persuasive speech about unhealthy food

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• Speech on Junk Food

Introduction

Over the years, the intake of junk food among the young age groups has only increased. Adolescents especially are the ones who are on the margin of high consumption of junk food. Any type of food that has more harmful ingredients like less nutrition-rich food is considered to be junk. Junk food according to research has shown that when regularly consumed it can cause severe damage to the health of an individual. In this article Speech On Harmful effects of junk food and speech on health hazards of junk food is discussed to help you get a better understanding of different ways of speech writing on junk food. The much-relished fast foods also fall under the umbrella of junk food. And to keep healthy one must keep at bay from such food. Different ways to deliver this message can be a long speech on avoiding junk food or a short speech on saying no to junk food.

Long and Short Speech on Junk Food 

Long speech on junk food.

This form of the long speech on junk food is extremely helpful for students in grades 8-12 who are assigned to deliver a 5-minute speech. 

Good morning to everyone present here, respected Principal, teachers, and my dear friends, I am Abc (mention your name) here to speak about a topic we know of but not entirely that is junk food. Yes, aren’t we all aware of the delicious junk food. In fact, we eat more junk food than healthy food without realizing what the consequences will be. 

Before going ahead let me ask you all a question about your breakfast habits. Do you actually take the time to consider what you eat as the most important meal like having fruits, toast, idli, dosa, etc or do you just buy something like a heavy cheesy sandwich from our canteens? I am certain we all act according to our convenience without considering the effects on our health.

It is indeed the changing times that we have been totally neglectful towards what we put into our bodies. Especially in metropolitan cities and towns where there is a surplus of junk food available it is more likely that everyone will consume it more. The main reason for it being so much in demand is because of its cheap price which is the perfect fit for teenagers and youngsters for the affordability of these products. 

Another main reason apart from being available for affordable prices is its delicious taste. Because of this very reason, it has more repeat value for the young kids and they seem to form an addiction to such kinds of foods. The other attracting quality of this junk food is that it is readily available at all times. Be it on the streets or now even in fast-food restaurants. So people find it extremely convenient to either eat on-site or even take away because it takes very little time to prepare.  

Junk in itself means waste and junk food also contains all the waste and unwanted additives and ingredients with high calories because of fat and sugar that is added in abundance. It also lacks everything good that is required for the body to function properly as the proper quantity of protein, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. It also contains trans-fats that are truly damaging in the long term and even in the short term period. 

These full of fats junk foods are, fried chicken, pizza, burger, noodles, pasta, hot dogs, potato chips like lays, puffcorn, popcorn, doughnuts, french fries, icecreams, tacos, cookies, and pancakes and as I mention this I am fully aware that there are many of our favorite food items in these. And while one can enjoy these once in a while and should not be consumed regularly. This is because it can lead to obesity, which will hamper appetite and digestion. 

And eventually lead to lethargy, inactive lifestyle, and depression. All of this in no way sounds kind to the children’s growth and development. Even though there are many KFC outlets and pizza outlets we must keep in mind that we are what we eat and avoid visiting such restaurants that serve so much junk food. Instead, go for fruits and vegetable vendors and exercise into a healthy lifestyle and healthy body. These small changes can lead to so many beneficial outcomes and we must start immediately. Start living a good life and stay healthy.

Short Speech on Junk Food

This kind of speech on junk food is short and hence can be extremely beneficial for students in grades 4-8 who can deliver a simple speech and cover all the important points.

Good morning all, respected Principal, teachers, and my dear friends today I am here to speak on the topic of junk food. Junk food is termed junk food because all the components in it are waste, unhealthy and unimportant. These components are oil, trans fats instead of the good omega fats, sugar, fats, calories, minimal to no proteins, and fibers. 

Even with so many problems, the endorsement of it is very alluring. Junk food, mostly fast foods, are easily available on the streets. It is charged at a reasonable price so even the young ones are buying without any issues and since it is also delicious it is very appealing. 

