Does Advertising affect obesity?

Does advertising affect obesity?

I don't like fish. Actually, I don't like seafood at all. If I saw an add for seafood I wouldn't eat it but maybe I'd consider it because they would make it look better than it really is. Is this the same case for junk food? I chose not to want to eat junk food, but am I tempted? Yes, advertising does tempt us but at the end of the day it is our decision. 

Literally billions of dollars are thrown into advertising in the food industry. Obesity levels are constantly rising. Is is safe to say that they are affected? Yes. Of course they are affected. People are gullible, people are tempted, they see something they want it they buy it. This is why the advertising works. I don’t blame the advertising though, because the advertisers are incredibly smart when it comes to this. They know the way most humans work.

They see, they want, they buy.

You can’t blame the advertisers for figuring out how to sell and what works. Their techniques work, but at the end of the day it’s our decision.

So you saw an amazing add for McDonald’s French fries… You saw it, you sure as hell wanted it, so you bought it. But hours later you felt sick, you felt fat and you cried about it. Who are you blaming? The advertising. That’s only because you want someone to blame other than yourself. We need to take a step back and realize it’s your choice. No one forced those fries down your throat; you put it in your body. Deal with the consequences.

I am extremely sympathetic when something bad happens to someone that is out of their control. I am sorry though, if you willingly eat those French fries every single day and complain that you got fat that’s YOUR fault. Entirely. People who are obese did it to themselves. I don’t have any sympathy for them. There are many gyms, and healthy lifestyle resources people can use to fix the problem instead of falling for the advertisements over and over again.

If you are incredibly obese and do have issues with self control I am not disrespecting you, but I suggest you talk to a health care professional who can help you. Just don’t blame the advertising because they are doing a good job if they make you fall for it every time.

On another note, I do believe there are a lot more unhealthy advertisements than there are healthy ones but that is just because people know the healthy options exist. A red shiny apple won’t tempt them; they are tempted by sugar, sweets and everything that will satisfy their cravings. Why would they advertise the healthy options that we already know about. The companies know that we don’t even want to see apples on the TV so they don’t waste their budget on it. Again, the advertising agencies are smart. They know what they are doing, so don’t blame them.

We all love our snacks, and treats we just need to learn to control our cravings and temptations. Don’t get sucked into the adds and you will be fine!

If you are concerned try to follow the LIVE standards off of http://childhoodobesityfoundation.ca/what-is-childhood-obesity/statistics/.

It says to eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day, have no more than 2 hours of screen time per day, enjoy 1 hour a day of physical activity, and avoid sugary drinks.

Sometimes the greatest changes in life are done really slowly over a long period of time. Small consistent changes over time can honestly have the best result. I challenge you to not get tempted by the next advertisement you see.

At the end of the day, you make your own choices in life. If you enjoy all the unhealthy food in life then eat them, no one is stopping you! Just make sure you feel good about what you do.