Teach Your Children The Hidden Meanings Behind Junk Food Advertisements

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Originally published September 22 2008

 

Teach Your Children the Hidden Meanings Behind Junk Food

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by Roosevelt Pitt

 

 

(NaturalNews) As parents, we're our children's first line of defense

against an array of negative influences. Constant barrages of

unsavory images promoting foods of little or no nutritious value are

common place. The sky rains with products of expediency but offers

little hope for finding products that promote a better state of mind

or body. As guardians we do our best to erect shields to block and

deflect the poisonous arrows of harmful advertising. The reason we

often fail is simply because we underestimate the power advertising

wields. Or because we don't really understand how advertising works.

Plainly speaking, as adults we find ourselves at times swirling in

the bravado of false promises these products spew.

 

The key to combating this successfully, I believe, is to first know

that the word, " advertisement or advertise " is derived from the

French word " avertissement " which means warning or caution. I

recommend we make this the first response when watching commercials

of any kind. If we consistently acted on the side of caution, I'm

sure certain foods could be avoided all together.

 

Second, children are constantly exposed to advertising messages

designed to make them believe they can't live without a certain

product. Hence the influential power of the medium. But how does it

work? Understand that we purchase based on emotions. How we feel

about a product determines if we will buy it or not. It all begins

with what advertisers have coined as the think-feel-do model of

message effects, which presumes that we approach a purchase situation

using a sequence of responses. In other words, we think about

something, then we form an opinion or attitude about it (feel) and

finally we take action and try it or buy it (do). Advertising helps

shape our attitude favorably about a product to entice us to buy. A

simple process it seems, but so difficult to master as a consumer.

 

I believe our biggest problem as consumers is that we bypass the

thinking part and dive head first into the feel part of decision

making. That is always a mistake. Worse, we pass this behavior to our

children. In no way am I concluding that all advertising is bad. But

once we take to heart that the manipulations of target marketing can

increase the likelihood of obesity, poor nutrition, eating disorders,

cigarette and alcohol use in children and adolescents, then perhaps

we will improve our knowledge and acquire tools to use to offset the

effects. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely avoid

advertising targeted to children, but there are some things you can

do to reduce the effects:

 

1. Limit television and Internet use to no more than two hours a day

each.

 

2. Teach your children how to interpret advertising messages. Explain

to older children the purpose of advertising and the mind tricks they

use in their messages.

 

3. Instill values in your children consistently. Help build their

sense of self and self esteem so that they understand that material

things will not make them better people. Involve your children in

extracurricular activities to keep them active and stimulated. Work

with your children to make sure they achieve a healthy body image

despite what the media culture considers attractive.

 

4. Lastly, but I will dare say the most important -- practice what

you preach. Mr. Douglas Castle, CIOF Director of Strategic Planning,

once shared that a parent's credibility is worthless if not followed

by consistent action.

 

The effective way to handle the influence of advertisements is to

live the healthy example you wish your children to practice. Build a

pattern of behavior that is consistent with what you want for your

child. In fact we should be flesh and blood advertisements to our

children. Are they not exposed to us more than television? If not,

then that is where the true problem lies.

 

Reference:

 

1. Steps to reduce advertising effects taken from (www.ehow.com) .

 

Visit (http://www.ciofoundation.org/) for more information concerning

childhood obesity.

 

 

About the author

Roosevelt Pitt, Jr. is a veteran author of over five books and

graphic novels. He is also the author and co-creator of Food

Adventures with Charles the Chef, a book created to help children

develop good eating habits early. For additional information please

visit www.charlesthechef.com or email Roosevelt at

amaraentertainmennt

 

 

 

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