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Jillian Meade
Bret Zawilski
RC 2001
29 October 2015
Obesity, Is it a real issue or not?
We hear it being said over and over again in this day and age; America is becoming
obese. Many people often wonder what exactly categorizes an individual as obese. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Weight that is higher than what is considered as
a healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese. Body Mass Index, or
BMI, is used as a screening tool for overweight or obesity (CDC). When people think about the
causes of obesity they often pinpoint laziness, or a lack of knowledge in regards to proper
nutrition. In most cases those factors are true however, there are other factors to consider. What if
advertisements effected how we view foods or were possibly responsible for fueling our
cravings? According to a research report done by the Department of Psychology, and Kissileff
Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at the University of Liverpool, Many
correlational studies have demonstrated an association between the duration of TV viewing and
levels of overweight and obesity in both children and adolescents (Halford 221).
There are two main arguments to be made when it comes to the issue of advertising and
how it affects obesity. When researching this theory there is a significant amount of evidence in
favor of advertisements affecting food intake, and food choice. In the study mentioned earlier by
the University of Liverpool they have found,

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T.V. may not just promote sedentary behavior. There is evidence that it also stimulates
food intake. TV viewing is associated with overconsumption in girls, specically of snack foods.
During programs scheduled for children over two consecutive weekends, 37% of the adverts on
TV channels in the USA and 49% on the UK TV channels were for food. The majority of
advertised products were snack foods, followed by breakfast cereals and then fast food outlets.
Also Lewis and Hill (1998) found that half of the advertisements on British television were for
food items (Halford 221).
It is often difficult for young adults to identify when advertisers are using persuasive
tactics. Therefore on numerous occasions television ads have effected childrens food choices
without their knowledge. They do so by using several different tactics. These include using
stronger branding, making food images smaller often times because they are not necessarily
focused on the food but instead premiums such as give away, and movie tie ins. It is also
obvious with certain words choices. For example in advertisements aimed at young kids words
such as toys, movies or movie characters are used as appose to food taste, portion size, and price
(Johnson 1).
Liverpool University also discovered, Participants also ate more of both the sweet foods
(high and low in fat) and of the high-fat savory food after exposure to the food ads (Halford
222). According to a 2008 YTV Kids and Tweens Report, kids influence 76% of software
purchases, 98% of family entertainment purchases, and a 98% when it comes to choosing where
to go for casual family dinner (Poulton). This is a prime example of why advertisers chose to
target children specifically. In the United States alone, advertising companies spent over $17
billion in 2009 (Poulton). Thousands are employed to big name food advertising companies with

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jobs ranging from research to psychologists, whose job is to compile knowledge on childrens
developmental, and emotional needs.
Advertising companies have even taken it as far as reaching their hands into the
education system. For example Pizza Hut has begun the incentive program, Book It! This
programs allows children to receive certificates for a free pizza, for achieving a monthly reading
goal. (Poulton). Not to mention the exclusive deals and money spent with fast food or soda
companies to offer their products in schools. According to the 2008 YTV Kids and Tweens
Report, Budget shortfalls are forcing school boards to allow corporations access to students in
exchange for badly needed cash, computers and educational materials (Poulton).
When examining the argument made against this theory it comes down to one thing,
what specifically defines obesity? As mentioned before, obesity is measured by ones Body Mass
Index or BMI. This measurement takes an individuals height and weight and divides the two.
However, Body Mass Index according to Medical New Today, Does not take into account
muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, and racial and sex differences (Nordqvist
2). Therefore certain athletes like offensive linemen, or body builders who typically carry more
muscle mass are often considered obese. Medical News Today gives the example, A 6ft-tall
Olympic 100 meter sprinter weighing 90kg (200lbs) may have the same BMI (26) as a couch
potato of the same height and weight. A BMI calculation would class both of them as
overweight (Nordqvist 2). Which raises the question, how can we be sure that the obesity
statistics are correct if the tool used to measure BMI has been proven inaccurate? This
inaccuracy can also be taken into consideration when asking the question, if we cannot define the
issue of rising obesity rates, can we even make the correlation between food advertising and
obesity rise?

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Some may answer no to both off those questions. In the meantime there has been a large
health momentum shift according to Alix Partners. The company states, Nearly all, or 92%, of
the consumers in our survey said eating healthfully is somewhat important or very important to
them (Garfield). They have also discovered that, This trend shows no sign of slowing: 44% of
respondents said they plan to spend more on health-and-wellness-oriented food and beverage
products over the next 12 months compared with just 2% who reported plans to spend less
(Garfield). Companies such as General Mills are choosing to eliminate artificial flavors as well
as colors. Trix, will now feature ingredients like fruit and vegetable juices and spice extracts
such as turmeric and paprika to create the red, yellow, orange, and purple hues (Boscamp).
Another factor to consider is the fact that food companies have been releasing new programs
supporting healthier food choices. The food company Campbells has also taken the pledge to
transition into healthier habits. According to the company, It also will reduce the amount of
high-fructose corn syrup it uses in its products, further simplify its recipes, and try to incorporate
more organic ingredients (Boscamp). Kraft Food is also following close behind by
Announcing in April that the product is going au naturel, using spices like paprika, annatto, and
turmeric to simulate the color instead of artificial preservatives and synthetic colors (Boscamp).
In my opinion I do not believe we can fully attribute advertisements to the obesity in
America. I do believe America has an obesity problem however due to the inaccuracy with the
BMI tool, I do not believe the problem is as severe. Most of the numbers that contribute to the
theory of extreme obesity in America take into account athletes or individuals whose BMIs are
misrepresented. While there is a significant amount of data suggesting that advertisements do
have effects on obesity as well as food choice, most of the studies being conducted only include
young adolescents in their research. It has become quite obvious that advertisers have targeted

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young adults specifically over any other age group. Due to the fact that not all sample groups are
being included in these claims I do not believe this correlation can be made accurately. For
example in the studies completed by the University of Liverpool the participants ranged from
nine to eleven years old. There was a portion of evidence surrounding obesity in adults however,
a significant amount of the supporting research studies are done on young teens and children.
There has also been an extreme shift in mind set when it comes to selecting healthier
options. People have made the dedication to live healthier lifestyles and food companies are
following right behind them. Due to healthier options being at such high demand, food
companies have acted quickly in adjusting ingredients in their products in order to meet the
needs of their consumers. Forty Four percent of consumers have stated they are even willing to
pay more for healthier foods (Garfield).
In conclusion I do agree that America is suffering from an obesity problem, the severity
however is unclear due to inaccurate ways of measuring data. While there was a significant
amount of statistical data making the correlation between advertising and the ways it affects food
choices, most of the studies being conducted only took into consideration young adolescents. Not
to mention the momentum health swing is affecting both consumers and producers. Therefore the
only correlation that can be made is that young adolescents exposed to food advertising tend to
be more susceptible to obesity.