The Consumption of Weight Loss and UK Television Adverts - Research Proposal Example

THE CONSUMPTION OF WEIGHT LOSS: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MIXED MESSAGES IN UK TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS CONCERNED WITH HEALTH, WEIGHT AND DIETING Contents: Sr. # Topic Pg. # 1. Introduction 2 1.1. Research Question 3 2. Literature Review 4 3. Methods 7 4. Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10 Appendices (List of Figures) 11 F1 National Content of Food Product Advertisements Seen by Adolescents 12 F2 Distribution of Advertising Exposure by Food Products 12 F3 Slim Celebrities Endorsing High Calorie Chocolate Bars 13 F4 Use of Popular Animated Characters for Luring Children 13 F5 Childrens Exposure to Food Advertising on TV 14 F6 Childrens Exposure to Public service Messages on Fitness or Nutrition on TV 14 1. Introduction A longstanding and widespread public concern over the potentially detrimental consequences of food promotion through television advertisements have been raised in the recent years. The rate of such concerns has risen especially in the wake of a wide range of television commercials promoting mixed messages about food consumption. On one hand we observe celebrities endorsing high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods such as Pepsi by David Beckham, or Kit Kat bars by Girls Aloud Star Cole, and on the other hand there is a wide array of weight loss, healthy / organic foods as well as slimming products being advertised during popular television shows, which ensures high viewing. Such mixed messages send confusing signals to the viewers that lead to unhealthy dietary habits among them. In the UK, high levels of apprehension are, presently, based on the indication of growing obesity among children (WHO, 2000)1. Earlier, such concerns were focused on such factors as nutrition, dental health, dieting and anorexia (Kopelman 2004)2. The fact that the food industry is among the top most players in the field of advertising is widely known and acknowledged3. According to OFCOM, the total UK spending per year, in the food and beverages category totaled £743 million, of which £522 million spent solely on television advertising and £32 million targeted during children’s airtime4. On the whole, food related advertising on television is largely dominated by such products as breakfast cereals, confectionary, savory snacks and soft drinks, followed closely by fast food restaurants. The evident contradictory messages recognized among food related television commercials seem to convey unusual ideas concerning food consumption to the viewers. It is commonly known that foods which are healthy and contributing to to weight-loss contain such characteristics since unnecessary contents / ingredients in them are either lessened or removed while foods which are good in taste and are fun to eat are likely to be those which lack adequate nutritional value. In view of the contradictory messages conveyed by television commercials, concerning the importance of dieting / use of weight loss or slimming food products to accomplish a skinny ideal; the amplified prevalence of obesity in the United Kingdom; and widespread televised messages promoting its viewers be ultra skinny and at the same time indulge in fatty foods, there appears to be a significant inconsistency in the media messages conveyed to the UK population with regard to healthy and harmless food habits as well as notions about proper means of weight control. What is the likely impact of such contradictory messages communicated through television commercials, on the viewer’s food choices and ultimately on public health, is the key question that requires to be analyzed. This paper, seeks to investigate the existence of such mixed messages with respect to television commercials in the U.K, as well as the extent and scope of such contradictory propaganda. 1.1. Research Question The key questions, which this research seeks to investigate, include: 1. Whether or not, there exists a tendency to promote mixed messages, in the television advertising of food related commercials? And if yes, 2. What proportion of nutrition related articles and food/supplement advertisements include weight control messages as compared to the proportion of advertisements for junk food? The above stated questions are sought to be investigated through a study of television commercials aired on two of UK’s popular entertainment channels namely, Channel 4 and ITV, as well as a range of other sources including both, primary as well as secondary such as magazines, periodicals, past research, and newspaper articles. 