In America, there are 61.5 million children that are under the age of 14. This represents one of the biggest segment of the market that businesses have started to target since the 90’s. Today’s kids represent one of the dominant demographics to be captured. In addition, the children of today will be the adults of tomorrow. If the addiction starts early, it tends to define the future behavior of the adults. That is why children in the US spend $40 billion each year on toys, electronics, snacks and other staff, with the money their parents give to them. A child has a very powerful influence on their parents’ spending.

Obesity is the greatest threat to health, bigger than smoking

“Obesity is a bigger global health threat than tobacco use” sais Oliver De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur, in Time Magazine. This statement was given in the opening of the 2014 W.H.O.’s Summit (World Health Organisation). And as people start to comprehend the dangers of obesity, they need to start doing something to fight against it.

In fact, in 1980 in a class of 25 children you could find as much as one obese child. Today the ratio has changed in the other direction. From a class of 25 children, at least 15 are overweight. It has become “normal” to have some extra pounds and to be fluffy. For example, in a study done on 60.000 people shows that obesity has lead to more doctor visits than smoking. America, Canada and Mexico are neck on neck, showing that one-quarter of the adult population is obese.  It is important to realise that large number of people are directly affected by obesity and the effects of obesity, such as:

These are the effects of stealth marketing

Kids today are literally being deceived into believing that the feel comfortable destroying their body by consuming junk food. The whole obesity problem is no “accident”. Marketing to children slowly has become a full-blown science. Ads today are designed especially to make your child ask you over and over again for an individual product until their addiction is satisfied. In the last 30 years, the budgets for marketing have grown exponentially alongside technology. Today, kids are exposed to intelligent marketing via all methods possible: brand licensing, placement of the product, stealth marketing, schools, viral marketing, games, and most of all, over the internet.

Junk food marketing alters food preferences long-term

Junk food advertising works. It works so well that it makes you think that it is what you really desire and not that it is a suggested desire. And most affected are the children, because their minds and habits are still developing.

In addition, studies have shown that with each measured increase in processed food, the participants suffered a 1.67-point decrease in IQ. And who is the first culprit? SUGAR. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine, and it can be found in 99 percent of junk foods. Be aware of sugars. Keep yourself and your children away from junk food and try to eat as much home made foods as possible.