Image From the 20th Century, Research Paper Example

A Campaign against the Onset of American Obesity

During the last part of the war years, America has experienced a distinct change in the pattern of producing their food resources. Industrialization and commercialism has dramatically contributed to the increase of food sources produced in the market making it easier for the people to get access on the nourishment they needed. However, a part of this particular food phenomena was the production of easy to prepare and ready-to-eat meals which are specifically prepared and processed along with preservatives and high counts of unsaturated fat (Breslow, 116). People, being involved in more work as they embrace their new found freedom for earning money had lesser time dedicated to food preparation, hence making it a point that their choice be directed consuming these processed meals. Another advancement that defined the American society during the onset of the 20^th century was the development of new inventions that made life easier such as machines and easy-to-operate home appliances that provided people a better option of completing everyday chores (Fumento, 126).

Although it may have seemed that life was its best during the time, one undeniable result has affected the American people, the onset of obesity. People who had less time exercising due to the choice of ‘relaxation’ provided by the new inventions and people who chose to eat easy-to-prepare meals have become specifically accustomed to the new culture of living. This largely affected their weight and their physical attributes. The government and the healthcare agencies knew they had to do something as such case among individuals posted more problems that would cost higher amount of wasted money on healthcare services that are to be dedicated to obese individuals. To make sure that the message reaches the people, an advertising campaign has been introduced to the society. Utilizing images like the one posted herein, the government and the healthcare agencies hoped to bring the people into realizing the actual situation they were in.

Before 1851, advertising scarcely existed. As a commercial form, it was generally regarded as confession of weakness, a rather shabby last resort. Most advertising was limited to small newspaper advertisements, cheap handbills and posters. After midcentury, however, soap manufacturers began to pioneer the use of pictorial advertising as a central part of business policy (McClintock, 210). At the onset of advertising revolution, it has become evident that the campaign for such issues as obesity has become viral as well. People became conscious about their figures as the development of new media was introduced to the society. The campaign created a new culture towards food and towards being healthy, a matter that retains strongly recognized at present. To this, Rampley (2009) notes, …no longer a quality of individuals, culture consisted of the outcomes of such cultivation: artworks, poems, philosophical texts, literature and so forth (6). True to its sense, the effectiveness of the campaign towards the fight against obesity continues today, however, due to the contradicting attitude that people and food manufacturers have on the issue of eating-culture, the number of obese members in the American society continues to rise today. Hence, as a result, the campaign towards a better and healthier life continues as well in forms of research and media advertising.

References

Berger, J. (1977). Ways of Seeing. British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books.

McClintock, A. (1996). Imperial Leather: Race, Gender and Sexuality in the Colonial Context. Soap and Commodity Spectacle. Routledge Publishing Inc.

Rampley, M. (2009). Exploring Visual Culture: Definitions, Concepts, Contexts. Edinburgh University Press.

Image Source: http://www.roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/advertising/. (Retrieved on February 11, 2014).

Breslow L (September 1952). “Public Health Aspects of Weight Control”. Am J Public Health Nations Health 42 (9): 1116–20.

Fumento, Michael (1997). The Fat of the Land: Our Health Crisis and How Overweight Americans Can Help Themselves. Penguin (Non-Classics). p. 126.

Sobal J, Stunkard AJ (March 1989). “Socioeconomic status and obesity: A review of the literature”. Psychol Bull 105 (2): 260–75.

Yach D, Stuckler D, Brownell KD (January 2006). “Epidemiologic and economic consequences of the global epidemics of obesity and diabetes“. Nat. Med. 12 (1): 62–6.