The Impact of Fast Food Marketing on obesity - Research Proposal Example

The relationship between fast food advertising and obesity in children Introduction: A Descriptive Discussion of the Research Background of the Problem Obesity is something that needs to be seriously dealt with especially with regards children not getting the right amount of exercise that they need to be able to burn out the fats that they incur from the food that they eat and to assist them develop their muscles and their bones, as they grow older. However, living in an advanced society as today is it may not be that easy to compel with the needed exercise as mentioned herein. This is the reason why reminding the parents and the children of their need in becoming active in their early years of childhood is a necessity, making this project having a valid purpose for completion. (Coon, 1999, 32) On the other hand, television is one of today's major sources of entertainment. It could not be denied that this particular innovation of technology attracts numerous audiences that share a certain agreement that television is indeed a primary source of relaxation to the weary minds of many people in the society. In fact, "According to the International Herald Tribune, over a billion TV sets cover the globe, 50percent more than there were five years ago. In Japanese homes, TV sets outnumber flush toilets. Only about half of Mexican homes have a telephone, but just about every household has a TV. And many Americans have 25 or 30 channels to choose from. States the Tribune: "The cultural, political and economic effects of this global television revolution are enormous. ... Some worry that all that TV watching will make the rest of the world lose its appetite for reading, as has already happened to two generations of Americans." (As quoted by Greenwood, 1990, 43) Statement of the Problem Certainly, from this particular report, it could be observed that television has been taking over the other forms of entertainment ever since the time it was first introduced to the society. It could be noted too that as years pass, the simple innovation of a box like feature of a television continuous to involve in such a state that the said form of entertainment is able to meet the specific standard of relaxation for different types of audiences. There exists the large screen televisions, the flat screen TVs, the mobile televisions and so on and so forth (French, 2003, 42). From this point it could then be agreed upon by many that television fondness among the present generation towards the next generations is here to stay. In fact, 70% of the viewers of these particular themes are young children from the ages two towards the ages six, who are known to believe whatever they see in the television. They are not that much capable of setting apart the truth from make-believe. Hence, upon seeing the programs that were mentioned above, they are disposed of to beliefs that they are able to become like that of the characters that they see on television. Children as young as they are have no limitations as to what they are supposed to or not believe in (French, 2003, 14). This particular vulnerability among young viewers have been used as an advantage on the part of the advertisers [particularly that of fast food establishments]. According to Business Week magazine, the typical American is exposed to about 3,000 commercial messages each day. How do people react They tune out, either literally or mentally. At best, most people give advertisements only partial attention. (Greenwood, 1990, 43) To overcome viewer apathy, advertisements must grab our attention. Television commercials feature stunning visual effects. They strive to be entertaining, dramatic, funny, puzzling, or emotional. They feature celebrities and lovable cartoon characters. Many use sentiment to hold our attention, perhaps by focusing on cats, puppies, or babies. In this case, food presentations and "kiddie" values are used by advertisers to present the products that they are luring the young ones with. The truth between the relationship of television advertising and that of children obesity is that "Obesity among children is becoming a global epidemic and the problem must be tackled at its junk-food roots," reports The New York Times (Greenwood, 1990, 43). "According to the International Obesity Task Force, more than 25percent of 10-year-olds in a number of countries across the world are overweight or obese." Malta (33percent), Italy (29percent), and the United States (27percent) lead the list. One quarter of children between four and ten years of age in Chile, Mexico, and Peru are overweight or obese. In some places in Africa, more children are found to be overweight than underweight. Why are so many obese "The average [U.S.] child sees 10,000 food advertisements per year, 95percent of them for fast food, soft drinks, candy and