We learn the components that have to be consumed for a healthy body and the food chart clearly mentions consuming less of all the components that are abundantly present in junk food. Yet we keep falling prey to such false advertisements of burgers, biryanis, pizzas, pasta, chips, and noodles.  

The problem with all of this is not the availability of it and the accessibility of the junk food; it is how regularly the choice of eating such unhealthy food is being made instead of the good homemade and fine food.

Our health is in our own hands, and we can make the choice to either destroy it or conserve and preserve it to live a long and healthy life. Let us all make this choice sooner rather than later so we do not regret our decisions when we have diabetes, obesity, depression, heart diseases, cholesterol early in our lives. The time is now to make healthy choices and let us pledge to do so by avoiding harmful foods that damage our health and body.

Thank you.  

10 Lines Speech on Junk Food

This is a short speech on saying no to junk food especially helpful for the students in grades 1-3 highlighting the harmful effects of junk food.

The cause of the rising obesity and a lethargic lifestyle among teenagers and the youth is the heavy consumption of junk food. 

The components of junk food are very harmful and lead to serious illnesses.

It is not body-friendly and causes an increase in fat levels of the body, which leads to cholesterol, blood pressure, heart diseases, obesity, and depression.

Such foods even though delicious are damaging. And the deliciousness can be appealing to the tongue since everyone seems to relish its taste but not to the body and its functions. 

Certain types of junk foods are chips, fried foods like deep-fried samosa, fried chicken, noodles, pasta, burgers, french fries, etc.

They have trans-fats and an immense quantity of oil, and sugar that is very difficult to digest.

It has no proteins, fibers, good minerals, and vitamins.

It hampers the digestive system by destroying the digestive juices and thus reducing the metabolism.

With so many problems children suffer from a lack of growth and development and start leading a lethargic and inactive life.

Hence one must say no to junk food and yes to healthy dietary foods that keep us safe and help us live longer. And one must encourage others to opt for such healthy lifestyle changes as well.

Intake of junk food is very harmful to one’s health. We all know that. It has always been an issue. But, with the passage of time, it has become more of a bigger issue. This is due to the fact that the consumption of such foods has witnessed tremendous growth. And the big part of the statistics is that more and more teens and adolescents have been consuming them in increased amounts every year. There are many studies that have some very thought-provoking statistics. 

Importance of a Speech on Junk Food

Various studies show the very consequences that have surfaced after so much consumption of junk food. As a result, it is a very important topic for schools to discuss with the students. And what better way to do that than with a speech from a fellow student?

Yes, many schools have been leaning towards the idea of starting a conversation with their students on the topic of the extreme consumption of junk food. Their fellow classmates, then not only listen to it but also pay attention to it. With accessibility to Junk Food in almost every corner of the city and on every road, it is hard to be ignored. And hence, it is significant that the students are educated in this area so as to lead a healthy lifestyle.

FAQs on Speech on Junk Food

1. How frequently should one have junk food?

It is advised by various healthcare experts and doctors for one to not have junk food regularly. One can go on consuming it in moderation, once or twice a week, but not more than that. But regular consumption can be bad for one’s health. One must also ensure to replace their junk food with substitutes that are healthy instead. Experts also claim that with the decreased rate of consumption of junk food, one can stay healthy for longer. This will also help them with preventing various diseases, which may happen now or later in their life.

2. What should a speech on junk food contain?

Promoting a healthy diet via a speech on junk food might be easy. All one has to do is speak a bunch of words about how junk food is bad for their health. However, the case with such a speech is that it is focussed more on the facts about junk food. What one needs to do is provide a proper solution to the problem. With that kept in mind, one can showcase the health effects of a balanced diet. They can count a few substitutes that can be used or much healthier counterparts that can be consumed instead of junk food. They can also give advice on how healthy food can also be made tasty with the help of some spices.