2. Literature Review As mentioned above, this paper seeks to investigate the existence of contradictory messages related to food consumption as advertised on television channels. However, there is hardly any research conducted in this behalf in the past. Regrettably, a significant proportion of research centered on food consumption, or dietary habits of consumers, is largely focused on obesity, consumption of junk food and its impact on children and adolescents, and very little attention has been paid to other factors such as this one, where the existence and impact of mixed messages on television has been sought to be reviewed. Health related issues, such as obesity and anorexia, have attained epidemic status in most developed countries. Such conditions are apparently on account of faulty dietary habits. In order to deal with this massive challenge, the Government has guaranteed prompt action and issue guidelines for promoting healthy eating and increasing physical exercise in a move to enhance public health. The stakes are high considering the fact that approximately 46% of diseases caused world wide are on account of improper food habits. Furthermore, studies suggest that the cost to society caused on account of inactivity is also high and accounts to almost £8.2 billion per year from sickness absence, premature death and direct health care costs to the NHS. In the wake of such a crisis, it is essential that we investigate the role of television advertisements centered on promotion of food and drink products: both healthy and otherwise, which often send mixed messages concerning their consumption. According to Ofcom, the communications regulator in the U.K., children are exposed to almost 10,000 television advertisements annually of which 3000 advertisements are focused on food products. According to research data, it is observed that consumers preferring healthy organic foods are less likely than the average viewer to watch BBC1 ITV1 and Channel Five and significantly more likely to watch BBC2 or Channel 4. They are slightly less likely to watch television usually, with the exception of the 8-10.30 pm weekdays and 6-10.30 pm Sunday slots – organic consumers are more likely than the average viewer to be watching at these times. The programmes which draw considerably more attention among organic consumers than among viewers in general include drama, biography, music – especially classical, history, arts, news and current affairs. News (watched by 85.8 per cent) and drama (84.6 per cent) are the programme areas that reach most organic consumers. Cable and satellite programming generally tends to attract a lower proportion of organic consumers than of the general population, although for certain channels and certain groups this is different – eg Film Four is very popular with medium organic buyers. Moreover other specific programmes which attract significantly higher number of audiences among organic consumers include: Channel Four News and the BBC’s Six O’Clock and Ten O’Clock News.5 In view of this alarming trend, the government has taken active steps and has issued circulars to ban advertisements featuring consumption of unhealthy snacks which are high in sugar, fat and salt and which are aimed at children.6 Moreover, attempts to discourage consumers through negative depictions of junk food consumption or through portrayal of commercials promoting organic or health foods are disillusioned by depiction of positive images of consumption of foods by popular celebrities or famous movie characters, which are rich in fat content, high in sugar and salt levels and are unhealthy, during prime time television programming when the chances of viewing such commercials is extremely high. Although both these images are shown separately, it does however; convey mixed messages regarding food consumption and healthy eating habits. Inconsistent media messages may be regarded as one of the key causes of the contemporaneous evils of food consumption characterized by eating disorders, anorexia and obesity in present times. Commercials such as SlimFly, diet Pepsi / Coke, Sauna Belts, Hoodie, and other similar branded “diet” foods such as Atkins – The Original Low Carb Lifestyle, include messages promoting varying of or limiting food intake, exercising excessively, or using diet pills and products to lose weight, and achieve “shapely” bodies like those of celebrities endorsing such products. A high rate of discrepancy was observed during analysis of such advertisements, related to food products which gave away widely differing and hence confused messages regarding indulging in high calorie foods and weight control. Such contradictory messages conveyed by advertisements encouraging viewers to consume certain foods and avoid others to retain weight may thereby leave the viewers puzzled and prevent them from attaining their unrealized expectations of attaining perfect body shape / health. On the other hand, conveniently marketed junk food products, which are mostly aired during prime time television programming or during the telecast of popular sitcoms or game shows, promoted as highly desirable may evoke feeling of dissentment among the viewers on their failed attempts at dieting or reducing their calorie intake. In spite of such confusing trend of promoting both healthy, slimming food products and junk foods through television advertising, a majority of consumers still continue to resort to the media as a key source of health and nutrition related information, since they are apprehensive on relying on scientific research findings which according to them are highly contradictory in opinion and recommendations. Further research in this behalf suggests that approximately 50-70% of UK television advertising to children was focused on food-related products. Similar observations were derived from the study conducted by Hastings et al (2003, p.A74) which claimed that, ‘the foods we should eat least are the most advertised, while the foods we should eat most are the least advertised. Lewis and Hill (1998) who conducted a content analysis on food related advertisements on television