sugared cereals-all high-profit and nutrition-poor products," answers The Washington Post. "Marketing campaigns link fast food and soft drinks to toys, games, collectibles, movies and popular personalities. ... Is it any wonder that children now consume about 15percent of their total calories from fast food, 10percent from sugar-sweetened soft drinks and only half the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables" (James-Jak, 2003, 15) The number of hours a day that preschoolers spend watching television is directly linked to an increase in body fat later in childhood, claims Dr.Munro Proctor of the Boston University School of Medicine. Dr.Proctor made a four-year study of 97 preschool children who, at the start, were between the ages of three and five. Parents monitored the hours of television viewing by their children daily, while measurements of skin folds throughout the body were taken annually. As reported in The Medical Post of Canada, "each child sat in front of the tube a mean of two hours daily. For every additional hour of TV watched per day, there was a 0.8mm [0.03in.] increase in triceps skinfold change and a 4.1mm [0.2in.] increase in change in the sum of skinfolds." Dr.Proctor concludes that television viewing leads to reduced physical activity and lower metabolic rates and exposes children to advertisements for high-calorie foods that are consumed while being inactive. (French, 2001, 14) The Presentations of Truth Based From the Researches: A Literature Review Television viewing is not wrong. Appreciating its benefits for entertainment and recreation is not a wrong act. However, by further reading this particular study, it could be observed how strong television could be upon the audiences. For this reason, it is simply rightful to consider the fact that there is a need in balancing the situation in social status in viewing television programs. The reduction of the hours spent by viewers in front of the television set is indeed one of the primary aims of the different programs set to balance the viewing practice. This fact is especially with children, however, with an imbalanced view of the situation, obesity could be a deep result of the said problem. To prove this, the diagrams that follow are presented to attest to the facts of the issue: (Source: http://sandiegohealth.org/child/obesity/childhood_overweight_statistics_fact_sheet.pdf) (Source: http://sandiegohealth.org/child/obesity/childhood_overweight_statistics_fact_sheet.pdf) Excerpts from the Study Explaining the Diagrams: PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN 80% of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight. 8 to 46% of all new cases of diabetes in pediatric clinics are type 2 diabetes in youth. High blood pressure and blood lipids Asthma, sleep apnea and chronic hypoxemia Orthopedic difficulties (hip and joint problems) Low self-esteem, anxiety and depression Increased likelihood of becoming overweight adults: 26-41% of overweight preschoolers will remain overweigh into adulthood; and approximately 50% - 70% of overweight 10-18 year olds will remain obese as adults. Childhood overweight is associated with increased mortality in adulthood. CAUSES OF CHILDHOOD OVERWEIGHT Sub-optimal Diet: 1% of children meet national recommendations for the "Food Guide Pyramid." Children ages 6 to 12 are consuming more than 3 servings of fats and sweets per day. Children are five times more likely to have a soda or fruit drink for a snack, than 100% fruit juice. Teens drink twice as much soda as milk. Soft drinks provide teens 13 to 18 years, with an average of 9% of their daily calories. Only about 1/3 of teens eat the recommended number of servings of vegetables; less than 15% eat the recommended amount of fruit.6 Physical Inactivity: Over one fourth of children report watching four or more hours of television per day. The percentage of students who attended a daily physical education class dropped from 42% in 1991 to 27% in 1997. Children, ages 2-18, use media, such as television, music, videos, and computers, for an average of 5 hours and 29 minutes/ day. (Source: http://sandiegohealth.org/child/obesity/childhood_overweight_statistics_fact_sheet.pdf) From the outlined presentation of fact sheets regarding children's obesity and the possible effects of television viewing on their metabolism rate functions, it could be noted that children being inactive because of television viewing have been noted to have problems with regards obesity. Moreover, the advertisements with regards the fast food products are becoming much appealing to the eyes of the young ones; hence, they become more interested in eating fast food products than that of the recommended nutritional dietary allowance for their age. Most likely, the situation is linked between the importance of media balance as per by the parents as television viewing actually impacts