals to U.S. children and youth in 2004".
It was also discussed in this article that we develop our eating habits during our early years. This means that in order to have healthy eating habits as adults we must start with healthy eating habits as children. But the food companies that are advertising their unhealthy products to children are only causing children to start having unhealthy eating habits early. And for many children the attraction of the flashy advertisements with friendly cartoon characters for unhealthy foods leads them to childhood obesity.
It was also discussed in this article that we develop our eating habits during our early years. This means that in order to have healthy eating habits as adults we must start with healthy eating habits as children. But the food companies that are advertising their unhealthy products to children are only causing children to start having unhealthy eating habits early. And for many children the attraction of the flashy advertisements with friendly cartoon characters for unhealthy foods leads them to childhood obesity.