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Introduction
Food for Thought
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Cafeteria Food
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Junk Food
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Fast Food
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Ingredients 26-35
Brain Reaction 36-37
Health Costs 44 25 Diet Products 46-51 Are Parents Responsible?
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Packaging 56-57 Conclusion 60-68
Bibliography 77 01 -
hat if you were told that you can save roughly $6,280 of dollars a year? And that you can prevent an enormous amount of diseases including cancer? All this just by changing your eating habits. Obesity in the U.S is on the rise and it is getting worse. Not only is it on the rise here, but it is also rising in many other parts of the world. Soon, obesity will become the norm. Advanced technology has contributed to advanced food, especially in snacks. We snack more than we have meals. We can even consider a large snack of chips and soda a meal. The snacks that we are consuming have become mostly, if not all, junk food. Junk food contains little to no nutrition. It consists of very little food derived from nature, the rest of it looks like chemical formulas.
What is worse than us as adults eating junk food is that we feed it to our children. Children whose growing bodies should be being filled up with nutritious food are being filled up with food that does more harm to them than good. They are snacking on junk food as if it is a meal. In return, once the children are grown up and have their own children, they pass on these eating habits - creating a never-ending cycle. Most parents have a hard time feeding their children; especially healthy, nutricious snacks. It’s a battle they lose against brightly colored snacks that are available anywhere children are, even in schools. What if childen voluntarily picked a healthy snack? I noticed how much children snack and I believe it is the leading cause of obesity, more so than fast food. I also noticed healthy snacks for children are no competition when it comes to the brightly colored junk food packaging. My thesis is to explore how obesity effects children and I will create a healthy snack package that appeals to children. I will make my package have more than one function. I want to make it sustainable and educational. Through a newly designed healthy snack package design, I would like to aid in reducing obesity, which has become the 2nd most preventable disease next to smoking. 4
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Food is necessary for survival. We need it to give us nutrition, energy and to keep us alive. But food has changed over the years. Most of the food we consume has become more recreational rather than for survival. Advanced technologies have made it possible to make advanced food. Food that’s twice the size than it should be, food lasts longer than it should be, food that has chemicals that isn’t natural to our body, food with chemicals in it to make it delectable to our taste buds, food that is causing more diseases and problems with our health than it should. Our diet is changing along with the way food has changed.
Never Ending Cycle
I believe children are victims of this more so than adults. Children have growing bodies and their bodies should not be subjected to all these chemicals and processed foods they are consuming. Futhermore, whatever eating habit children grow up with are the ones they are most likely to pass onto their children producing a never ending cycle. This is why obesity is an epidemic. The cycle needs to stop somewhere. There are many ways for adults to learn how to change their eating habits. Internet resources, books, diet programs and information exchanged can all aid adults in changing their eating habits if they desire. But habits are difficult to change. I say, we teach children healthy eating habits at an earlier age so they don’t have to struggle to change their unhealthy eating habits when they are adults. That way when the children become adults, they can pass on the healthy eating habits to their children and break the never ending cycle we are currently in. I will discuss three types of food that are leading to unhealthy eating habits. They are fast food, cafeteria food and junk food. I will focus on junk food and explain why I believe it is the worst type of food. I will also come up with my solution of how we can package healthy food to attract children so they can make the right choice. 8
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rom what I remember, the first school attended in Bangladesh did not have a cafeteria. All the children brought lunch from home and ate it at their desk Everyone had a water canteen and drank water. No one brought in junk food. It was whatever their mother packed for them from home. When I did go to a school with a cafeteria, we all ate the local diet and the food tasted and was prepared like home cooked meals. The food was made the same day it was consumed. Nothing came from a box, not even the vegetables. The only option of beverage we had was water. I was healthy, I didn’t have to worry about gaining weight. First time I had cafeteria food in New York I was in 5th grade. I remember pizza day being the best day. I hated milk so I always opted for chocolate milk. When chocolate milk ran out or they didn’t serve any, I took tiny sips of milk so I wouldn’t be thirsty. Bottled water was not an option in the drinks section. I don’t recall anyone touching the canned green beans or any sort of vegetable that was served, other than the fries of course.
Fruit was almost always canned. When we did have fresh fruit, it was always apples and oranges; however, the skin was so tough, you could break a nail peeling those oranges and of course the plastic butter knife can barely break through the skin. The apples were detestable. For someone who loves fruits, even as a child, I did not touch the apples and oranges. When I got to Junior High School or Middle School, lunch options got a little better but only for my waistline. On top of cafeteria food, there was the option of purchasing canned Arizona Iced tea for $1.00, various flavors of bagged chips for only $0.50 cents or three cookies for $1.00. That is what most of my friends had for lunch. By the end of the last period, which would be around 3pm, 10
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was sleepy, tired and starving. This was because I barely ate lunch. For the most part, I picked at things. I tried to have money so I can buy chips, cookies and iced-teas like everyone else was doing. After school, if I had money, I would have purchased an order of fries courtesy of the local Chinese restaurants. If I had a little bit more, then it was pizza and a soda. High school had more options. We would have the option of getting cold cut sandwiches which didn’t taste terrible, until I took out the cold-cut turkey and tried it, it was revolting. When my family moved to Virginia during my Junior year, the food options were a little better. They Kids don’t care to eat, they are looking had a separate cold-cut section which was forward to when they can go outside and stationed like an open Subway restaurant. play with their friends. The options there were healthier than the basic cafeteria food that were being served to us. The cold-cut section had fresh vegetables such as lettuce. tomatoes, onions etc and you made your own sandwich however however, barely anyone went in there, due to its poor location. Fast forward to when I was in my mid 20’s back in New York and working as a substitute teacher at an elementary school. I noticed how much things did not change. Kids are still going crazy when there are pizza days, same atrocious apples and oranges are still being served with canned green beans which no one touches. Kids don’t care to eat, they are looking forward to when they can go outside and play with their friends. Some of the classes I substituted for had snack breaks. Almost all the kids brought in zip lock bags filled with cookies and chips. Many also brought in a can of soda and juice box filled with sugar.
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ecause I’m not a morning person and got up just in time to get to work, an because there weren’t any stores nearby, I had to eat the cafeteria food if I was hungry. It was $4.00 and I got more portions than the students.
It was something to keep me full until I got home. One day when I was getting my tray filled with food, one of the employees asked me “do you actually like this food?” I didn’t quiet know how to
respond to her, after all aren’t we feeding “this food” to the children? Does she not have a child that goes to this school or another school where they feed them “this food”? I knew it was the food from I’m not sure of the time frame, but I remember stepping on the scale to see that I that made me gain weight. had gained 5lbs. I know I didn’t make any change in my diet, so I knew it was the food from the cafeteria that made me gain weight. This from eating cafeteria food for a short period of time. Many people don’t recognize that cafeteria food is in fact fast food.
the cafeteria
Parents send their children to school to learn. Learn the knowledge and skills they will need in their life to get a job, to support themselves; shouldn’t nutrition be one of the skills they should learn in school? By nutrition, I mean learning how to read labels, learning about calories in vs. calories out, eating a healthy diet, learning about fat percentage, calories and most importantly serving size.