3. How can one promote having a healthy diet in a speech on junk food?

4. Where can I get more information about how to give a speech on junk food?

A speech on junk food for students is something that is pretty easy. However, it is the delivering part of the speech that might get tricky. In such a case, one can always ask their teacher for help. Another one who can come to their rescue is Vedantu, where they can easily get so many pointers that can help them nail their speech. From a short speech to a long speech, Vedantu helps the students with giving their best speech in English.

5. Who can guide the students to give a speech on junk food in English?

Students who are about to give a speech require some much-needed guidance when it comes to delivering a speech. With such a task, a teacher can act as their mentor, their guide and help them do the deed with confidence. They can help the students at every stage, from preparing the speech with the help of Vedantu to rehearsing their enunciation of words. The students must be well in terms of the language they are giving the speech in as well, in this case, it is English.

Dietary Consumption: Strategies for Healthy Eating Essay (Speech)

General Goal: To persuade.

Specific Goal: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy eating.

Central Idea: People should incorporate healthy eating in their diets contrary to which it increases the risk of developing various diseases.

Introduction

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that, while eating nutritious food is essential for enhancing your health, most people consume an unhealthy diet thus increasing the risk of contracting various diseases such as cancer, reduced brain functioning, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, or being generally obese or overweight (CDC, 2021a). Most people fall into this category, not because they lack the knowledge about healthy eating, but because they chose to ignore the recommended nutritious consumption.

Reveal Your Topic

Today, I will highlight some strategies of healthy eating against which failure to follow them would be detrimental to your health.

Motivate the Audience to Listen

Probably, you are thinking that you have been eating unhealthy food and nothing has happened to you. Yet, you may not have experienced some of the risks of poor diet, I am here to illustrate to you why you should always have healthy nutrition to boost your health and avoid common diseases that you could develop in the span of your life.

Credibility Statement

While I am not a qualified doctor or nutritionist, I have conducted ample and elaborate research on the strategies for healthy eating.

Today, I will explore three strategies of healthy eating, their benefits, and consequences if not properly followed.

• I will first talk about vegetables and fruits
• Then, I will talk about proteins and carbohydrates
• Finally, I will discuss saturated fats and sugar

Now that I have given you an overview of my topic today, let’s explore my first major point.

It is recommended that we consume vegetables and fruits regularly to stay healthy.

Consumption of vegetables is integral to the health of our bodies:

• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that people should eat more vegetables to boost their health and prevent themselves from chronic diseases (DietaryGuidelines.gov., 2020).
• Surprisingly, only 9% of the people consumed the recommended portions of vegetables in their diet (CDC, 2021b).
• In their book, Vegetables: Importance of Quality Vegetables to Human Health , Asaduzzaman and Asao (2018) illustrate that failure to consume the recommended amounts of vegetables in daily meals is associated with increased risk of cancer and stroke.
• Moreover, Asaduzzaman and Asao (2018) expound that lack of proper intake of vegetables causes vitamin deficiency diseases such as scurvy (lack of vitamin C) and Sclerosis (lack of vitamin A).

Consumption of fruits is highly encouraged as one of the major eating habits that all people should embrace.

• In its 2019 publication, World Health Organization (WHO) explains that fruit intake is associated with disease prevention as it enhances the immunity of our bodies.
• Furthermore, WHO (2019) highlights that fruits reduce the risk of adiposity in adolescents and young children.
• As its publication shows, failure to take appropriate amounts of fruits leads to increased risk for various diseases such as myocardial infarction.
• WHO emphasizes that lack of adequate fruit servings in the meals could cause different types of cancer.
• While fruits are crucial in our nutritious feeding, only 12% of Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits (CDC, 2021b).

TRANSITION: Now that we have talked about vegetables and fruits, let us delve into proteins and carbohydrates.

Proteins and carbohydrates are essential for our bodies

While some people could be vegetarians, the need for proteins in dietary consumption is crucial.

• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 indicate that proteins could be obtained from animals such as poultry, meat, seafood, and dairy or plant sources for vegetarians (DietayGuidelines.gov., 2020).
• Nutrition scholars, Shan et al. (2019) state that proteins are essential to repair body cells besides promoting growth and development in pregnant women, children, and teenagers.
• Failure to consume the recommended amounts of protein causes various diseases.
• As Shan et al. (2019) explain, insufficient protein in the body leads to impaired mental health, muscle-tissue shrinkage, weak immune system, marasmus, and ultimately, total organ failure.

Carbohydrates

• In their article, nutritionists, Shan et al. (2019) note that carbohydrates are needed in the body as a source of the energy we use to perform daily activities.
• Therefore, it is important to consume the required portions of carbohydrates for our muscles, brain, and other body parts to function normally.
• According to Shan et al. (2019), failure to meet the recommended carbohydrate intake leads to low blood sugar causing hypoglycemia.
• Furthermore, Shan et al. (2019) present that carbohydrates deficiency results in ketosis, characterized by bad breath, mental fatigue, joint pains, headache, and nausea.

TRANSITION: Let us now talk about the last major point in my speech, saturated fats, and sugars

It is imperative to avoid saturated fats and sugars

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 recommend that people should limit the consumption of saturated fats to live healthy lives.

• The food we consume must stay within one’s calorie needs for our bodies to operate normally.
• People are not supposed to eat excess calories beyond the levels recommended in the Dietary Guidelines.
• The Dietary Guidelines call upon Americans to consume foods with the least amounts of saturated fats (less than 10% of the total calories consumed per day, DietaryGuidelines.gov, 2020).
• CDC (2021a) reports that excessive saturated fats cause higher levels of blood cholesterol eventually leading to heart diseases or stroke.

Besides, the Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans’ choice of beverages and single food should be nutrient-dense but, with no added processed sugars.

• A healthy dietary habit limits the amount of processed sugars to fewer than 10% of the total calories consumed daily (DietaryGuidelines.gov, 2020).
• CDC (2021a) posits that consumption of sugar is the root cause of type 2 diabetes, well as increased risk of heart disease and obesity among Americans.

TRANSITION TO CLOSE: As I conclude my speech today, I would like to remind you that the principal capital asset in our lives in good health.

Re-State Central Idea

Incorporating healthy eating in our diets is critical but, lack of it increases the risk of developing the various disease.

Today we have talked about strategies of healthy eating, their benefits, and consequences if not properly followed.

• First, we talked about vegetables and fruits
• Then, we explored proteins and carbohydrates
• Finally, we discussed about saturated fats and sugar

Tie Back to Audience

I hope as you leave this place today, you have appropriate information that would encourage you to observe healthy eating habits.

Closure Statement

While most people have the necessary information we need about dietary consumption; nutrition-related diseases are on the rise. From today, everyone must take full responsibility for their eating habits.

Asaduzzaman, M., & Asao, T. (Eds.). (2018). Vegetables: Importance of quality vegetables to human health . BoD–Books on Demand.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021a). Poor nutrition. CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Web.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021b). Only 1 in 10 adults get enough fruits or vegetables . Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Web.

DietaryGuidelines.gov. (2020). Dietary Guidelines for Americans , 2020-2025. Web.

Shan, Z., Rehm, C. D., Rogers, G., Ruan, M., Wang, D. D., Hu, F. B.,… & Bhupathiraju, S. N. (2019). Trends in dietary carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake and diet quality among US adults, 1999-2016 . Jama , 322 (12), 1178-1187. Web.

World Health Organization. (WHO, 2019). Sustainable healthy diets: guiding principles . Food & Agriculture Org. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 27). Dietary Consumption: Strategies for Healthy Eating. https://ivypanda.com/essays/strategies-for-healthy-eating-persuasive-speech/

"Dietary Consumption: Strategies for Healthy Eating." IvyPanda , 27 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/strategies-for-healthy-eating-persuasive-speech/.

