Diverse Effects of Food Companies Marketing Practices on Eating Habits - Term Paper Example

Diverse effects of food companies’ marketing practices and governmental healthy eating campaigns on eating habits and obesity Page Count Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 Discussion 4 The role of marketing and advertising 4 Governmental healthy eating campaigns 6 Conclusion 9 References 10 Introduction The basic food preferences among people are generally created based on the biological and natural surroundings of them. The preference for every individual is to get variety of convenient, tasty, safe foods and less expensive foods that can be consumed in large quantities. Looking to target customers with such products the food companies have offered less healthy products which have resulted in huge amount of growth of obesity. The food industry including the food and beverage makers, retailers, food services and restaurants have surfaced with the best creative marketing ideas and tools which has attracted lot of customers. The marketing executives of these food companies are caught in between the factors that would satisfy the customers fully and also take care of the concern by the governmental food department (Paxon, 2006, pp. 75-82). The food industry has marketed itself in the same way as the tobacco industry because of which it is very important to review the factor on how the marketing of these food industry have affected the eating habits and to have a check over how the food marketers have a continuous growth in their profit without taking care of the customer’s Body Mass Index (BMI) (Brownell and Horgen, 2003, pp. 112-116). This study is related to see the affects of the food companies marketing over the consumers and also the various governmental measures been taken over providing healthy and controlling obesity among the people. The most of the food items are not products instead they are branded products in the eyes of the customer because of the way they are been advertised, packed and distributed. For these products the companies price them on their own based on the demand by the consumers. The good research over the market segment and coming up with the knowledge of the target customers the price cuts over the particular products increases the efficiency of the company in raising the sales. But most of these products are not healthy as a result of which it causes a lot of problems to the consumers like obesity etc. Discussion The cases of overweight is been seen more in children’s and youngsters wherein out of every 7 youngster 1 is affected by obesity in the age range of 6 to 17. The various factors that has led to such a rise in the obesity among the childhood are more towards the wrong dietary practices and change in life style among the upcoming children’s and youngsters. The level of physical activity has gone down and youngsters have started to take more of unhealthy foods as a result the rate of which obesity and diabetes among the children’s. Though people who are from poor family are more likely to take less nutritional food items than people from well established families (Cawley, 20011, pp. 96-105). So not only by changing the food habits and also by encouraging physical activities among the people but the social environment conditions should also be improved which will help people to take good and healthy foods and help them to overcome problems caused by unhealthy foods like obesity and diabetes. The role of marketing and advertising The role of advertising and marketing is very high in case of creating the eating habits among the people especially among the children’s and youngsters who get influenced a lot from the advertisements been shown. Globally in a year a child sees around ten thousand commercials and more than hundred posters and billboards, among which the majority of advertisements are over the food items and most of the food advertisements are for the less nutrition food items. Thus people and especially children’s come across so many advertisements of such food items. Since the early 1980’s the food and beverage industry have made their focus over the children’s and adults as their main target customers and have advertise their products focusing over the children’s more (Consumers Union Education Services,1995, pp. 10-14). The marketing cost over the food products have nearly got doubled over the years for every food and beverage company. The advertisements are done using both traditional media channel like print media and also through the modern marketing platforms like online marketing, in games, in television and also in movies. The food and beverage companies have looked to market more by the branding the entire food category by showing its price, ingredients and by claiming them as the healthy products through the medium of good packaging kills and also other marketing platforms (Teutsch and Churchill, 1994, pp.123-127). The marketing campaign by the company helps the customers to know the attributes like price and the place from where they can avail the particular product. People get information about the brand or the food items and they start to have a liking towards a particular brand especially children’s and they look to consume only those products leaving behind the good nutritious food products available. People also look to maintain their social status by consuming certain band products which are been communicated and marketed well. With the increasing advertisements in the market nowadays people especially the children’s are more exposed to the television advertises of les nutritious foods such as snacks, cold drinks and other food items with high content of fat, sugar and components which can led to health problems of the people (Chandon and Wansink, 2012, pp. 3-7). With the competitive market arising and with technological growth the companies are looking to change the style of market communication by using other channels like social media, by attractive packaging and also through games to attract mainly the young generation and children’s. They look to communicate their food products on the point that they create for and also social status among the various customers (Uzogara, 2000, pp. 7-15). Food companies try new marketing strategy where they provide toys and other products with their logos on them such as McDonald’s and Jell-O have partnered with Mattel to promote their brand by printing their logos over the toys which creates a great impact over the children’s and youngsters as their liking toward that particular brand increases because of the toys as a result of which they tend to consume those products more which leads to obesity and other problems among them from early ages and they look to neglect the more nutritious foods which can help them have a healthy life and cause less diseases (World Health Organization. 