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rom my experience, I can tell you packaging and labeling in the U.S is decaeiving. Soups will tell you that they are low in calories, but you have to take a look at the label tv to see how much sodium you are consuming. Cereals designed for children will advertise how much fiber it has but the labels will reveal how much sugar it contains.
us about how much calcium an orange has? How can children learn to make better food choices when many don’t even know the names of some of the vegetables they should eat every day?
Many of us have heard of Jamie Oliver’s food revolution. A British chef fights to change cafeteria food and eating habits in the U.S by visiting schools and teaching children about food and nutri- The children did not get the name of the tomato and tion. One of the issues potato correct but once Jamie told them they are he talks about is flavored milk. Why is flavored milk used to make your ketchup and fries they knew right being served to children? away what he was talking about. It has flavorings and sugar that children who are growing don’t need. USDA will tell you that flavored milk is being served to children so they drink more milk, because they need the calcium. If the USDA is so concerned with children and having enough calcium then why are they feeding them the type of food they feed them. Since when did fries and tomato sauce become one serving of vegetables?As far as I know, fries and tomato sauce which is used on pizza as part of cafeteria lunch is considered fast food.
If children are being introduced to cafeteria food consisting of sausage, pancakes, chocolate milk, burgers, fries, nuggets etc, which basically is food we order when we visit a fast food restaurant, then how can we expect them to eat a salad and make healthy food choices later on in their life. Teachers need to educate children about well balanced nutrition and how to make proper food choices in school. I believe it is their responsibility to teach children about the right kind of food all along. Jamie Oliver showed that it doesn’t take that long. Just one, one hour session a week had children learning about all the fruits and vegetables they never even heard of before. We can’t expect children to eat food that they have never heard of or seen. School is the perfect place for them to learn, when they are with their friends and when they have someone like a teacher they look up to.
Jamie Oliver visited a 1st grade classroom in Virginia and showed them vegetablessuchaspotatoes,tomatoes,cauliflowerandbeets.Thechildren did not get the name of the tomato and potato right, but once Jamie told them they are used to make your ketchup and fries, they knew right away what he was talking about. I don’t remember learning the names of any vegetables in school. I always had a class related to health at least once a week, wouldn’t that have been a perfect time for the teacher to teach
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s fast food great? It’s fast, cheap and tastes great. Most of the time, no utensils are needed to eat it, you can always eat your pizza, burger, fries, fried chicken etc on the go and sometimes even using one hand. It’s that convenient. By now, most Americans know that fast food is bad for them. Why are they still eating it on a regular basis? Anyone can tell you smoking might lead to lung cancer. The word cancer strikes fear, it automatically produces images of chemo therapy patients and death. Then why do people still smoke? If eating fast food leads to a long list of diseases, some even including cancer, then why do people still eat it. A smoker wouldn’t give a 5 year old a cigarette, but they will feed them a fast food meal. Just because it’s still food and is needed for survival is not a good enough reason for a parent to eat it and feed it to their child. There are of course many reasons why parents do. Busy parents find it easier to buy them dinner from a drive through as opposed to cooking. Parents who are on an extremely tight budget can always afford it, thanks to the numerous amounts of deals there are every day. When fast food franchises first started, the portions were average and options were limited. With growing competition came more options for food, bigger value for your money and an endless choices of restaurants to dine in. The French fry size McDonald’s once served as regular, is not a size you get when you get a happy meal. The drink size Burger King used to serve as a regular size is a small. Ask anyone to name a fast food restaurant and they will say McDonald’s. McDonald’s is known as a pioneer of fast food. It definitely has been around the longest and is the most popular fast food chain restaurant within the states and foreign countries. My uncle who was in his is 50’s visited New York around the early 2000’s from Bangladesh. When we asked him what he wanted to eat? He said “McDonald’s!” Even though Bangladesh does not have McDonald’s, it is so ubiquitous with American culture that this was his first choice.
A smoker wouldn’t give a 5 year old cigarette, but they will feed them a fast food meal.
This is a perfect example of how fast food is not only making America obese but other countries as well. Time Magazine wrote an article called “A New Fast-Food Invasion” in 2007 which explains the current state of fast food. Successful fast food restaurants in America end up opening new restaurants in other countries. Eventually the other countries open up their own fast food restaurant mimicking the business practices and types of food. Once successful in their own country, they expand in U.S which adds more fast food options in the U.S. 16
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Jollibee (a fast-food chain created in the Philipines) is an example of a mimieographed
Familymart, the 7-Eleven of Japan, has opened 12 stores in California under the name The chain pushes its prepackaged but fresh-pressed Panini as well as microwavable pastas. They even have an improved version of the Twinkie: it is packaged dessert with a chocolate-covered banana topped with whipped cream and rolled in a vanilla cake. This is a perfect convenience-store food.
Famima!
restaurant that made its way into the U.S. Jollibee has 1,400 restaurants in the Phillippine and 57 in the other countries including the U.S. Created by Tony Tan Catlong, his vision was inspired by the global popularity of companies like McDonald’s. Tony decided to copy each and every aspect of McDonald’s. He said “from the start, we were willing to copy. The aim was to avoid ‘reinventing the wheel’ and benefit from tested business practices.” He did change some aspects of Jollibee, along with American-style fast food burgers Jollibee also serves Filipino-influenced dishes. Jollibee’s two most popular items are called the Yumburger and the Chickenjoy. The Yumburger has a weird, plastic dollop of French dressing in the middle. The crisped-up French fries are dry on the inside and tastes as if they weren’t just double fried but dunked in oil four or five times. This is the review of their food from a Jollibee customer. The description wouldn’t make anyones mouth water, yet it’s so popular that Jollibee has 16 branches in California and a few in other states.
Pollo Campero
Guatemala’s has stores in six states and D.C. It has good fried chicken which is moist but not greasy. Their Grilled Chicken Bowl consists of a mixture of chicken, beans, rice, cilantro, onions and salsa fresca over red rice. Apparently it mocks KFC’s layered Famous Bowl. Their biscuits are fluffy on the inside but hard on the outside and the fries are dry and bland.
Beard Papa’s is the Dunkin Donuts of Japan,
only it has replaced fried dough with cream puffs that looks like it is on steroids. It opened its first U.S. store in 2003 and has been invading mall spots. Inside each store, Japanese women in uniforms push down on metal levers to plop rich, creamy custard mixed with whipped cream into oversize profiterole shells.