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1. IvyPanda . "Dietary Consumption: Strategies for Healthy Eating." October 27, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/strategies-for-healthy-eating-persuasive-speech/.

Bibliography

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List of Persuasive Speech Topics on Food

Jessica shockney.

A persuasive speech about food will be a speech that listeners can relate to and therefore will be interested in. Persuasive speeches involves influencing an audience to accept your idea through the use of argumentation, rationalization, symbolism and factual support of claims. You should pick a topic that you are knowledgeable in and believe in.

Explore this article

• Never Eat Fast Food
• Eat Healthy Breakfast
• Dine In Instead of Eating Out
• Eating Organic

1 Never Eat Fast Food

A persuasive speech on the harmful affects of fast food on your health should include a lot of facts. Use a variety of fast food chains for your examples and discuss the sodium, fat, sugar and calorie levels of those items in comparison to the recommended daily intake. Clips from the documentary "Super Size Me" can be used as visual aids throughout your speech. This documentary examines the effect of fast food on a person's health.

2 Eat Healthy Breakfast

A speech outlining why breakfast is the most important meal of the day can encourage your listeners to start their day off right. Consider constructing a chart comparing sugary cereals and high-fat breakfast meats to oatmeal, lean meats and egg substitutes. Include facts on how skipping breakfast or eating an unhealthy breakfast can affect your health. For instance, studies show that breakfast plays an important role in maintaining body weight.

3 Dine In Instead of Eating Out

The benefits of dining in include saving money, healthier options, portion control, reduction of temptation and increased family time. However, in persuasive speeches it is important to show opposing opinions and counter those arguments. Construct your speech in an argument-reaction format, summing up why dining in is overall better than eating out at the end of your speech.

4 Eating Organic

This is a wide topic that can be broken down into sub-categories or separate speeches. Eating organic helps small farmers, is good for the earth and has many health benefits. If you choose to use all of these facts in your speech stay organized by using an outline. Consider creating a timeline following two food items such as organic beef versus processed beef, start from the birth of the animal, through raising, packaging and consumption. Using this as your guide will give you the opportunity to discuss all of the benefits of organic food.

• 1 Internet Movie Database: Super Size Me

About the Author

Jessica Shockney started writing professionally in 2010 for various websites, specializing in the hospitality industry. Having been a professional with expertise in restaurant management, Shockney brings her knowledge of business management and interpersonal relationships. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in business psychology from Stevenson University.

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Speech On Healthy Food Habits [1,2,3 Minutes]

Food is one of the crucial parts of life. It is the source of energy in our life. here given below are the 3 best Speech On Healthy Food Habits which are divided into 1, 2 and 3 minutes for the school students.

There is a famous saying that health is wealth . If we think deeply about this saying, it is very correct because without having good health one can’t enjoy his/her life to the fullest. This is why everyone should develop the right eating pattern that is healthy for physical and mental health.

1-Minute Speech on Healthy Food Habits

Before beginning my speech on healthy food habits I would like to wish Greetings and salutations to everyone present here. It is a pleasure to me having a chance to speak on healthy food habits.

Having food is a basic activity of all human beings. Our health and fitness are directly proportional to our food habits. But sometimes we are not well aware of what to eat and what to not. Today, it is very easy to develop healthy food habits. Healthy food habits are simply those eating practices that are good for our physical and mental health.

We tend to eat delicious and tasty food without knowing how healthy or unhealthy it is for our health. But it is not so difficult to know about the nutritional value of any specific food item. You can google about that and you will get a lot of information about it.

There is a lot to say but time is limited and we must respect time.

Thank you all for listening to me!

