Food is everywhere, like it is literally everywhere. From
your fridge to your TV or social media, food is always advertised. You might
say that there is nothing wrong with food, however it is how it is being advertised
and represented by media and society. Especially, advertisements that shows
food products that are “zero calories”, or “nonfat” are just encouraging people
to consume more of their product for “no or less” consequences like the person’s
calorie intake or worrying about gaining weight. These advertisements lead to
more food consumption since people are likely to be caught in the mentality to
switching and buying and consuming these kinds of products. In addition, in the
previous blog post, pills and drugs were focused on, especially the ones that
help people lose weight or pills that reduces heartburn pain, which shows that
they are encouraging people to eat as much as they can.
Even though these pills actually work, the risks that it brings
to people such as obesity can affect their lives in a long run. This is similar
to the zero calories and nonfat products; people will think that it is fine,
and yes, it is if they only consume one or two products in a week or so, but
people will consume more because of that mentality shaped by the media. People
do not think the side effects of the “zero calorie” products. For example,
sugar-free zero or low calories carbonated drinks. These drinks may not have
sugar but they have alternative sweeteners can will still contribute to weight
gain, which leads to obesity and other health related problems.
In all honesty, I was sucked in to this “zero calorie” mentality
by drinking diet sodas and eating low calorie food. At first, I noticed that I was
consuming more, but then I disciplined myself and controlled the amount of consumption
I had with these kind of products.
Hello! I liked how you discussed this idea of "zero calories" which eventually led to more consumption. In addition, this consumption is unnecessary and often excess. It's crazy to think how people's main reason to eat a certain food would greatly depend on the taste, and people often overeat because they want to continuously taste the food, mindlessly consuming excess food. At one point in my life, I was consuming two cans of soda a day and noticed how heavy and bloated I felt. I tried to find a reason as to why I needed two cans of soda a day and realized I didn't. I drank these two cans of soda a day purely for the taste. People often forget that what we put in our body will greatly affect our health, the way we look, and the way we feel.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I was sucked into drinking diet coke because I thought it was better for me and I like drinking pop. As I got older and started learning more about diets and foods to look out for, I learned how bad these "zero sugar" products are. For example, aspartame that is the sweetener in diet pop is said to be a carcinogen (but thats what I heard, so I'm not sure... I also didn't do the research). These sugar substitutes in people's favorite foods make people think they are eating healthier, but in reality, if people want to be healthier, they should focus on eating less processed foods and more raw fruits and vegetables. Even though its hard, I wish people understood that even the zero sugar and low calorie foods still aren't good for them, but its okay in moderation! Treat yourself!
ReplyDelete