Food branding has now become a leading cause of childhood obesity. Many parents have started to place warnings on the packaging and advertising of food items, but these companies are not taking heed. It can affect their children for the rest of their lives. This article outlines the important impacts of food branding on children’s health and well-being. It discusses how this has been seen in kids who are obese or with eating disorders, as well as those who feel pressured into dieting or becoming too active because they feel they should be “bigger”.

Here are the impacts:

1.  Food branding can make a child’s body look more attractive, contributing to addiction and eating disorders.
2.  Children who are obese or have an eating disorder are more likely to lose their friends because they dress differently than other children. Children who are overweight have more friends than those who are not. It also affects the child’s parents as sometimes the entire family is affected by it. Food branding can isolate different types of people all at once, which is sometimes unavoidable for kids.
3. Dieting can be very hard for children of any age, but advertising makes food seem necessary for all kids to live on for the rest of their lives. If someone is getting a child to eat food that has been branded as a healthy snack, then they are likely going to get them to start dieting – making it look like it’s the right thing to do.
4. According to a study by The University of Texas in Austin, food branding shows images of teenagers and young adults who are thinner than the average person. These thin bodies are being used as role models for many young girls who feel pressure from their peers and family members. Children will try everything short of starving themselves to get these roles as thin bodies for the rest of their lives.
5. The food advertising industry is reminding children that they are required to be bigger because there is a link between physical strength and success. Children start to believe they won’t succeed in life if they are not big enough. It also ties in with the previous statement about the thin models used as role models for young girls trying to gain weight from their peers and family members.
6. It’s sometimes hard for children to realize that their favourite cartoon characters do not have the same personal habits, but food branding can sometimes make it seem like this is what normal people do.
7. Food branding causes children to feel entitled, and they may feel like they are “owed” the food being advertised. Children should know, however, that they are entitled to eat all kinds of food, not just those branded with famous names.
8. Food branding can encourage kids to believe they are getting an exclusive offer or deal. It is also known as a “bait and switch” in marketing terms, and it can make them feel like they will be missing out if they don’t buy one of these products immediately.
9. Children who are overweight or have an eating disorder can feel depressed or have low self-esteem. It is due to their weight, but in some cases, it will be because of the type of food they are pressured to eat. When someone eats a bag of chips or other fatty foods, it can not only make them fatter, but it can also make them feel fatter as well. That is why if there is a certain food that a child won’t eat, then it should never be catered to that child specifically. They need to learn to live with their choices rather than drowning themselves in something that could potentially harm their health later on in life.
10. Children do not understand the effects of food branding, which causes them not to realize that it’s all in their best interest not to dye their hair or put on makeup. All these things one can do because they love it, but this is the same thing that the food industry is telling children that if they don’t do it, then they will not be good enough.
11. Some parents are completely unaware that food branding affects their kids. That is why they will allow their kids to eat whatever they want, but parents should always monitor what their children are eating or trying to eat to ensure it is healthy for them. Food branding can cause the world to become too bright for the child if they are not given soft food that portrays a certain type of lifestyle.
12. Television advertising is one of the biggest reasons for eating disorders, and this is because it shows people with flawless skin and perfect bodies, which kids will now go out to try and achieve. Children with eating disorders are often exposed to advertisements very young, so they compare themselves to these high-profile models, which causes them to feel inadequate or inferior.
13. The food industry spends a lot of money on advertising because it helps keep sales high. That is why even if a child doesn’t like the taste of something, they will still want to eat it. They might feel unloved because they don’t have any other food that they can eat.
14. Children are taught that the advertised foods and images are good for them. It is false, but it has led to many more children wanting to be thin, which will cause them to continue eating fast food and other unhealthy items until their bodies reject this type of food and then there is nothing you can do for them.
15. Many food branding focuses on the idea that one diet product is better than another. It causes children to think that their favourite item isn’t good enough for them and they need to try something else instead.
16. Children are used to seeing the same images repeatedly, so sometimes they can’t even tell what the brand looks like without seeing it on television or in an advertisement.

CONCLUSION:

The sad thing is that advertising has not gone away, which means that children will still be exposed to it consistently, so food branding is necessary. Just because a person has put out one bad product doesn’t mean they won’t continue to use it, so they can try and make more money. Also, read our articles on:

Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself

Do you know about Branding Marijuana?