2-Minute Speech on Healthy Food Habits

We all are taught from childhood about healthy food habits because health is considered one of the most crucial parts of life. A rich human without good health can not live his life to the fullest. That is why it is said that “health is wealth”

Today, there is a trend of packaged food. Packaged food is not very bad but excessive use of anything is harmful. These packages can spark curiosity about nutrition when we see the backside of these packets. The food safety department directs these companies to write down the nutritional value behind the packet.

To develop healthy food habits, one needs to understand what our body needs to be healthy. Of course, they are some vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates etc. But one does not need to worry about these. One can follow some simple methods to be healthy.

• Avoid eating junk food a lot
• Avoid eating processed food
• Avoid packaged food
• Don’t drink cold drinks a lot
• Eat one food item at a time
• Take your meals at the proper time
• Drink a lot of water
• Drink milk and healthy shakes
• Eat green vegetables, and pulses every day
• Eat fruits every day

3- Minute Speech on Healthy Food Habits

So, What are healthy food habits? Healthy food habits are those eating practices that give us good health and keep us away from any type of disease. First of all, we should gather information about healthy foods and unhealthy foods. After we can easily develop healthy food habits.

Food and eating are some of the most discussed topics around the globe. There are millions of dishes to eat and discuss. But have you ever thought about which one of them is healthy for us and which one is unhealthy? We are just involved in eating tasty and delicious food without gathering information about its nutritional value.

At last, To develop healthy food habits, one needs to understand what our body needs to be healthy. Of course, they are some vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates etc. But one does not need to worry about these. One can follow some simple methods to be healthy.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Nutrition — Persuasive Essay On Eating Healthy

Persuasive Essay on Eating Healthy

• Categories: Nutrition Persuasion

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

Words: 968 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

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51 Speech Topic Ideas On Food, Drink, and Cooking

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• Am J Public Health
• v.102(2); Feb 2012

Protecting Young People From Junk Food Advertising: Implications of Psychological Research for First Amendment Law

J. L. Harris wrote the scientific portions of the article, and S. K. Graff wrote the legal portions. Both authors reviewed and provided comments on all sections of the article.

In the United States, one third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, yet food and beverage companies continue to target them with advertising for products that contribute to this obesity crisis.

When government restrictions on such advertising are proposed, the constitutional commercial speech doctrine is often invoked as a barrier to action. We explore incongruities between the legal justifications for the commercial speech doctrine and the psychological research on how food advertising affects young people.

A proper interpretation of the First Amendment should leave room for regulations to protect young people from advertising featuring calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages.

NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE documented the volume and poor nutritional quality of foods and beverages marketed to children and adolescents. The food industry spends more than $1.6 billion per year in child- and teen-targeted marketing of their products. 1 The average child in the United States views 13 food ads on television each day, 2 and food advertising represents approximately 30% of all paid television advertising viewed by children. 3 Food companies also target children directly on the Internet, product packaging, social media, and numerous other marketing venues. 1 Nearly all foods featured in advertising targeted toward young people have high levels of calories, total fat, saturated fat, sugar, or sodium (i.e., they are unhealthy, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods, or “junk” foods) and are often nutritionally inferior to products targeting adults. 4–9

Research has consistently demonstrated the effects of food advertising on children's brand preferences, food choices, and requests to parents. 10,11 Recent studies suggest that food advertising may also have a broader impact on children's and adolescents’ diet and health, including increased consumption of snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fast food 12–14 and higher body mass indexes. 14,15

One third of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or obese, 16 and rates of diet-related diseases among young people are unprecedented. 10,17,18 Public health experts conclude that this epidemic of childhood obesity and poor diet cannot be resolved without dramatic changes in the obesogenic food environment that surrounds young people and to which food advertising is a major contributor. 1,10,19,20

Advocates have proposed a range of public health tools to protect young people from exposure to unhealthy food advertising, including nutrition and media literacy education, public health and industry advertising to promote consumption of healthy foods, industry self-regulation, government legislation and regulation, and litigation. 19 However, education and counteradvertising alone cannot compete with the $1.6 billion spent annually by industry to target young people with continuous reminders about the rewards of consuming primarily unhealthy foods 1,19 ; significant reductions in the volume of unhealthy food advertising directed at young people are necessary.

