Advertisements for food: Do they bother you? Have you ever tried avoiding them?
Let me preface this by saying I have nothing against television or the media in general. When I get home from a day's work & my gym workout, and plop down with a reheated dinner at 9 PM, there's nothing I like better for relaxing than to flip through a glossy magazine that came in today's mail, or to watch "RuPaul's Drag Race" or "What Not to Wear" or whatever else mindless fun appeals to me on my cable menu.
But I have wondered if, when I am feeling vulnerable & shakey & liable to overeat unhealthily, I should completely avoid magazines & TV & declare a "media-free" evening or day or maybe even the entire week.
I think the luscious food porn in photographs & film is not my friend. Some of these foods, I wouldn't even have in my mind if some advertisement hadn't put them there.
I wonder if people who live more media-free lives & limit television are less subject to these stimulating images & thus make healthier choices. I wonder if part of the obesity epidemic is caused by the proliferation of these images.
I believe in freedom of speech. I don't want to ban food advertising by any means. But I think, personally, sometimes I have to just say "No. No more, for now. I refuse to look/listen."
Is that true for anyone else here? How do you feel about food advertising? Do you think it has triggered you? Have you ever tried restricting it or avoiding it entirely, to help yourself get by?
I actually have a PVR (personal video recorder) so I tape 99% of the shows I want to watch and then watch them at a later date/time and fast-forward the food commercials (actually all the commercials but food in particular). I cannot stand to watch food commercials - Dairy Queen is the worst for me... and it never fails to amaze me that during shows like Biggest Loser and other weightloss shows they have SOOOO many food commercials!!!!
I’ve never tried restricting it, no, but I’ve noticed that if I see something on tv or in a magazine, it gets stuck in my head (as far as food). And if the commercial is especially funny or catchy, it’s worse somehow! For instance, whenever I see one of those Sonic commercials, I start thinking about their wonderful mozzarella sticks and a big Route 44 coke…..
They bother me a lot! I can be perfectly in control and see an add with some dessert or a greasy hamburger or pizza and my cravings kick in with a vengeance. I can't even watch the Food Network because it makes me want to eat.
I fast forward through food related commercials if I'm watching something recorded or mute it and look away or change the channel.
From a purely scientific perspective it really is interesting how our brains are wired to want what we see. And it's a shame that the companies pushing this stuff do their best to exploit that weakness.
I create ads for a restaurant, so I can't avoid them!
However, keep in mind that during a shoot, food is sprayed, injected, sticky tacked and manipulated to look its best - you would NEVER want to eat the actual item used in the commercial. If you can, imagine all of the hands and gross substances that are actually on the item you are seeing... trust me, ya don't want it!
Last edited by Shytowngal; 02-02-2010 at 02:24 PM.
Also wanted to add: even knowing what these images actually go through, I still overindulged... otherwise I wouldn't have gotten up to 195! So I feel your pain. My last post is how I picture the food now though.
I'm not sure why, but I seem to be dissociated from it. I can watch it and even enjoy thinking about the food, but it doesn't really make me want to go find or buy it (unless it's something I want to add to my diet). My problem is when the actual food is right there in front of me. That's when I eat things I never otherwise even think about.
Sometimes it is hard to avoid being affected. A while ago, after seeing some TV commercials for McD's, I had horrible craving for McD's pancakes. So I had them twice on one of my trips to Chicago. Not that I am proud of it, but when you drive for 10+ hours non-stop (and with dogs in the car) there is no time for detours off the interstate so I just eat at the rest areas. It's funny actually, because I think prior to that I had those pancakes maybe 10 years ago for the last time, and I never even thought about them. But all of sudden I just had to have them.
For me it doesn't even have to be a visual image. I'm a big reader and sometimes a character will eat something that then lingers in my head. It used to always lead me to cooking/eating that very food within the next 24 hours. Now I still notice that my brain wants to collect the image and create a craving, but I tell it to knock it off or make myself a healthy or small portion version of the item.
They don't bother me in that way because most of these commercials are trying to sell fried animal flesh, which as a vegan.. I have no desire to eat. And most of the time, I turn the volume off the TV when any sort of commercial comes on anyway.
The ads don't really bug me too much. I can watch them, even think "that looks/sounds good!" and not have it trigger a craving. I do have a DVR and get to fast forward through alot of the commercials tho, so maybe that has something to do with it. The only time they really get to me is when I'm pregnant.
Food Network shows on the other hand are an issue. Especially the ones full of yummy greasy fried foods like "Diners, Drive ins and Dives" and Down Home with the Neelys.
I call it food porn too! From that, you can probably guess that they make me crazy. I agree with the poster that has difficulty with Dairy Queen. The only ones that are worse for me are the pizza ones, doesn't matter what chain, all of them make me crazy. I have to look away. Luckily, I have DVR, so I watch mostly recorded TV, but sometimes that pizza porn just sneeks in!
Advertisements for food: Do they bother you? Have you ever tried avoiding them?