American fast food restaurants that are opening up in other countries are mimeographing the food from that country to meet the local palate. In India, McDonald’s serves no beef in their burgers; it’s all chicken, vegetables and fish. Thailand’s McDonald’s include items such as pepper chicken burger, Samurai pork burger and Spicey McD. Even Ronald McDonald takes on a local form. He has his hands in the local gesture saying hello. In China, the menu is largely chicken based with the only beef option being , hamburger and cheeseburger. I can go on and list all the countries that have McDonald’s and how in each country McDonald’s, as well as many other fast food restaurants, has a customized menu to meet the local palate. This is an example of a never ending cycle which is not only making Americans obese but leading other countries to it as well.
Big-Mac
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hy do I believe junk food to be the leading cause of obesity? With fast food, people will have it as a meal. They will have it for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. It contains a lot of calories so it will keep them full for a really long time. Fast food isn’t like chips that they can munch on the entire day. Cafeteria food is for two meals, breakfast and lunch. Some kids don’t even eat breakfast so it will be one meal, lunch. Cafeteria food is preventable, children either won’t like the taste and won’t eat it or parents do have the option to pack a healthy lunch for them. It’s the junk
snacks people eat when they are in their cars, how much they eat in front of the t.v, it’s the mocha frappuccino with whipped cream, it’s ice-cream 10 o’clock at night. All of this leads to people consuming 25% more calories than the reccomended diet. Junk food on the other hand can be eaten all throughout the day as meals and snacks. There are people who have agreed with me and said they have done the same when I said, “I know people who consider bag of chips, can of soda and a doughnut to be lunch or dinner.” It iss understandable because junk food is everywhere. It’s at home, work and school; the three places where we spend the most time. Snacks play a major and growing role in children’s diets. Research shows that between the year 1977 and 1966, the number of calories consumed from snacks increased to 120 calories per day. According to a study, children in the United States are snacking more than they did twenty years ago. Snacking
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processed foods are foreign to the body. The body stores anything that the digestive organs can’t process, most often in fat tissue. Scientists have considered that this process many also contribute to the development of obesity.
itself will not lead to obesity, but the types of snacks children consume will contributes to the weight gain. Snacks are important, they keep your metabolism stable in between your meal. But not if the snacks that are being consumed are junk. Snacks are often subjectively classified as junk food.
In my chapter about “Fast Food,” I wrote about mimeographed restaurants. That concept applies to snacks as well. Lets take Lay’s potato chips as an example. Lay’s has many different types of chips with flavors that are inspired by different regions in the U.S., as well as different flavors and spices from foreign countries. Lay’s chips are marketed as a division of Frito-Lay, a company owned by PepsiCo. Many popular Lay’s brand is also known as Walkers in UK and Ireland, Chipsy in
Junk food is mostly what kids snack on. Junk food applies to some foods that are perceived to be of little or no nutritional value, also known as empty calories. Junk food contains ingredients, which are considered unhealthy when consumed regularly or considered unhealthy to consume at all. Serving children with healthy snacks is important. It provides good nutrition, supports a lifelong of healthy eating habits, and helps prevent potentially-disabling diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Not only diseases but obese children have low self-esteem and are ridiculed by their peers.
Egypt, Poca in Vietnam, Tapuchips in Israel and Sabritas in Mexico.
Not only has Lay’s bought popular brands in other countries to sell chips but they also distribute Lay’s chips as well in many varieties of flavors in foreign countries. Then the countries create their version of potato chips and then distribute it to the U.S. These chips might not be sold at popular supermarkets but you can find them in your local neighborhood shops. Shops in foreign countries will sell Lay’s or popular local chips brand under Lay’s label and sell their own version of chips as well.
Junk food is typically ready-to-eat convenience food containing high levels of saturated fats, salt, sugar, little or no fruit, vegetable or dietary fiber. If there is any indication of fruits or vegetables, it’s mostly very low percent or to flavor the product. Common junk foods are chips, candy, most sweet desserts, fried fast food, carbonated beverages such as sodas and cereals with high sugar content.
Immigrants from foreign countries that live in the U.S have access to Lay’s chips as well as chips from their home country. It might not be sold in your everyday shop but you can definitely find it in your neighborhood stores.
Many Americans treat food as a source of immediate gratification. We want it tasty, we want it cheap and we want it now! To meet this demand, manufacturers pump their food full of sugar, salt, hydrogenated oils, saturated fats, preservatives, dyes, artificial flavors and a host of bizarre, unpronounceable chemicals that, if you saw them in their preprocessed state, you would never consider putting in your mouth.
Lay’s is only one brand of potato chips and potato chips are only one type of junk food. There are cookies, candies, sodas, juices, and chocolates that are being branded and re-branded as well as imported and exported all over the world. This creates an endless amount of junk food where one can eat junk food everyday for at least a year without running out of junk foods to eat.
These additives and preservatives often replace all the nutrients and fiber that is removed from the original food source. So while processed food might taste good, it essentially lacks all the beneficial nutrients needed to nourish the body, maintain blood sugar levels, and ensure proper digestion. In addition, the chemicals and synthetic ingredients found in many
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Lay’s Chips of the World This map shows all the major Lay’s chips brands as well as smaller ones. Every country sells Lay’s chips (The Original American brand) as well as their own version of Lay’s brand. There are a few countries that do not have their own brand of Lay’s or their own personal flavor but they can import Lay’s from neighboring countries. For example: Not all countries in Latin America have Lay’s or Sabritas but they import it from Mexico. In short, Lay’s brand imports and exports variations of Lay’s from all over the world. Other brands such as Fritos, Doritos, Ruffles and Cheetos can be found in other countries. They can be found in their countries version of the brand or under the American brand with local flavor.
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hen people eat junk food, do they read the packaging and look at the ingredients? Does anyone ever question what are all these unpronounceable names that are in our favorite junk food snacks? These are some of the main ingredients that junk food consists of and how it affects our body:
1 Saturated and Trans Fat: These are often found in
high fat foods such as cheese and butter and are also used to keep snacks such as cookies and chips from spoiling if they are on store shelves for long periods of time. They behave badly in two ways: In the short term, they can create digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea and in the long term they raise levels of bad (LDL: low-density lipoprotein*) cholesterol, which can lead to stiff arteries and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Trans fats are even worse since they not only raise bad cholesterol but also deplete the good (HDL: high-density lipoprotein*) kind.
*Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL): is known as bad cholesterol because it can build up on the walls of your arteries. The fatty deposits of bad cholesterol, along with other substances, can attach to the arterial walls of blood vessels, narrowing them over time and blocking normal blood flow. *High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL): is known as good choles terol. Medical experts believe that HDL helps remove the excess cholesterol from the heart’s arteries and carries it back to the liver, where it passes from the body.
