How does the media affect your choices?

Advertising has become an integral part of modern consumer culture, and nothing is more heavily advertised than the food we eat. Advertisements for sugary drinks, junk food, and fast food dominate the airwaves and social media feeds. Many social media influencers use their platforms to promote unhealthy food products, working with companies that pay high versus those with quality products or even having any personal nutritional expertise. This is threatening not only for adults but even more-so for children and teens. Not only have televisions become commonplace regardless of socioeconomic status, but so have computers, smart phones and social media. 

This is absolutely going to influence the behavior of children across our nation. 

It is up to us as adults to learn how to decipher fact from marketing and see advertisements and media for what they truly are. Then, we must teach our kids. Because this influence goes beyond the individual, whether us or our children. Family and friends help kids and teens choose what to eat, so family and peer structure have to be strong enough to withstand bold marketing strategies that make unhealthier foods look like they are necessary for daily joy. 

At a logical level we may know that is B.S., but advertising is powerful- it gets to the psychological, which is why we fall for it time after time. 

While advertising and social media definitely influences the health of our food choices, it's important to remember that we ultimately hold the power to make decisions that benefit our health. With greater awareness of the impact of advertising and social media on our food choices, we can take control of what we eat and strive to make healthier choices. Sometimes that means ignoring the big “HEART HEALTHY” sticker on a box of cereal and looking closer at the nutritional label and comparing that to your personal daily needs and seeing if it actually aligns. 

Together, we can make informed decisions about our health in a culture thats saturated with advertising and social media.