2006, pp. 3-6). Companies look to market their product also using other platforms like reality events such as in the sets of American-Idol judges have their drinks from the glasses provided by Coca-Cola. As a result of which people get influenced seeing such great celebrities using such food items as a result of which people also look to take up those products and consume them on high rate because of which they end up getting obesity, diabetes and other problems which causes a lot of affect to the health. Earlier food and consumer companies had their target customers as the adult peoples but nowadays the trend has change and companies have looked to move their focus targeting the children’s and youngsters as there major target customers and market their products keeping in mind of attracting these age group more, because it is seen that children’s and youngsters look to have a major influence over the buying and eating process of the whole family. Governmental healthy eating campaigns Looking at the adverse affect of the marketing campaign of various food and beverage companies which has changed the eating habit of consumers and has led to the rise of various diseases especially showing the rise of obesity and diabetes among the children’s and youngsters, different government of various countries have looked to launch various policies that will help in improving the condition. Many of the marketing practices violate the communications act, like as per governmental acts children’s advertisings and rules and also certain online privacy protection act. In different countries policies for children’s televisions add is been made by the government based on which the regulations are made under the consideration to keep the content away from the advertisement for prohibiting the web links sites to the marketers and also prohibiting companies from collecting information regarding the data over the view of advertisements by children’s. Apart from this governments have made regulations based on which the advertisers have to showcase the food items which are good for health and are nutritious. The government comes with local policies over the food and beverage companies which contain the following things. Putting high tax rates over fast foods and educate people about healthy eating habits. Removing advertising of unhealthy food items in schools and other learning institutes to keep them away from the children’s. Providing knowledge about healthy food items to the publishing using media and also launching nutrition circulars. Having a constant monitor over the media and control the message been displayed over media about different food items. Setting up litigation policies over the company’s marketing strategies. Providing funds so that messages regarding nutritious food is been displayed in the television, video games, social media and also through online media. Governments do make various legislations regarding the policies and rules related to the consumption of unhealthy food to reduce the cases of obesity, debates and other diseases coming up from the bad food habits and also overeating (Frugier, 2004, pp. 98-104). Few of the regulations and rules made by different governments are listed as below. Limiting the access of unhealthy food items and beverages in schools and institutes. Bring about changes in agricultural subsidies which contribute to a large portion towards more consumption of unhealthy and fast foods. Make rules and regulations over digital marketing that will prevent children’s and youngsters in a big way. Government have made it as a rule for all food and beverage companies and also restaurants to show the nutrition chart been labelled in the packet and also on the menu card so that it is very well visible for all the consumers. Thus governments of various countries have looked to take numerous steps to control the advertising of unhealthy food items which influences a lot of consumers over their purchase decisions. Different rules and regulation have been formed to keep the children’s and youngsters away from the bad food items and advertises made by the companies, because in today’s generation the children’s and youngsters are the major players in making the decision for buying a particular product especially in the food items. Showing various celebrities does create a lot of influence over the people for taking a particular brand and public think more towards getting tasty and less costly rather than going for nutritious and healthy food items (Zollo, 1999, pp. 119-126). Conclusion With the increasing liking among people towards food and beverage industry mainly with fast food and readymade food giants like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Kraft the rate of diseases like obesity and diabetes among them have gone high at an exponential rate. People going for such food items other than tying for the nutritious and healthy foods have increased and the increase has been seen majorly in the category of children’s and youngsters who get highly influenced by the various attractive marketing strategies used by the food and beverages companies. The food and beverage companies have also looked to target the young generation more as they influence a lot on the buying decision of the family. Government has also tried to take steps towards controlling the vast marketing activities and control the affect it causes by making various rules and regulations. Governments of different countries have also conducted various campaigns and funding policies t advertise and market healthy foods so that children’s and youngsters start using healthy foods and it can reduce the rate of obesity and other problems arising in them. References Brownell ,K and Horgen, K. 2003. Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry, Americas Obesity Crisis, and What We Can Do About It. McGraw-Hill: New York. Chandon, P and Wansink, B. 2012. Does food marketing need to make us fat? A review and solutions. [pdf] . Available at: < http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/pdf/market_fat.pdf>. [Accessed on 10 March 2014]. Paxon,C . 2006. Childhood Obesity. Brookings Institution Press: Washington. Consumers Union Education Services. 1995. Captive Kids: Commercial Pressures on Kids at School. Consumers Union of United States: Yonkers, NY. Frugier, M. 2004. Childhood Obesity in the United States. Novinka Books: Russia. Cawley, J .2011. The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Obesity. Oxford University Press: New York. Teutsch, SM and Churchill, RE. 1994. Principles and Practice of Public Health Surveillance. Oxford University Press: New York. Uzogara, S. 2000. The impact of genetic modification of human foods in the 21st century: A review. [pdf] . Available at: http://cib.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/estudos_alimentares06.pdf. [Accessed on 10 March 2014]. World Health Organization. 2006. The extent, nature and effects of food promotion To children: A Review of the evidence. [pdf] . Available at: < http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/Hastings_paper_marketing.pdf>. [Accessed on 10 March 2014]. Zollo, P. 1999. Wise Up To Teens: Insight into Marketing and Advertising to Teenagers, New Strategist Publications. Inc.: NY. Read More