2 Bleached Flour: Bleached flour is found in rice, pasta,
cookies, pastries and packaged cakes. They have had their healthy bits removed. For example, white rice was once brown rice before it had its fiber-rich exterior stripped away. Not only is bleached flour low in nutrients, it is quickly converted by the body into sugars and can boost blood sugar levels. When these levels are high, your body uses sugar instead of fat that is
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day. Any excess of this amount can reduce the proper absorption of nutrients and disrupt normal body functions. Three-quarters of the sodium in our diets isn’t from the saltshaker. It’s hidden in processed foods, such as canned vegetables and soups, condiments like soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, fast-food, and cured or preserved meats like bacon, ham, and deli turkey. Some effects of consuming too much salt in the regular everyday diet are a¬bnormal heart development, osteoporosis, kidney disorders, dehydration and swelling, digestive diseases, and electrolyte and hormone imbalance.
5 Lecithin(soy and egg): Used as an additive or in food
preparation as an emulsifier and lubricant. Lecithin replaces more expensive ingredients needed to control crystallization in sugar and the flow properties of chocolate. It also aids in the mixing of ingredients, improves shelf life for some products, and can be used as a candy coating. It reduces spattering during frying, improves texture of spreads and helps release flavors.
stored in your body for an instant energy boost. Refined grains can also increase your heart attack risk by 30 percent as well as increase your risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks, insulin resistance, diabetes, and belly fat.
3 Sugar: Sugar, in all of its forms (with the exception of artifi-
In dough and bakery items, it reduces fat and egg require-ments, helps even distribution of ingredients, stabilizes fermentation increases volume, protects yeasts cells when frozen, and acts as a releasing agent to prevent sticking and simplify cleaning. For example, lecithin is the emulsifier that keeps cocoa and cocoa butter in a candy bar from separating. In margarines, especially those containing high levels of fat, lecithin is added as an ‘anti-spattering’ agent for shallow frying. Lecithin might be safe for most people, however it can cause some side effects including diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, or fullness.
cial sweeteners), has a direct effect on your metabolism and energy. All sugar is converted into glucose and fructose, which is absorbed through the small intestines in to the blood. Your body uses it as an easy and quick source of fuel, but it runs out quickly. This causes Reactive Hypoglycemia, also known as “sugar crash”. You feel tired, lethargic, light-headed, fatigued, anxious, or irritated.
4 Salt: Salt has important additives that are necessary for hu-
man survival. One of them is iodine. Iodine deficiency affects about two billion people and is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. Iodized salt is used to help reduce the rate of iodine deficiency in humans. Iodine deficiency commonly leads to thyroid gland problems, specifically endemic goiter – which is a disease characterized by a swelling of the thyroid gland, usually resulting in a bulbous protrusion on the neck. Iodized salt is used to help reduce the occurrence of iodine deficiency in humans. Too much salt in the diet, which is marked by high sodium content, can deeply impact almost all biochemical pathways in your body. As a standard, your dietary intake of sodium should not exceed 2,000 milligrams per
6 FD&C Red 40: Commonly known as Red 40, it is also
know as Allura Red AC, Allura Red, Food Red 17 or C.I. 16035. It has the appearance of a dark red powder. It usually comes as a sodium salt, but can also be used as both calcium and potassium salts. Red 40 was originally manufactured from coal tar, but is now mostly
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22 Potassium Nitrate: A preservative in cured and
canned meat products. It can lower the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and it may combine with other substances to form nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. It may also have an weak- ening effect on the adrenal gland.
23 Sodium Sulphite: This is a preservative used in wine
and processed foods. Sulphites have been associated with triggering asthma attacks. Most asthmatics are sensitive to sulphites in food.
25 Stannous Chloride (tin): An antioxidant and colorretention agent found in canned and bottled foods and fruit juices. Acute poisoning has been reported from ingestion of fruit juices containing concentrations of tin greater than 250 mg per liter.
temporarily inhibit the function of digestive enzymes and may deplete glycine levels. It should be avoided if you suffer from asthma, rhinitis, urticaria or other allergies.
24 Sulphur Dioxide: Reacts with range of items found in
food, including many essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fatty acids. Adverse reactions include bronchial problems (specially those prone to asthma), hypotension (low blood pressure), flushing/tingling sensations, or anaphylactic shock.
17 Brilliant Black BN: Found in drinks, sauces, snacks,
wines, cheese, etc. It should be avoided if you suffer asthma, rhinitis, urticaria, or other allergies.
18 Calcium Benzoate: A preservative found in many
25 Sunset Yellow, FCF, Orange Yellow S: It’s
foods; including drinks, low-sugar products, cereals, and meat products. It can temporarily inhibit function of digestive enzymes and may deplete levels of the amino acid glycine. Those with hay fever, hives, and asthma should avoid it.
food coloring. Some animal studies have indicated growth retardation and severe weight loss. People with asthma, rhinitis, or urticaria should avoid this product.
26 Tartrazine: This is yellow food coloring. It may cause
19 Ponceau 4R, Conchineal Red A: A food color-
allergic reactions and asthmatic attacks and has been implicated in bouts of hyperactivity disorder in children. Those who suffer from asthma, rhinitis and urticaria may find symptoms worsen after consumption.
ing. People who suffer from asthma, rhinitis or urticaria may find their symptoms become worse following consumption of foods with this coloring.
20 Propyl P-Hydroxybenozoate, Propylpara-
ben, and Paraben: A preservative in cereals, snacks, pate,
meat products, and confectionary products. Parabens have been identified as the cause of chronic dermatitis in numerous instances.
21 Sodium Metabisulphite: Preservative and antioxidant, which may provoke life-threatening asthma.
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he preceding items are only a few of the many ingredients found in popular junk food. Some of the ingredients which I explained more specifically - such as salt, sugar, bleached flour, high fructose corn syrup, leitchen, and food coloring - are included in almost in all your everyday food. A few of the unpronounceable, scientific names, which are found in certain junk foods, are deemed to be safe by the FDA with limited consumption. Even if it is okay by the FDA to consume, something about chemicals in food that we eat being derived from rubber cement and paint thinner sounds disturbing. These are only a few of the disturbing and harmful ingredients people are consuming everyday. It’s important for children to have healthy brain and body function since they are growing. Children should not be consuming additives and preservatives which may cause health problems after consumption.
I
consider myself to be your average healthy eater. I don’t turn my face down at a salad and I order vegetables. I don’t feel too guilty when I eat a healthy portion of birthday cake or order my frappuccino with whipped cream. I walk a lot and can run to catch my bus or walk up a flight of stairs if I have to. I go through periods when I say I need to lose weight and then I eat healthy for a few days and work out. Then, in a moment of weakness, I fall into it a plate of comfort food around 1 am after a long day of school and work. This is what I consider average and I am surrounded by friends and family who follow this regime of what I consider to be an “average healthy eater.” I took a survey asking everyone I know if they agree with what I consider to be your current average healthy eater. These people vary in ages and live in different states as well as different countries.