It is unlikely that the food and beverage industry will voluntarily make these changes. Seventeen food and beverage companies in the United States 21 participate in the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative and have pledged to improve their advertising directed at children; however, these pledges have been criticized for numerous limitations in the types of marketing and products covered. 22 For example, “child-targeted” advertising is defined as advertising that appears in media in which 50% or more of the audience is between the ages of 2 and 11 years, 21 yet this definition excludes many types of media that appeal to and are viewed primarily by nonadults. 22 Similarly, most pledges do not restrict advertising for “better-for-you” foods, 21 but these criteria are defined by the companies themselves and often allow advertising of products high in saturated fat, sodium, or sugar. 22 Evaluations of the effectiveness of these pledges demonstrate minimal improvements at best. 23–26

In the absence of effective industry self-regulation, it is imperative for the government to step in; however, governmental bodies have been timid about attempting to limit young people's exposure to food advertising. 19,27 An oft-cited barrier to action is the constitutional commercial speech doctrine, which affords significant First Amendment protection to advertising, defined by the US Supreme Court as “speech proposing a commercial transaction.” 28 (It is beyond the scope of this article to speculate how courts would parse out which promotional activities involve advertising versus non-speech-related marketing that is unprotected by the First Amendment. Our analysis applies to “advertising” however construed.) The commercial speech doctrine presumes that advertising restrictions harm consumers and the overall economy by obstructing the free flow of information needed to facilitate informed commercial transactions. 19,29

We discuss key premises underlying the commercial speech doctrine and psychological research on how food advertising affects young people. Examining both legal and psychological theories of advertising effects, we demonstrate that the commercial speech doctrine, in its current form, has little relevance to the actual techniques used to encourage the purchase and consumption of nutritionally poor foods by children and adolescents. As applied to unhealthy food advertising to young people, the commercial speech doctrine is outdated and inadequate and should not stand as an impediment to well-crafted government restrictions on such advertising. Although this premise has not been tested in the courts, there should be constitutional room for governments at the local, state, and federal levels to use laws, regulations, and enforcement actions to curb advertising of junk foods to children.

KEY PREMISES OF THE COMMERCIAL SPEECH DOCTRINE

Until the 1970s, the Supreme Court made no distinction between laws restricting advertising and laws governing other standard business practices. Advertising was treated as an economic activity subject to basic public health, safety, and welfare regulations, not as free expression subject to First Amendment protection. 30 This changed in 1976 with the Supreme Court's decision in Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v Virginia Citizens Consumer Council , which struck down a statewide ban on advertisements of prescription drug prices. 31 Virginia Pharmacy marked the emergence of a new commercial speech doctrine that the court has since fleshed out in a line of cases making it increasingly difficult for the government to limit advertisements for products of concern.

The Supreme Court has held that the government's obligation to protect children from harm can be subordinated to corporations’ right to express—and adults’ right to receive—truthful commercial information that is not misleading. 32a The court also has ruled that minors have significant First Amendment rights to be exposed to literary, artistic, and other ideas. 32b However, neither the Supreme Court nor any lower federal court has applied the commercial speech doctrine to a restriction on advertising targeted toward young people. Understanding the 4 key premises of the commercial speech doctrine—advertisers will convey concrete product information, recipients of advertising will use it to make rational decisions, misleading advertising is distinguishable from other advertising, and potentially misleading advertising can generally be cured by disclosures—and how they apply to current food advertising practices is a first step toward resolving the question of whether advertising directed at children or adolescents is protected at all and, if so, whether it is protected to the same degree as advertising aimed at adults.

