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  • Essay / Advertising and its effects on childhood obesity

    How does advertising affect childhood obesity? First, let's define advertising. Advertising is a means of attracting public attention to a product, service or need. When advertising a product, the idea is to create an interest or a need in the consumer, to buy the product. Recently, obesity has struck in large numbers in the United States. Obese children and adolescents are at greater risk of sleep apnea, social and psychological problems, and low self-esteem. Obese children and adolescents are likely to become obese as adults and develop all the health problems caused by obesity. Such as diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. Food advertising is linked to childhood obesity and contributes greatly to the problem. Food advertising contributes to childhood obesity in several ways. One of them is that the food advertised is unhealthy. “The mechanism of effect of media exposure on obesity may also operate through the many unhealthy food advertising messages aimed at children.” (Agarwal, Dhanasekaran) Food advertising aimed at children encourages them to develop unhealthy eating habits and choices. Advertisements usually promote unhealthy foods, never healthy foods. “When children watch television, they cannot escape food advertising. “Ads for sugary snacks and drinks, cereals, and fast food account for approximately thirty-two percent, thirty-one percent, and nine percent, respectively, of all ads specifically aimed at children.” (Termini, Roberto, Hostetter) Due to their limited cognitive abilities, children watch many food advertisements and do not really have the knowledge or ability to understand that the food advertised is not healthy. .middle of article......April 2014.Dietz, William H. "The Obesity Epidemic Among Young Children." National Center for Biotechnology Information. US National Library of Medicine, February 10, 2001. Web. April 22, 2014. Harris, Jennifer L., Jennifer L. Pomeranz, Tim Lobstein, and Kelly D. Brownell. “A Crisis in the Marketplace: How Food Marketing Contributes to Childhood Obesity and What Can Be Done.” Columbia.edu. Np, October 31, 2008. Web. April 22, 2014. “Impact of media use on children and young people.” » National Center for Biotechnology Information. US National Library of Medicine, May 2003. Web. April 22, 2014. Termini, Roseann B., Thomas A. Roberto, and Shelby G. Hostetter. “Food advertising and childhood obesity: a call to action for proactive solutions.” ERIC. NP, 2012. Web. April 22. 2014.