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ext, the heart starts to race and the body starts to feel uncomfortable and it may even start to perspire. This is most likely about an hour after finishing the cake. After a bit more time passes, all the glucose is gone from the bloodstream and the body feels burnt out. This is known as a sugar crash - when all the glucose is gone from the bloodstream and you start to feel sluggish. The swing of glucose and insulin, the cortisol and the adrenaline sends the bodies immune system into a tailspin. As a result the blood thickens as a response to
A hefty dose of sugar can compromise the the stressors. The body would try to sleep it off immune system for more than 24 hours. at night but most likely a person will toss and turn as the heart continues to beat faster than normal. A hefty dose of sugar can compromise the immune system for more than 24 hours.
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our everyday cake includes sugar, refined flour, saturated fat, sodium and often Red 40. What are the side effects and what happens to your body as you consume a slice of cake? Within ten forkfuls, you would have gone from small doses of quality carbs wisely spread throughout the day to possibly 100 or more grams of pure sugar in just one sitting. A few minutes later, the pancreas kicks into overdrive and sends out a flood of insulin to try and soak up all the excess glucose that is suddenly rushing through the bloodstream as a result of consuming a slice of cake. The body knows that glucose The body knows that glucose is is muscle fuel when it is in the it is in the muscles, but it is toxic muscles, but it is toxic sludge when it stays in the bloodstays in the bloodstream; stream; therefore, it does everything it can to get it out of there. Depending on how much cake was consumed, how much one weighs, what their normal intake of carbs is and how acutely they tend to feel the effects of sugar they might feel a little flushed, a little high or even nauseous.
muscle fuel when sludge when it
But it’s not all bad news; the sugary treat is just a detour for an average healthy eater. The body returns to its usual self within a few days when consuming a low-carb diet. But if this intake of sugar is an everyday thing the body develops an insulin resistance. The rush of adrenaline and cortisol, which creates hormonal havoc over time, fries the adrenal system keeping the body in a constant state of “fight� and inflammation becomes a constant state of affairs.
If the glycogen stores have room, some of the sugar goes into muscles. If there is no more room, the excess goes into fat cells where it is stored as fat. The body steps up its effort to achieve homeostasis by releasing both epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol from the bodies adrenals. 34
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hat if one of the ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, which is the number one disease in the category of dementia, was through your diet? Research suggests that a diet rich in vitamins and fish may protect the brain from aging while junk food has the opposite effect. A Neurology study found that elderly people with high blood levels of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids had less brain shrinkage and better mental performance. The research was done by looking at nutrients in the blood. U.S experts analyzed blood samples from 104 healthy people with an average age of 87 who had a few known risk factors for Alzheimer’s. They found those who had more vitamin B, C, D, and E in their blood performed better in memory tests and thinking skills. People with high levels of omega 3 fatty acids - found mainly in fish - also had high scores. The poorest scores were found in people who had more trans fat in their blood. Trans fats are covmmon in processed food; including cakes, biscuits and fried foods. Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University and Oregon State University then carried out brain scans on 42 of the 104 participants. They found individuals with high levels of vitamins and omega 3 in their blood were more likely to have a large brain volume; while those with high levels of trans fat had a smaller total brain volume. A study by author Gene Bowman of Oregon Health and Science University said: “These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet.”
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study done by Scripps Research Institute by Paul Johnson and Paul Kenny in 2008 suggested that junk food consumption alters brain activity in a manner which is similar to addictive drugs like
cocaine or heroin. The study was done using rats and after many weeks of being on junk foot diet, the pleasure centers of the rat’s brains became desensitized, requiring more food for pleasure. Over time, the animals’ brain reward Junk food consumption alters brain activity in a circuit became less responsive. manner which is similar to addictive drugs like The animals also started to exhibit compulsive overeating cocaine or heroin. habits. Even the mild shocks did not prevent them from consuming their junk food. After the junk food was taken away and replaced with a healthy diet, the rats starved for two weeks instead of eating the nutritious food. The junk food had dulled their pleasure center and as a result, the rats kept seeking out the junk food. This diminishing of pleasure center response paralleled to what the researchers witness in rats as they become addicted to cocaine or heroine.
The better reward response ones brain has, the more sensitive it is to pleasure. We feel pleasure and motivation from lower intake of food or other rewards. Perhaps we simply learn to derive more pleasure from eating healthy foods, the foods our genes expects us to eat. If our response is dulled over time through junk food or overeating, it will take more to bring the pleasure response. To sum it all up, the more junk foods are consumed, the more tolerance is built in the brain causing people to crave and over-eat. This study proves why it’s important for kids to start their healthy snack habits early so it won’t be a struggle later on in their life if they gain weight and decide to change their snack habits. I was told once, “children will only eat what parents give them.” Parents can give them healthy snacks but children will always be attracted to the brightly colored packaging filled with cartoon characters. If that is the scenario, then why not design healthy food packaging geared towards children? Healthy food packaging doesn’t have to be so bland.It can be exciting so children would want to buy it when they are at their local store looking for a snack.
Other similar studies were done using human brain imaging. Researchers found lower dopamine (which is linked to reward and pleasure response in the brain) receptor levels in obese people compared to others in their recommended weight range. Restricting food seems to increase dopamine receptor levels. Mice whose food intake was limited showed higher dopamine levels than mice that were allowed to eat all they wanted.
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Junk food comsumption alters brain activity in a manner which is similar to addictive drugs like cocaine and heroine.
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We make our food very similar to cocaine now. We purify our food. Our ancestors ate whole grains, but we’re eating white bread. American Indians ate corn; we eat corn syrup. The ingredients in purified modern food cause people to eat unconsciously and unnecessarily and will also prompt an animal to eat like a drug abuser.
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Dr. Gene-Jack Wang, Chair of the medical department at the U.S Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory
The illustration shows how our brain responses to junk food. We feel pleasure and motivation from lower intake of food or other rewards. If our response is dulled over time through junk food or overeating, it will take more to bring the pleasure response. To sum it all up, the more junk foods are consumed, the more tolerance is built in the brain causing people to crave and over-eat. 40
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ccording to the Centers for Diseases Control Prevention, more than one-third of adults and one sixth of children in
America are obese. In the past twenty years, obesity rates doubled for adults and tripled for children. If these trends continue, by the tie today’s children adulthood, obesity will be the norm and healthy weight will be the exception. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said “Obesity, and with it diabetes, are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they are getting worse rapidly. The average American is now 20 pounds overweight.” Between 1998 and and 2006, obesity rates in the United States increased 37 percent and now one in three adults in the country are obese.
Obesity in the United States now costs $147 billion per year in direct medical costs.
Another factor in gaining or losing weight is the quality of the food you eat rather than how much you consume. According to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on June 23, 2011, participants gained weight with the intake of potato chips, sweetened beverages, unprocessed red meats and processed meats. They lost weight with the intake of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and yogurt. The work of Dr. Dean and Hawaii’s own Dr. Terry Shintani reveals: obesity is not a result of eating too much food. Rather, obesity and other chronic health conditions result from eating too little real food. Real food means whole grains unprocessed vegetables, fruits, 42
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legumes, nuts and seeds. These foods are nutrient-dense, packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber. Real food or whole food requires more time to digest, so your stomach stays full, and you feel satisfied longer. Thus, you eat less at your next meal. Most of us are too busy to eat foods filled with nutrients. It is easier for us to make something from a box or just heat something frozen up. We are not passing the right message to our children.
