The Role of the Media in Childhood Obesity Since 1980 the proportion of overweight children ages 6-11 has tripled. Today about 10% of 2 to 5 year-olds and 15% of 6 to 19 year-olds are overweight. During the same period in which childhood obesity increased, there was also an increase in media targeted to children. Even children ages 6 and under spend as much time with screen media as they do playing outside. Much of the media targeted to children promote foods such as sweets, fizzy drinks and snacks. It is estimated that a child sees approximately 40,000 advertisements a year on TV alone. A few ways researchers have hypothesised that advertisements may contribute to childhood obesity are: * The food advertisements children are exposed to on TV influence them to make unhealthy food choices. * The cross-promotions between food products and popular TV and movie characters are encouraging children to buy and consume more high-calorie foods. Many researchers have suggested the food advertising children are exposed to through advertising may lead to unhealthy food choices and weight gain. As the number of channels available has risen considerably in the 1990s, opportunities to advertise directly to children expanded as well. The majority of ads targeted at children are for food including snacks (31%), cereal (23%) and fast food (27%). One study recorded approximately 11 food commercials per hour during children’s Saturday morning television programming, estimating that the average child viewer may be exposed to one food commercial every 5 minutes. The effects of food advertising on children ==... ... middle of paper ... ...show advertising should: not mislead children about the nutritional benefits of products; depict appropriate amounts of a product for the situation portrayed; refrain from portraying snacks as substitutes for meals; and show mealtime products in the context of a balanced diet. Children’s TV producers note that banning food advertising or underwriting would remove one of the most lucrative sources of funding for children’s television, particularly given the lack of public funds available for that purpose. Sweden, Norway and Finland do not permit commercial sponsorship of children’s programs and also do not advertise directly to children under the age of 12. The BBC decided to prohibit use of its cartoon characters in fast food ads and England is pushing for stricter guidelines for advertising aimed at children.
Did you know that 35% of the United States population is considered obese? Also, 66% of the population is considered overweight or more? (Saint Onge 2014) Even more frightening, in 2012 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than one third of children and adolescents in America were overweight or obese (CDC 2014). The media sources used investigates the political, scientific, historical, and cultural reasons behind the childhood obesity epidemic in America. Obesity is a rapid growing epidemic in America and these sources present the facts causing this epidemic. As well as how the children of the American society are being wrongly influenced by the media, especially advertisments. (Greenstreet 2008).
During the 1960's and 1970's mainly teenagers used marijuana. In the 1970's 11% said they used it daily, but recently, only about 5% use it daily. In 1975, 27% of people said they used it that previous month, and in 1978, that figure grew to 39%, but dr
This is an outrageous number that continues to increase. There is also an increasing trend
tripled to 12% and the government expects that figure to rise to 23% by the year
around the world how many kids that would add up to and how many end up killed because they
The media can impact people’s lives in many ways, whether it’s fashion, movies, literature, or hobbies. One of the impacts is how women view their bodies. Movie stars and models feel pressured to catch attention and to look good in order to have a good career in their respective field. People tend to judge how someone looks based on their body composition. The result of this “judgment” is that Hollywood is getting skinny. Since models and actresses serve as role models for people, people tend to want to look like them. The result of this seemingly harmless model of behavior is in an increase in eating disorders.
It is no wonder that many girls are anorexic: it is from the media. The media’s promotion of super-skinny models has lead many young girls to believe that they are nothing. This is not true, and yet the media promotes it. The image of being “thin and beautiful” pushes young women to diet, which, in their attempt to fit into the “mold” of the model, may lead to anorexia. Approximately one to three percent of women in the United States are anorexic (Cha 1). Clothing companies, such as Calvin Klein, are to blame for this growing epidemic.
What is the perfect body type? Throughout our adolescence ages into the adult hood stage many of young women struggle to answer this question. Our idea of what the perfect body type is ever changing however it is always influenced by the Medias perception of what the perfect body image should look like. We all idolize these images we see on television and in magazines and some of us would do anything to look just like them. This image forces us to have self esteem issues.These advertisements are damaging both our mental and physical state of being Many young girls who take extreme measures to live up to the Medias perception of the perfect body type are more likely to develop one of the many body image disorders. The average age a girl starts to diet is eight ("Media and Eating Disorders" 1). When a girl becomes obsessed with dieting and looking better, they can easily become anorexic or bulimic. 79% of teenage girls who vomit are dedicated readers of woman's magazines ("Media and Eating Disorders" 2). The Medias standard of perfection puts stress and pressure on young girls to become skinner. Eating disorders, excessive exercise, and depression are a result of the Medias influence on their self image. The media have negatively influenced the self image of young girls by forcing their unrealistic perception of what women should look like onto them .
The proportion of overweight children (six to eleven years old) climbed from twenty percent in the period from 1976 to 1980 to twenty-seven percent between 1988 and 1994. Approximately five million children and adolescents are now classified as obese. Obesity is a complex disorder involving an excessive amount of body fat. These statistics are proof every year the rate of obesity is increasing, making obesity one of the most common diseases in childhood. Today, many children are too focused on technology that they never consider going out or doing any physical activities. Children that have obesity try not to show that they are emotionally hurting because they do not want to be teased or bullied. Many people only focus on the physical repercussions
Ninety percent of the eating disorder cases occur in women ages twelve to twenty-five and many researchers believe the media is to blame. Though there is no single cause of an eating disorder, multiple studies cause an eating disorders to the media. With being vulnerable to the “thin ideal” in mass media, there is an increased risk of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. (“Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders”)
Between the years 2007 and 2009, there was “a 39 percent increase” (Vestal) in the number of
17-18 year olds the shift over the same interval was from 50 percent to 74
young, between the ages of 15 and 24. One group, 16 year olds, will be in 40% of
I think it was at its peak from about the age of twelve to roughly