Saturday, July 25, 2015

Preventing Childhood Obesity One Advertisement at Time: How Anti-Obesity Advertising Encourages Healthier Habits among Children

“A child is exposed to twenty-one television advertisements for food every day…[and] none of them promoted fruits or vegetables,” according to Victoria L. Brescoll, Kelly D. Brownell, and Roger Kersh in their 2008 article, “Assessing the Feasibility and Impact of Federal Childhood Obesity Policies” in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Children are currently bombarded by advertisements endorsed by their favorite celebrities and cartoon characters promoting sugar and fat-laden foods. While such advertising appears to be a main contributor to the increase in childhood obesity in America, other forms of advertising can be a part of the solution to raising a healthier generation.

One advertising campaign that has gained a lot of steam in recent years is the anti-sugary drink campaign. In an interview with Amy Bleakley, a Senior Research Scientist at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, she explained that “sugary drinks are a major source of calories and sugar that are fueling the obesity epidemic among children and adults.” She noted that anti-sugary drink advertising campaigns face a lot of competition because “sugary drinks…are often endorsed by athletes and other popular celebrities.” To learn the key to a successful anti-sugary drink advertisement, Bleakley, along with Amy B. Jordan, Michael Hennessy, Karen Glanz, Andrew Strasser, and Sarah Vaala, published a study on June 9, 2015 entitled “Do Emotional Appeals in Public Service Advertisements Influence Adolescents’ Intention to Reduce Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages?” The researchers found that the teenagers were most likely to cut back on sugary drinks after viewing the fear-based ads, where they were reminded of the negative health impacts of consuming too many sugary drinks.

The New York City Health Department used similar fear tactics in 2013 to decrease the consumption of sugary drinks. According to The City of New York’s November 25, 2013 article "Health Department Launches New Ad Campaign Highlighting the Negative Health Impacts of Excessive Sugary Drink Consumption" on The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website, “The ads warn New Yorkers of the potential harmful consequences of excessive sugary drink consumption…[and] encourage New Yorkers to take a ‘sip in the right direction’ and replace sugary drinks with water, seltzer, unsweetened teas, fat-free milk and fresh fruit.” By informing parents about the unhealthy drinks they are providing to their children, kids can start to make better choices before diabetes and other health complications develop.


New York City Anti-Obesity Ad  /  The NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene
http://www.nyc.gov

Soda companies may be the enemy of these anti-sugary drink ads, but Coca-Cola is now joining the fight against the obesity epidemic. Coca-Cola aired two types of anti-obesity commercials in 2013, according to Danny Rogers’ 2013 article “Ethical Coke Campaign Shows Glimpse of Future” in The Campaign. The first ad, which aired on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, emphasized Coca-Cola’s numerous low and no-calorie beverages, smaller servings, and healthier school options. In addition, they explained that all calories count, no matter where they come from; if people do not burn off as many calories as they consume, then they will gain weight. The second ad, which aired during American Idol, suggested that people should enjoy burning off the calories in a can of Coke. While admitting to the problem, Coca-Cola is also vowing to be a part of the solution to obesity. If more brands follow in Coca-Cola’s footsteps, children can learn to choose healthier, and smaller versions of their favorite products.

Similar to Coca-Cola encouraging people to enjoy exercise, the NFL Play 60 commercials encourage kids to play for 60 minutes per day to have fun, get exercise, and stay healthy. In the “NFL Play 60 2014 Commercial” published by the NFL Enterprises LLC in 2015, the kids are shown playing where NFL stars used to play when they were growing up. For example, kids are running, swinging, climbing monkey bars, skipping rope, skateboarding, swimming, somersaulting, and biking in places like Peyton and Eli Manning’s yard, Cam Newton’s local park, and Victor Cruz’s high school field. The NFL allows young viewers to relate to these elite athletes because the kids are playing in the same places as the professionals did when they were little. The feeling that they too can become skilled athletes, as well as the enjoyment that they can have while playing, helps entice kids to get active and play. The media often makes exercise seem like a burden, but the NFL shows that it can be the best part of someone’s day. Similar advertising from other sports leagues could create a surge in children’s exercise habits and help prevent childhood obesity.


Children Playing in front of Eli and Peyton Manning’s Home
NFL Productions LLC    http://www.nflrush.com/story/nfl-play-60-2014-psa

According to Jane L. Levere’s article “An Anti-Obesity Campaign Takes to the Airwaves” published in The New York Times on May 2, 2012, the Center of Disease Control and Prevention has conducted studies showing that more than thirty percent of American children and teenagers are overweight or obese. If this percentage does not go down, the next generation may have shorter lifespans than their parents. While the anti-obesity advertisements are a great start to battling this problem, more action is needed. Amy Bleakley, the University of Pennsylvania researcher, believes that regulations on advertising, similar to the prohibition of tobacco advertising, are necessary to build a successful anti-obesity campaign. In an interview with Ted Kyle, a healthcare professional experienced in the health issues, needs, and policies associated with the obesity epidemic, he explained that “Obesity is a complex chronic disease...[and] lot of work, trial and error will be needed to clean up this mess.”

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