When it comes to preventing obesity, it seems people are looking for a quick fix. Gastric Bypass surgury has become extremely popular. It has become a quick fix way for people who are obese. There are many diet products which offer a lifetime worth of weight loss but they come with side effects of their own. Obesity related death is the 2nd most preventable kind of death after smoking. This is something everyone can avoid. We can stop spending millions of dollars on treatments, pills, and medication by changing our lifestyle and making sure our children do the same.
Children follow what their parents taught them. Parents have a responsibility to make sure their child attends school and has a healthy and happy lifestyle. The food that they are being fed has a lot to do with children being happy. Research has shown eating junk food shrinks your brain. Why are parents feeding and allowing children to eat junk food?
Study suggests one in four overweight children are already showing early signs of type II Diabetes and 60% already have one risk factor for heart disease.
A new study suggests that one in four overweight children are already showing early signs of type II diabetes and 60% already have one risk factor for heart disease. This is a big deal, this is a lifetime of the child who has to watch what they eat and they have to take insulin shots. It is a huge reposibility for a child. Type II diabetes are showing up in young children as 7 years. If things don’t change then it will increase to a very high number of children diagnosed with Type II diabetese.
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ieting is one of those things that is completely integrated into the American culture. On any given day, a huge portion of the U.S. populaion is “on a diet” and “counting calories” in one way or another. Thirty six billion dollars are being spent on diet products and self-help books per year. Much of that money is wasted because diets usually fail. A government review found that two-thirds of American dieters regained all the weight they had lost within a year, and 97 percent had gained it all back within five This is the only growth industry years. And following these regimes is significantly more expensive than the tried and true in the United States where most of technique of eating healthy and excercising the customers fail. more. Most of the diets that are curantly on Dr. Stephen Gullo, the market are not effective. Dr. Stephen Gullo, a New York City The Thin Commandmants Diet doctor and author of The Thin Commandmants Diet said, “this is the only growth industry in the United States where most of the customers fail.”
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How much more money does it exactly cost to diet? To find out, weekly menus were examined – they reviewed publicly available information and called company representatives – from ten of the most popular diets on the market such as Atkins, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Slim Fast, South Beach and Subway. Weight Watchers worked
out to about $85.79 a week – that’s 50 percent more than the $54.44 the average single American spends on food! The price calculations for the foods on each menu were done on a perserving basis. Prices came from New York City-based online grocer Fresh Direct and were adjusted to the National average to control for any price differential. For example: A week’s worth of food, which included both Jenny Craig-supplied meals and supplemental snacks, cost $137.65. Jared Fogle’s informal, but for him, effective Subway Sandwich Diet, was the least expensive of the bunch at $68.60 a week.
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programs, many people do a quick one week diet. There is the “The Lemonade Diet,” where a person drinks nothing but lemonade made from fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. I tried it and I don’t remember making it past day two. I researched people who tried it and if there were a few that succeeded, they said the weight creeped back.
arilyn Wann, author of Fat! So? says, “The very existence of the diet industry is proof of its ineffectiveness. If there were one safe, effective way to lose weight, then the others would be out of business.”
Why does the weight come back? Even the most effective diet pills are only meant to be taken for a short period of time – usually six months or less. During that time, doctor prescribed weight-loss drugs can help a patient lose anywhere from 5 to 22 pounds, or up
to 10 percent of your body weight. But after six months, your body develops a tolerance to these drugs’ effects, and weight loss plateaus. After that, if you don’t follow a healthy eating and exercise plan, the weight will The very existence of the diet industry come back. Sibutramine (Meridia) and other is proof of its ineffectiveness. If there were similar appetite suppressants stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which can raise one safe, effective way to lose weight, then blood pressure and rate. This increases the the others would be out of business. risk of heart attack and cardiac arrest, espeMarilyn Wann, cially among people who already suffer from high blood pressure, Fat! So? irregular heartbeat or heart disease. In fact, between February 1998 and March 2003, the FDA received reports of 49 deaths related to sibutramine. Other, more minor side effect’s include constipation, headache, dry mouth and insomnia. Herbal diet pills, even though they are “all natural”, can have potentially dangerous side effects depending upon their ingredients. “Herbal” doesn’t necessarily mean “safe”. Also, because they are considered part of the food industry and are therefore regulated differently by the FDA, there is no guarantee that they can live up to their manufacturers’ claims.
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There is another one week diet. It’s called “The GM Diet,” created by General Motors. It was created for employees of General Motors, Inc. The program was developed with a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administra-
tion. It was field tested at the John Hopkins Research Centre and was approved for distribution by the Board of Directors of General Motors Corp. on August 15, 1985. The program is designed for a target weight loss of 10-17lbs. This is what “The GM Diet” consists of:
Day One: All fruits except bananas. The first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that a lot of melons are consumed on the first day, especially watermelon and cantaloupe. If the fruit consumption is limited to melons, chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.
Day Two: All vegetables. Encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.
More Americans are 20lbs overweight than they were two decades ago. It seems that when people are looking to lose weight, they immediately look for a quick fix. They want their body to lose weight as quickly as they gained them. Aside from all the diets pills and
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Day Three: A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice, any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.
But there are many popular quick fix weight loss pills filled with ingredients and side effects - some of them causing death - that should not be consumed. There are always diet pills popping up in the market and the FDA has yet to ban them. Here is a list of ingredients that should be tossed out immediately if it is found in their diet pill:
Day Four: Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as
eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with a special soup, which may be eaten in limited quantities. (the special soup recipe can be found http://www.gmdietplan.com/gmdiet-plan-wonder-soup.htm)
Bitter Orange: It was used as a substitute for ephedra after it
Day Five: You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. por-
was banned in 2004. Many diet pills use it as a substitute for ephedra. Like ephedra, it has been associated with irregular heart beat and
tions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you need to increase your water intake by one quart (you must drink 10 glasses of water each of the seven days). This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.
seizures. It was also shown in case studies to cause ischemic colitis, a medical condition that constricts blood flow to the large intestine, causing inflammation or injury.
Day Six: Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited
Germander: Commonly used in “all-natural” diet supplements
amount of beef and vegetables. You are allowed to eat as much as you like.
to increase weight loss; however, evidence is lacking. Germander is linked to irreversible liver abnormalities, which may cause liver failure.
Day Seven: Today your food intake will consist of brown rice,
Yohimbe: Many diet supplement companies claim it causes
fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.
thermogenesis, which aids in weight loss. There is no evidence to support this. According to the Ladies’ Home Journal, yohimbe is known to cause irregular heartbeat, changes in blood pressure and even a heart attack.