the life of their children as well as the nutritional practices of their young ones. MOST people think that advertising does not really affect their decisions. They think they ignore it and make up their own minds. Money-wise business executives know better. Throughout the world, these men hang their fortunes on tremendous advertising budgets. They build wants and sway our thinking in ways that we may not even realize. Advertising messages strike our eyes and ears from all directions-from newspapers, magazines, television, radio, billboards, buses, subways, taxicabs, river barges, T-shirts, and from other sources too numerous to mention. It has been estimated that Americans encounter as many as 1,600 advertising messages a day. A growing number of nutritionists are accusing fast-food companies of conducting "a blitzkrieg that perverts children's eating habits and sets them on a path to obesity," states an article published in Tokyo's IHT Asahi Shimbun newspaper (Romero-Corral, et al., 1999, 43). "Television remains the most powerful medium for selling to children," says the report, but in addition, food companies are "finding every imaginable way to put their names in front of children." Movies, games, Internet sites, arithmetic books, and a wide array of dolls and toys all bear food-company advertising. Why advertise to children "It's the largest market there is," states Texas A&M marketing professor James McNeal (Greenwood, 1990, 16) . However, Professor Walter Willet of the Harvard School of Public Health says: "The vast majority of what they sell is junk. How often do you see fruits and vegetables marketed"(Greenwood, 1990, 19) This is also true in a worldwide health report presentations. China "will have 200million people who are dangerously overweight within the next 10 years," says The Guardian of London. Fast-food outlets "have become ubiquitous in many cities-a rising middle class is doing less physical exercise, driving more, and spending more time motionless in front of televisions, computers and video games." (Romero-Corral, 1999, 13) The number of children considered obese is increasing by 8percent every year, and in Shanghai more than 15percent of primary school children are already obese. Children are changing. An increase in obesity by as much as 50 percent has occurred among American youngsters in the past twenty years, according to a recent report. Harvard's Dr. J. Mayer blames this on high calorie food and on "a drastic decrease in spontaneous physical activity" due to watching television. Mental changes are equally pronounced. Today some high school students study what their parents learned in college; elementary grade students are getting material once used in higher grades (Norris, 2005, 43). A 1958 U.N. report said that young people's interests were changing so fast that those about seven years apart in age were as removed in their thinking as two generations once were. However, by the mid-sixties, a current Guardian review notes, "there were generation-gaps between young people two or three years apart in age." Is it any wonder that a recent government report says 10 to 12 percent of American children need regular mental health treatment (Norris, 2005, 87) In many lands, parents lament that their children seldom eat with them, often preferring fast-food meals. But France may very well be an exception. According to the French newspaper La Croix, a recent study revealed that 84 percent of families in France ate their evening meal together. In fact, the study found that 95 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds felt that the atmosphere of family meals was positive. Experts emphasize the importance of eating meals together regularly as a family. Notes Dr.Franois Baudier, of the French Center for Health Education: "The meal is not just a time to eat but especially a time to share thoughts." (Littner, 1980, 41) Dr.W.Gifford-Jones, writing in The Globe and Mail of Toronto, Canada, notes with some concern that many North American children suffer from obesity. Why The doctor blames consumption of fatty fast foods and insufficient exercise, remarking: "Children do not burn up calories when they are watching TV and munching on potato chips." (Levine, 2003, 14) Children, the doctor observes, may pay a high price for their obesity with a variety of potentially serious health disorders. Further, obese preschoolers have a 25-percent chance of becoming obese adults, while those who remain obese into their teen years have a 75-percent chance of facing a lifetime of obesity. He asserts that "a fat child is a sick child," concluding: "It is a form of child abuse to allow young children to develop this disease because of sheer neglect." (Levine, 2003, 19) Meanwhile, the Greek government is producing TV commercials to educate the population about the dangers of smoking and overeating. "Fatness shortens life," one