Are we on auto- pilot?

I’m beginning to wonder if we have become a brainwashed culture that feed our bodies with incredible amounts of unhealthy food because it is pushed on us through commercialism and value marketing; and in that process have we become numb to our ability to make a conscious decision when it comes to our food choices? 

   Just watching TV- we are bombarded with numerous commercials from food companies, trying to convince us to buy and consume  their particular product; which often tends to be calorie dense and/or void of  nutritional value.   A few examples of this  as seen in recent commercials include; a cheeseburger topped with steak and cheese, a double stuffed steak and cheese sub with twice as much steak and cheese, an extra thick pizza with an additional layer of cheese and toppings, as well as fried cheesecake bites.  As if these foods in their original form are not laiden with enough nutrient lacking calories- now we have figured out how to make them even more unhealthy!  This is the new way of supersizing so that we as consumers, can get more value for our money.  The problem is that wetend to view”supersizing” as a real bargain but often forget that it also adds extra calories; so now you can get a day’s worth of calories in one meal!  

With all of that being said, I worry that as Americans; in our belief that bigger is better- will we someday simply succumb to our obesity and think that that too is okay?  Will we  become complacent and accept the major health problems related to carrying excess body weight- increasing our chances of early death due to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, to name a few?  It is a sad truth, but over 60% of our population is overweight and bordering on the edge of obesity.  According to The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention- obesity is regarded as the second most important medical and public health problem.  About 365,000 deaths each year can be traced to obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet.  Only smoking exceeds obesity in its contribution to early (yet preventable) death.   

I think it’s worth considering this issue in relation to commercialism and value marketing. When companies are trying to sell us their product; that has a whole days worth of calories packed into one meal- do you think they  really care about keeping you healthy or, are they trying to increase their profits? In addition to learning to recognize commercialism and its attempt to get us to consume, we must also learn to becoming more in tune  with the true needs of the body when it comes to nutrition.  Instead of automatically going for the new double stuffed whatever, take the time to consider if it something that the body truly needs.  By doing this, you allow yourself a moment to recognize your true nutritional needs instead of thoughtlessly following along with what some company is trying to sell you.

In the new year, as you set up your weight- loss goals - keep in mind the role of commercialism and value marketing and how they can influence your decision when it comes to what you’re ultimately going to eat.  And when you feel like you “need” a particular food, take the time to stop to ask yourself if your body REALLY needs it, or has the company’s convincing advertising lured you to buy yet again. By taking a moment to connect with the true needs of you body- you’ll be one step closer to making healthy nutrition a life-long reality versus a yearly new year’s resolution. 

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 6th, 2008 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.