My aunt told me about this diet. She tried it many times and said it works but she gained the weight back. Why is there a need for a quick fix, weight loss diet? Losing ten pounds in a week sounds very appealing, especially since the plan did not talk about doing any sort of exercise at all. Isn’t it better that we learn to eat healthy
Comfrey: Also known as blackwort or slippery root. Some diet
companies claim it causes weight loss. It has been associated with liver toxicity, which may lead to liver failure.
and teach our children to eat healthy? We can be at a healthy weight and not put our bodies through constant dieting and drastic weight changes.
Guar Gum: Marketed as an appetite suppressant, guar gum may cause esophageal or gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction, which may lead to death.
This diet is all food based and does not involve taking any pills.
Guarana: Many diet companies market it as a safer, less stimu-
lant version of caffeine. It causes irregular heartbeat, angina, and may trigger seizures.
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hildren aren’t born with bad habits. They are not born craving soda, chips and sweets. It’s the parent’s job to make sure they are being fed well. I was at my friends house and her nephew gave a six month old a piece of doughnut around 11pm. I thought his mother would say “no”, but she said “don’t give him the chocolate part, just give him the cake part.” Needless to say, I was shocked. She is well aware of what junk food does to your body. But she said yes to giving her child a piece doughnut. Her three year old daughter wanted to eat a bag of chips the same night, and she agreed to it. Why? Because Children aren’t born with bad habits; they she is skinny; she thought are not born craving soda, chips and sweets. her daughter can use the It’s the parent’s job to make sure they are extra calories. Her daughter is not overweight or obese so being fed well. it won’t do her much harm if she ate some chips. The results: because of the ingredients in the junk food, those kids did not go to sleep well past mid-night. They had to be forced to go to sleep. Many parents think it’s okay to not watch what their children are eating because it doesn’t show in their body. They assume because the children aren’t fat that it is okay for them to eat junk food. What many parents don’t recognize is that there is something called “skinny-fat.” Everyone stores fat differently. Some people will have visible fat all over their body but their face won’t show it. Some people will have fat around their mid-section but slim arms and legs. Skinny-fat is when your body stores fat around your vital organs, making your body appear skinny. People who are skinny can still have high-cholesterol. And just because they are skinny does not mean that they are fit. I would like to share my personal story about how I learned about junk food. I watched a lot of TV when I was a kid. Along with watching TV, came ads. That’s how I was introduced to McDonalds. I became excited about Happy Meals and the idea of getting a toy and being able to play in the playhouse. 52
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was introduced to junk food in the same fashion. I would see commercials for a new flavor of chips or candy and when we went shopping, I would put them all in the shopping cart. My parents didn’t know any better so they bought it for my sister and I. We looked average, we weren’t fat or skinny, so they thought it was fine if we ate it.
Advertisers try to buy loyalty from consumers when the children are at a very early age. They try to brain wash them and call this type of brain washing “cradle to grave.” They believe that if they can get a consumer at a very early age, then they will stay loyal to that brand and won’t purchase any other brand than the one they are loyal to. This type of brand loyalty can start early as when a child is two years old.
I believe adults can fall into the prey of junk food ads as well. Especially when junk food commercials shows the feature of brining families together.
In addition to commercials, I was also excited about the packaging if it consisted of a popular cartoon character, collectible item or redeemable points. A perfect example would be when I wanted a bottle of “green apple juice” (I put green apple juice in quotes because there was no green apple in the juice, it was just food coloring, sugar and water.) But I wanted it because the packaging had Power Rangers on it. I kept nagging my dad so much that I wanted that juice because it has Power Rangers on it that he finally bought it for me. I took it to school next day and was so excited that I had a beverage with Power Rangers on it.
At this age most children can speak simple words, like calling for their parents. This is the age where they also watch a lot of TV. With popular tv shows., they recognize their favorite characters along with letters, shapes and colors. Next time they’re in a grocery store and see bag of chips with Elmo’s face on it, they would want to buy it. It could be that the child does not even know what the bag of chips tastes like, but they are loyal to their favorite character so they would see it as something that’s from Elmo as opposed to a bag of chips with just Elmo’s face on it.
With age comes slow metabolism and while my eating habits stayed the same, I started gaining weight. Although now I have gained control of my eating habits, I still fall in and have a bag of chips to myself or get that Kit Kat.
Children can also be loyal to a brand based on the commercials they watch. A female child watches Barbie commercials during her favorite show. She wants Barbie dolls when she goes out to buy toys. She won’t look at any other brand of dolls because to her, Barbie is the best and the most popular doll. She will most likely buy her daughter Barbie as well.
I believe adults can fall into the prey of junk food ads as well. Especially when the commercials show the feature of brining families together. I did a search for “Oreo cookie commercial 2011,” and I got videos of Oreo commercials from France, Venezuela, Romania, Thailand, India, and Australia all bringing together parents, siblings and even pets closer. All the commercials showed how the process of “twist, lick and dunk” brought everyone together. Which parent wouldn’t want to be closer to their children by an easy process of eating an Oreo cookie. This is the reason why I feel it’s important for me to focus on how I can get children to make healthy choices for themselves rather than rely on the parents to make healthy eating choices for them.
Why focus on children? Because for the most part, children control the parents. I have seen so many parents give in to their children’s demands for so many different reasons. They don’t want to hear them cry, they don’t want them to be hurt, they don’t have the patience to deal with them and talk to them, etc. If children are voluntarily picking up the healthy snacks because they want to, won’t it make life so much easier for those parents who just can’t be bothered? Wouldn’t it have been easier if there was a packaging that I was excited about that contained healthy food?
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hy are children attracted to junk food? Are parents always to blame? Would children voluntarily reach for something healthy, if the content was packaged to their liking? Packaging products with famous cartoon characters are what children are attracted to. The use of television and movie characters on food packaging is designed to access certain feelings, memories and associations. If you associate certain products with things that are considered fun, it’s going to make those products seem more desirable. Information on packaging can also be deceiving. I saw a Baby Ruth bar that had a big flashy type of it saying it contains “4 grams of protein.” A Baby Ruth bar consists of chocolate, caramel, and peanuts We need protein for our everyday diet so we assume it’s good. But we don’t recognize how much sugar, salt, saturated fat it contains. On the back of the Baby Ruth bar, in small print, it says “peanuts are a good source of protein.” So the whole 4 grams of protein came from only the peanuts. I think if I were presented with peanuts, I would have eaten more than the amount of peanuts than what is in the Baby Ruth bar, therefore getting more than 4 grams of protein. Through my project of designing healthy food packaging for kids, I want healthy food packaging to be desirable for children. In a study published in the journal “Pediactrics,” 40 children between the ages 4 to 6 were provided with samples of graham crackers, gummy fruit snacks, and baby carrots. Each pair of sample foods was indentical down to the clear packaging, except that one of the packages had a sticker of Shrek, Dora the Explorer or Scooby Doo on it while the other did not. Between 50 to 55 percent of the children said that the food with the sticker on it tasted better than the same food in the plain package (the percentage varied with each food). And between 73 to 83 percent selected the food in the character packaging as the only one they would prefer to eat as a snack. I would like to take this test and apply to healthy snack packaging. Will children pick the healthy snack if the packaging was to their liking?
