Marketing of Junk Foods Promotes Childhood Obesity, Essay Example

According to this article the author argued that junk food contributes to a number of healthcare problems in the society including increase of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure as well as high levels of stroke medical problems among adults and children in the United States (Mercola, 2011).    Furthermore, the author posits that food and beverage companies in the United States spend around two billion dollars annually towards marketing of unhealthy junk foods to kids in various regions in the country (Mercola, 2011).    Due to this, the majority of children in the United States usually recognize major fast food companies in the country such as McDonald (Mercola, 2011).    Parents also usually raise their children mainly through fast food such as hamburgers, French fries, and chicken fingers among many other fast food varieties.

The author also points out that the majority of fast-food companies in the United States mostly have kids’ menu options such as pizza, macaroni and cheese (Mercola, 2011).   Psychologically, children will prefer these foods thus this is one of the fast food firm’s strategy to attract children towards their food products and services (Mercola, 2011).   The fast food firms also manufactured their food to taste good in order attract children.

Despite this, it is also true from the author argument that ninety-eight percent of fast food advertisements are usually being viewed by children and expose products that are high in fat, sugar or sodium and also low in fiber (Mercola, 2011).

Therefore, the key question that the author is addressing is how to reduce marketing of junk foods in the society especially those directed towards children and kids (Mercola, 2011).   In that sense, the most important information in this article is that junk food contributes to the high increase in obesity and other health care problems in the society.

The major assumptions in this article is that kids who are exposed to junk foods especially via advertisements learn to recognize and prefer these foods over healthier food choices even later in life thus the best time to shape kids eating habits is while they are still young (Mercola, 2011).   This calls for the provision of policies and procedures that will discourage marketing of junk foods to kids in the society.

References

Mercola, D. (2011). Stop Junk Food Marketing to Kids. Natural Health Website.

Retrieved from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/24/stop-junk-food-marketing-to-kids.aspx