An Alternative to Exercise Advertisement

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An Alternative to Exercise Advertisement

Over the recent years advertisements, for healthier lifestyle, have expanded significantly. The objective of health advertisement is to persuade Americans to choose a healthier lifestyle. From television, internet ads and fitness clubs, the advertisement industry promotes anything from exercise videos to obtaining the perfect body image. Nowadays, most Americans believe advertisements promoting exercise can completely change the personal appearance, and make the individual feel better. Although, advertisements surrounding physical activity persuade an individual to pursue a healthier lifestyle, advertisement also increase individuals to question their own body image. Recent studies suggest that advertisement based solely on appearance can cause a harmful effect on both males and females. The idea of promoting a message of becoming physically fit can lead people to become unsatisfied with their appearance. Therefore, the research supports a claim that exercise advertisements should be changed where the advertisements are not base on appearance and instead base on becoming healthier.

According to Rynes (1991) signaling theory, when individuals do not have enough information about a product or joining an organization, individuals base their decision on other individuals reviews (Cunningham &Woods, 2011). Moreover, individuals also base their decision on the form of advertisement provided on the product. For example, information can be provided through brochures, commercials, or flyers. In fitness clubs forms of advertisement is through promoting wellness and health, or focus on appearance. The signaling theory states that through promoting wellness and health, or focus on appearance in...

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...eve the same results.

The alternative is to focus more on health-based advertisements that motivate individuals to exercise (Berry & Howe, 2004). Not only will individuals receive information about health, consumers will also receive exercises that most people can accomplish. This will help the consumer not focus on the stereotype perfect body image, but focus more on the consumer bettering their health.

More research should be done to focus on how exercise promotion based solely on body image affects individuals. Providing more research will help support the claim of how appearance based ads harm individuals motivation to exercise. Furthermore, new research can come up with better ways to promote exercise through health-based advertisement. Not only would it encourage Americans to become healthy and active, but also encourage other people around the world.

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