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designed a fruit snack. I added a handle to make it easier for children to carry to school, trips or where ever they want to go. It’s easy to open so they don’t have to fiddle with closing the box. Each box is unique according to its flavor of the content. The colors are bright and can easily attract children. I steered away from focusing on the organic design of light colors. Instead I focused more on the childrens aspect of colors and graphics. The package also comes with special prizes which can be found in-
side the box. Each box contains a piece of fruit relevant to the package and stands out making it easy for children to find. One of the prize are point which children will collect and redeem it for prizes. The other one is where they can have to go to their local Farmer’s Market and redeem it for a fruit. I’m hoping through this, they will learn to about fruits and vegetables and will be encouraged to buy local and organic product as they become adults. The Farmer’s Market can also be a school trip. The teachers can encourage children to buy Fruitilicioius and it can be a trip that the children take together to their Farmer’s Market. Each individual packaging also contains “Fun Facts” about the fruit itself. The box also contains short, one line “Fun Facts.” I’m hoping through this, the children will learn about fruits and the importance of consuming them. Learning short facts are easier to remember than a long lesson of the benefits of fruits. My new package design isn’t to cure obesity just by snacking. I’m hoping through this the children will opt out for a healthy snack even if they don’t realize it’s healthy. In a way, I want to trick the children into snacking healthy through package design. Through a new snack package design, my goal is to create healthy snack habits in children which they can pass onto their children when they are adults.
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Logo
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Front
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Back
Package where the food contains front
back
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Promotional Material found inside the box front
back
front
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back
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29) “Clogged Arteries (Arterial Plaque)” http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/clogged-arter-
aging-to-teens-health 15 Feb. 2012
ies-arterial-plaque
16) “French Chef Takes on Country’s Rise in Junk Food” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
30) “Red Dye 40 : To Eat or Not to Eat?” http://www.child-behavior-guide.com/red-dye-40.
foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/9055245/French-chef-takes-on-countrys-rise-in-junk-food.
html
html 1 Feb 2012, by Henry Samuel
31) “Surprise Ingredients in Fast Food” http://www.naturalnews.com/022194.html 3 Nov.
17) “CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21” http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/
2007 by John Andrews
32) “Artificial Sweeteners” http://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/page9.htm
52) “What Are The Common Toxic Chemicals Found In Junk Food?” http://www.blurtit.com/
33) “Junk Food Facts” http://www.buzzle.com/articles/junk-food-facts.html
q320146.html
34) “Ice Cream Anyone?” http://dherbs.com/articles/ice-cream-52.html
53) “Morbid Obesity Statistics http://www.obesitydoctor.net/morbid-obesity-statistics.htm
35) “What’s In Your Food?” http://co-creatinghealth.com/blog/2010/01/20/whats-in-your-
54) “10 Dangerous Diet Pill Ingredients and Why to Avoid Them” http://voices.yahoo.
food-2/ 1 Jan 2010 by Issa
com/10-dangerous-diet-pill-ingredients-why-avoid-5374941.html?cat=5 2 Feb 2010 by Ann
36) “Obesity Health Risks” http://web4health.info/en/answers/ed-other-obesity-risks.htm
Olson
37) “Overweight and Obesity” http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/health.html
55) “The Susan Salter Review” http://susansalterreview.com/index.php?option=com_content
38) “Definition of Diseases Related to Obesity” http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.
&view=article&id=70&Itemid=84 by Eric Schlossler
asp?articlekey=3059
56) “Fun Facts, Apple Varieties, Growing Apples, Apple Eaters” http://marylandsbest.net/ar-
39) “Diseases That List Obesity As a Risk Factor” http://www.livestrong.com/article/106769-
ticle.php?i=104
diseases-list-obesity-risk-factor/#ixzz1tLD3df1o http://www.livestrong.com/article/106769-
57) http://londonstrawberryfestival.com/facts.htm
diseases-list-obesity-risk-factor/ 14 Apr. 2012 by Marcy Brinkley
58) http://www.realblueberries.com/bowerman-blueberries-blueberry-facts.htm
40) “Costly Calories:: How Much Do We Spend on Diets?” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
59) http://www.dole.com/SuperKids/Encyclopedia/Facts/tabid/831/Default.
id/7432448/ns/health-fitness/t/costly-calories/#.T5vvVpiQnzY 13 Apr. 2005 by Leah Hoff-
aspx?contentid=2524
mann and Lacey Rose
Video:
41) “Diet Industry Is Big Business” http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18563_162-2222867.html
1) “Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize Wish: Teach Every Child About Food” http://www.youtube.
11 Feb 2009 by Melissa McNamara
com/watch?v=go_QOzc79Uc 12 Feb 2010 by TEDtalksDirector
42) “Diet Pills: What You Need to Know” http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medica-
2) Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution
tion/diet-pill3.htm by Stephanie Watson
Movies:
43) “How Dieting Works” http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/
1) Fast Food Nation. by Richard Linklater and Eric Schlosser. 2006; Fox Searchlight Pictures.
diet.htm by Marshall Brain
2) The Future of Food. 2007; Virgil Films
44) “Type 2 Diabetes in Children” http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/type-2-diabetes-in-
3) Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. 2011; Gravitas
children/DS00946
4)Forks Over Knives. 2011; Virgin Films
45) “Experts: Most Type 2 Diabetes Can be Stopped in Childhood http://www.usatoday.com/
5) Fat Head. 2009, Gravitas
news/health/2009-06-21-kids-diabetes_N.htm 22, 2010 by Mary Brophy Marcus
Books:
46) “Type 2 Diabetes in Children” http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0n_d00.htm
Brown, John. The Adventures of Willow. New York: Random House, 2003. 1) Donsky, Andrea; Boyer, Randy; Tsakos, Lisa. Unjunk Your Junk Food: Healthy Alternatives to Conventional Snacks., 2007
47) “GM Diet Plan – Wonder Soup:” http://www.gmdietplan.com/gm-diet-plan-wonder-soup. htm 48) “10 Weird and Gross Ingredients in Processed Food” http://webecoist.momtastic. com/2009/05/08/10-weird-and-gross-ingredients-in-processed-food/ 49) “Are You Skinny Fat?!” http://blog.dailyburn.com/are-you-skinny-fat/ 27 Apr 2010 by Andy 50) http://www.adverbox.com/ads/lays-sensations/ 51) “How much does an American spend on health care each year?”http://wiki.answers.
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com/Q/How_much_does_an_American_spend_on_health_care_each_year
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