commercial emphasizes (Norris, 2005, 16). Dr. Spyros Doxiades, the Minister of Social Services and who began the health education campaign, said: "Greeks have to be told that many of their traditional habits are bad for their health." He added: "Greeks are heavier than they should be because they have traditionally associated obesity with health. ... Greek mothers stuff their already overweight children and are proud of their kids' fatness and appetite because they think this spells health." (Norris, 2005, 19-20) The Minister of Social Services began the health education campaign after a survey revealed that Greeks, particularly women and children, were between 12 and 16 pounds (5.4 and 7.3 kg) heavier than the average in the United States and Europe. Also, a survey shows that nearly half of adult Greeks interviewed were disbelieving or ignorant of the dangers of smoking (Romero-Corral, 1999, 18). According to a government health researcher, 19 out of every 100 Greek men suffer premature death from ailments related to this habit. According to the newspaper The Weekend Australian, Dr. Philip Harvey, a public-health nutritionist, recently announced that "Australian children are getting fatter and they're getting fatter fast." (Romero-Corral, 1999, 41) His concern is based on a recent study showing that the proportion of overweight children in Australia has doubled in the last ten years. About 10 percent of children between the ages of 9 and 15 need medical treatment because of their weight problem. Dr. Harvey believes that the percentage of overweight children could double again in the next ten years. As is the case with adults, lack of exercise is the primary cause for the increase in obesity in children, notes the newspaper, and high-fat diets are also a factor. (Norris, 2005, 16) Summary and Conclusion From the research procedures presented herein and the results gathered from the survey questionnaires handed to several respondents, it could be noted that television viewing [particularly that of advertisement of fast foods] influence the preferences of the viewers in a different process basing from their demographic divisions. It is indeed necessary then for parents to attend to the needs of their children especially in terms of time and attention given to them to lessen the hours that they spend in front of their televisions. By doing so, they are also reducing the risks by which their children's health are subjected to jeopardy just because of watching television ads that encourage them to eat more of the "junks" than that of the nutritious ones. Most likely, the immense effort of the parent in making the changes that are necessary to be able to reach out to their children's needs would pay so much in this situation. References: Coon, Dennis. (1999). Behavioral development and Psychology. Prentice Hall. EA Finkelstein, IC Fiebelkorn, G Wang. 2003. National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: how much, and who's paying. Health Affairs. http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w3.219v1/DC1. (November 19, 2008). French, S.A., Lin, B.H., & Guthrie, J.F. (2003). National trend in soft drink consumption among children and adolescents age 6 to 17 years: Prevalence, amounts, and sources, 1977/1978 to 1994/1998. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103, 1326-1331. 5 Center for Science. French, S.A., Jeffery, R.W., Story, M., et al. (2001). Pricing and promotion effects on low-fat vending snack purchases: The CHIPS Study. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 112-7. Greenwood. (1990). Tube of Plenty-The Evolution of American Television. Prentice Hall. James-Jak D. (2003) Implicating sugar-sweetened soda in the aetiology of childhood obesity. New Orleans, LA, June 2003. American Diabetes Association Presentation (Abstract 302-OR). Levine, A.S., Kotz, C.M., & Gosnell, B.A. (2003). Sugars and fats: The neurobiology of preference. Journal of Nutrition, 133, 831S-834S. Littner, Ner. (1980). Television viewing and its effects, if any, on children. Television Information Office. Norris SL, Zhang X, Avenell A, Gregg E, Schmid CH, Lau J (2005). "Pharmacotherapy for weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus". Cochrane database of systematic reviews. http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004096.html. (November 19, 2008). Romero-Corral A, Montori VM, Somers VK, Korinek J, Thomas RJ, Allison TG, Mookadam F, Lopez-Jimenez F. (1999). Association of bodyweight with total mortality and with cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease: a systematic review of cohort studies. http://www.greenjournal.org/cgi/reprint/108/5/1293-b. (November 19, 2008) Scheuer, Jeffrey. (1999). The Sound Bite Society: Television and the American Mind. Four Walls Eight Windows. Van Evra, Judith. (1997). Television and Child Development. Lea; 2nd edition. Read More