illustrated that food is among the most advertised product categories on children’s television, or on programs related to children, and that confectionary, cereals and savory snacks are the most advertised.7 3. Methods This research paper is based on the theory of realism whereby the content analysis of the relevant data i.e. advertisements viewed and surveyed are investigated in the manner as they exist. Similar to the theory of realism which perceives the existence of things as they are in the real world, this paper too, analyses and interprets the data available on similar lines. In my view, the present data suggest that there does exist contradictory messages in the domain of television advertising related to food products whereby commercials conveying differing ideologies that of fun and weight control are marketed simultaneously. Furthermore, advertisements of food products which are in fact high in calorie and fat content, are often observed to be portrayed as otherwise and healthy, when the reality is largely different. Low calorie chocolate bars for instance are a case in point wherein the level of sugar in such food products is highly unlikely to be low and hence the message conveyed in based on completely false premises. Furthermore, it is also substantiated that advertisements which promote weight control or slimming products are telecast at the same time as other advertisements which promote junk food such as candy bars, burgers or other concentrated beverages which are rich in sugar and fat. 4. Conclusion This report reveals an appalling disconnection between the objectives of the government authorities and their policies on promoting healthy eating habits; and the type of food and drink advertised through innumerable commercials on television channels across UK. While the Government is gearing up to influence children to reduce consumption of high-energy food and drink and adopt more healthier lifestyles, the television commercials promoting junk food consumptions are constantly on the rise, which are indulging in aggressive marketing efforts by luring in popular celebrities, cartoon characters from popular children’s movies and other marketing gimmicks such as McDonald’s happy meals where children are given toys. The analysis of the current theme concerning the impact of the obvious inconsistency between television commercials promoting weight-control messages on one hand and the advertisements centered on foods which are high in fat and calories; warrant further research. In my view, messages conveyed through such adverts are likely to apply mild stress on the part of the viewers who are caught between two diverse yet complicated choices: that of weight loss or indulging in savory foods which are high in calorie, fat and are extremely unhealthy yet fun and tasteful to consume. The choice between these two ideals is hence mutually exclusive whereby the consumers are left to deal with achieving their personal goals of being a health conscious individual or a foodie on a diet. Analyzing this dilemma of the consumer and the manner in which they deal with it would be an interesting topic of research for both nutrition experts and health professionals alike. Bibliography World Health Organization. (2000). Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. (No. 894). Geneva: WHO. Kopelman (2004) cited in Ambler, T. (2004). Does the UK promotion of food and drink to children contribute to their obesity? (Centre for marketing working paper No. 04-901). London: London Business School. Hastings, G., Stead, M., McDermott, L., Alasdair, F., MacKintosh, A.M., Rayner, M., Godfrey, C., Caraher, M. and Angus, K. (2003). Review of the research on the effects of food promotion to children (Final report): Food Standards Agency. OFCOM (2004). Department of Media and Communications: Advertising Food to Children, viewed: June 2, 2009, from: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/tv/reports/food_ads/appendix2.pdf Organic Food: Understanding the Consumer and Increasing Sales (2003). Welsh Assembly Government, viewed: June 2, 2009. from: OFCOM (2004). Department of Media and Communications: Advertising Food to Children, viewed: June 2, 2009, from: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/tv/reports/food_ads/appendix2.pdf Advertising Food to Children: Understanding Promotion in the Context of Childrens Daily Lives, viewed: June, 2, 2009, from:http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/tv/reports/food_ads/appendix2.pdf Yanovitsky, I., and Bennett, C. (1999). Media attention, institutional response, and health behavior change. Communication Research, 26(4), 429-453. Appendices: Figure: 1 Figure: 2 Source: http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/Research%20Highlight%2034[7].pdf Figure: 3.a. - Mixed Messages: Slim Celebrities (Girls Aloud) endorsing high in sugar chocolate bars Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-545929/Now-Girls-Aloud-reveal-plans-make-big-screen-debut.html Figure: 3.b: Use of popular animated characters / celebrities for luring children Source: British Heart Foundatation: Food4Thought Campaign Policy Brief, Protecting Children From Unhealthy Food Marketing, viewed: June 2, 2009, from: Source: Food for Thought (2007). Kaiser Family Foundation: Television Food Advertising to Children in the United States, viewed: June 2, 2009, from: Read More