Consumers need to be aware of all the sweet 2 drinks we take in, and realize that we take a lot more in then what we think. As a parent we are told that Gatorade and sports drinks are good for our children, but if you look at the ingredients you will see that they are just as bad. Even the diet sodas are bad for you. People consume most of their calories in sodas and sweet drinks. We need to make these sugary drinks not so easy to buy.
Both private and publicly owned institutions that have not kept the public sufficiently educated on the dangers of eating the products they serve or produce; these companies have made millions of dollars on the sales of fast food, junk food, and sugar drinks. As a nation we should be stressing physical activity in home and at school, however, recess is being systematically eliminated, while games and sports equipment is being sacrificed for other costs. The fast food industry has done a wonderful job in making children want fast food and convincing parents that fast food meals are a nutritious alternative to cooking meals at home and they are quick, easy, and affordable. “Advertisements often portray unhealthy eating messages to children. As many commercials are for fast food, soft drinks, and cereals sweetened with sugar, one could argue that children are encouraged by the media to consume high fat, energy dense food” (Ebbeling, Pawlak, & Ludwig, 2002).
They even pay anthropologist-investigators known as "cool hunters" to keep up with what the coolest kids are doing, and use that knowledge to design products. It is a perpetuating cycle, and we as teenagers are the instigators. We are involved in a symbiotic relationship with consumerism and media that shapes our opinions and influences our buying decisions--whether or not we are aware of that influence. Cool hunters seek us out for our opinions and then sell them right back to us. And we buy it without a thought about why.
Corporations make us fat Many people claim that it is personal responsibility of what you eat, however fast food corporations and their marketing strategies make it almost impossible to say no. From childhood we are conditioned to grab a large combo meal on our way home instead of going to the grocery store then cooking it ourselves. The ease, convenience, and the cheap prices make it all too easy for consumers. Corporations are to blame for America’s obesity problems because of their lack of nutritional information available to consumers, their lack of alternatives, and their brand recognition and advertisements addicting us from childhood. There is no calorie information posted in any fast food restaurant.
Because the Food and Drug Administration regulates the claims made about foodstuffs, these companies are forced to be creative and come up with witty advertising techniques. In this advertisement for Oscar Mayer bacon, the advertisers use a specific color scheme, skillfully selected words, and a cleverly orchestrated setting to convince the consumer that Oscar Mayer bacon is delectable and superior. Yellow and red are the two most prominent colors in the advertisement. These colors are commonly associated with hunger and a desire for food in the Western world. A prime example of this color usage is the colors of McDonald’s fast food restaurants.
Case summary for 2-7 McDonald’s and Obesity Summary Obesity among children is increasing rapidly not only in the United States but throughout the nations around the globe. The problem of childhood obesity is imputed to the marketers. Majority of the affected parties believed that the fast-food chains were part of this health crisis and even thought that the advertisements made by these companies were also to be blamed. McDonalds struggle towards improving its image as it relates to obesity trends rising globally. The highest percent of obesity worldwide is amongst children.
The restrictions on sugary drinks contributed towards a branch out of many educational campaigns. The most influential campaign that caused the greatest decrease in obesity rates was ‘Rethink Your Drink’ proposed by the Hawaii Department of Health. Furthermore, limiting the size people can purchase sugary drinks will help stop the growth of beverage portions in the restaurant industry. Chain-restaurants have increased their beverage portion sizes monumentally over the past few decades, and bigger portion sizes have been proven to lead to greater consumption. Surely people will learn from the restrictions put on detrimental drinks, understand the dangers that come from drinking such large quantities of sugary beverages, and how harmful they can be towards the
Chips, candy, etc) and fast food. It is very convenient to go through a drive through, call for takeout, or lounge in a restaurant. But what is not realized are the harmful starches and calories being put into their body that in the long-run will have negative effects on the person’s health. Therefore, if Americans became more proactive, and increased their physical exercise, the risk of obesity would
America has increased in childhood obesity. By minimizing fast foods restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell and enforcing physical activity on a day to day basis such as running and working out, obesity can come to an end. Decreasing childhood obesity means providing a healthier life style for kids, whether food wise or physically active. Providing is giving, maintaining and making life genetically and environmentally better for children. Children in America have bad habits and food choices, which are influenced by their parents hereditarily and environmentally such as my little cousin Grecia.
The easy way out to being healthy and eating right for ones body, fast food has plagued the nation especially with diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even strokes or heart attacks. A question is now posed of whether or not fast foods should be fed to children, in substitute of their regular lunches at school. These kids are what seem like innocent victims because of their naivety towards the real problems with fast food. The problems with this quick fix in school cafeterias are that students would become obese, they would develop bad habits, and that the school would be advertising for these companies. “More than 70 percent of obese adolescents retain their overweight and obese condition even during their adulthood” (What Are Children Munching On?).