We'd like to think we have full control over our food choices, and that we make decisions about what to eat based solely on nutritional value, taste preferences, cost, and maybe convenience. But the truth is advertising exerts a mighty influence over what we choose to eat and feed our families.
As adults, we can counter the effects of advertising on our food choices with awareness. We can (usually) distinguish advertising from objective information, knowing that ads aim to persuade us to buy something. We can read labels to uncover the facts about foods on grocery store shelves. Most of us can use our experience and common sense to sort out good food from bad.
Food Marketing Targets Children
Children are more vulnerable than adults to advertisements and less able to tell fact from fiction. Aggressive marketing targets children as young as toddlers. The foods they promote for children can be largely unhealthy, high in sugar and fat. The possible consequences of advertising unhealthy food to children are serious because children need good nutrition to grow and thrive and because early eating habits may become ingrained for the large part of their life.
Even though young children don't buy their own food, their insistence on eating only the cereal with the toy inside that they saw on television can wear parents down. Parents, who have to choose their battles with their children, may give in to pressure from their youngsters. Also, by the time they become teenagers, most kids are buying at least some of their own food.
Reduce Childrens Exposure to Advertisments
Parents can take steps to minimize the influence of marketing on their child's nutrition:
* Limit television time-eliminate it if possible. Provide videos for young children to watch instead of TV shows with ads. Allow absolutely no more than two hours per day in front of the television. The less time the better.
* If your children watch television, watch it with them and discuss the advertising. Also discuss ads in magazines, newspapers, and billboards as well on the Internet and on in-school advertising. Talk about what the ads are trying to sell and how to know if what they say is true. Observe your childrens reactions: Children don't like to be tricked and lied to anymore than adults do.
* Encourage participation in activities other than watching TV, such as sports, hobbies, and family outings.
* Help children read food labels. Select one piece of information such as calories and show them how to compare calories for different foods.
* Prepare healthy, tasty, and fun food for your family. As one three-year old put it, he likes to go over to his friend's house because her mom makes good snacks. Take a lesson from marketing experts and persuade your family that your good food is the food they should eat.
* Work with your schools to eliminate sodas and candy from vending machines and high fat/high calorie foods from the lunchroom. Make sure in-school advertising does not promote unhealthy food.
Teach Healthy Eating Skills to Your Children
Children will be confronted with advertising throughout their lives; there's no practical way to eliminate it. By reducing their exposure to ads and teaching them how to choose good food, parents can help their children make independent decisions and learn healthy eating skills that will serve them lifelong.
Wayne Mcgregor has studied nutrition and dietetics at university. He holds a diploma in fitness training, and also has a wealth of experience in helping people through their difficult weight loss. He has further experience in help others gain body shape and build muscle. His website provides hundreds of free weight loss articles, including exercise help, sample diets, fitness tools and charts of calorie values in common foods.
As adults, we can counter the effects of advertising on our food choices with awareness. We can (usually) distinguish advertising from objective information, knowing that ads aim to persuade us to buy something. We can read labels to uncover the facts about foods on grocery store shelves. Most of us can use our experience and common sense to sort out good food from bad.
Food Marketing Targets Children
Children are more vulnerable than adults to advertisements and less able to tell fact from fiction. Aggressive marketing targets children as young as toddlers. The foods they promote for children can be largely unhealthy, high in sugar and fat. The possible consequences of advertising unhealthy food to children are serious because children need good nutrition to grow and thrive and because early eating habits may become ingrained for the large part of their life.
Even though young children don't buy their own food, their insistence on eating only the cereal with the toy inside that they saw on television can wear parents down. Parents, who have to choose their battles with their children, may give in to pressure from their youngsters. Also, by the time they become teenagers, most kids are buying at least some of their own food.
Reduce Childrens Exposure to Advertisments
Parents can take steps to minimize the influence of marketing on their child's nutrition:
* Limit television time-eliminate it if possible. Provide videos for young children to watch instead of TV shows with ads. Allow absolutely no more than two hours per day in front of the television. The less time the better.
* If your children watch television, watch it with them and discuss the advertising. Also discuss ads in magazines, newspapers, and billboards as well on the Internet and on in-school advertising. Talk about what the ads are trying to sell and how to know if what they say is true. Observe your childrens reactions: Children don't like to be tricked and lied to anymore than adults do.
* Encourage participation in activities other than watching TV, such as sports, hobbies, and family outings.
* Help children read food labels. Select one piece of information such as calories and show them how to compare calories for different foods.
* Prepare healthy, tasty, and fun food for your family. As one three-year old put it, he likes to go over to his friend's house because her mom makes good snacks. Take a lesson from marketing experts and persuade your family that your good food is the food they should eat.
* Work with your schools to eliminate sodas and candy from vending machines and high fat/high calorie foods from the lunchroom. Make sure in-school advertising does not promote unhealthy food.
Teach Healthy Eating Skills to Your Children
Children will be confronted with advertising throughout their lives; there's no practical way to eliminate it. By reducing their exposure to ads and teaching them how to choose good food, parents can help their children make independent decisions and learn healthy eating skills that will serve them lifelong.
Wayne Mcgregor has studied nutrition and dietetics at university. He holds a diploma in fitness training, and also has a wealth of experience in helping people through their difficult weight loss. He has further experience in help others gain body shape and build muscle. His website provides hundreds of free weight loss articles, including exercise help, sample diets, fitness tools and charts of calorie values in common foods.
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