Product Information

A major emphasis of Virginia Pharmacy was the importance of the free flow of truthful commercial information to individual consumers and society at large. 31 The Supreme Court observed that a particular consumer's interest in the information conveyed by advertising “may be as keen, if not keener by far, than his interest in the day's most urgent political debate.” 31 With regard to prescription drug prices, the court focused on the benefit of advertising to the poor, sick, and elderly, who have scarce dollars to spend on medication and scarce resources to comparison shop. In the court's view, society also has much to gain from the unrestricted flow of commercial information. Advertising is important because,

however tasteless and excessive it sometimes may seem, it is nonetheless dissemination of information as to who is producing and selling what product, for what reason, and at what prices. 31

The presumption that advertising relays information about producers, sellers, product characteristics, and prices underlies the entire line of commercial speech cases that followed Virginia Pharmacy . 28,33 For instance, in the 2001 Lorillard v Reilly case, the Supreme Court struck down a state regulation forbidding tobacco advertisements within 1000 feet of schools in large part because

tobacco retailers and manufacturers have an interest in conveying truthful information about their products to adults, and adults have a corresponding interest in receiving truthful information about tobacco products. 32a

(The current scarcity of tobacco billboards is the result of a litigation settlement between 46 states and the major tobacco companies in which the companies volunteered to abide by certain advertising restrictions that would not necessarily withstand First Amendment scrutiny had they been imposed through regulation. 34 )

Rational Decision Making

A corollary to the Supreme Court's presumption that advertising conveys concrete information is that consumers generally use this information to make logical decisions. The commercial speech doctrine is built on a rational choice theory of behavior. As explained in Virginia Pharmacy , resources in our free enterprise system are allocated through numerous private economic decisions. 31 Public interest requires that “those decisions, in the aggregate, be intelligent and well informed.” 31 Advertising is indispensable because it supports rational economic decisions, which in turn ensure the stability of markets. Thus, individuals who choose to consume calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods are assumed to have made this decision on the basis of their calculation that the immediate gratification of consumption outweighs any negative long-term health consequences.

To be sure, the Supreme Court has recognized in many different contexts 35–37 that children and adolescents do not behave as do rational adults because

juveniles’ lack of maturity and under-developed sense of responsibility…often result in impetuous and ill-considered actions and decisions. 35

Because the court has never applied the commercial speech doctrine to a restriction on advertising directed at young people, it has not confronted the dissonance between the rational choice theory that justifies First Amendment protection of commercial speech and the doctrinal acknowledgment that young people tend to make irrational choices.

Misleading Advertising

The Supreme Court has always been clear that false or misleading advertising is not entitled to First Amendment protection because it serves no informational function. “The public and private benefits from commercial speech derive from confidence in its accuracy and reliability.” 38 Therefore, false or misleading commercial speech can be banned outright to ensure “that the stream of commercial information flow[s] cleanly as well as freely.” 31

The court has been less clear about what, precisely, constitutes “misleading” advertising. The few cases that touch on the question suggest that advertisements are not protected if they have no intrinsic meaning, convey no information, are inherently likely to deceive, or have proven to be misleading in practice. 28,39,40 Federal Trade Commission policy 41 and state consumer protection laws 42 articulate various standards for what constitutes unlawfully misleading or deceptive advertising, but ultimately any federal or state action against misleading or deceptive advertising must be able to pass First Amendment muster.

Potentially Misleading Advertising

Unlike advertising that is misleading, advertising that merely has the potential to mislead receives significant First Amendment protection. The government must be able to show that a restriction on potentially misleading advertising directly advances substantial public goals that can be achieved only by limiting speech. 43 “Because the extension of First Amendment protection to commercial speech is justified principally by the value to consumers of the information such speech provides,” 44 the Supreme Court has historically favored disclosure requirements over flat prohibitions on speech as a remedy to dissipate the possibility of consumer confusion or deception. 44,45

THE “REAL WORLD” OF FOOD ADVERTISING

In the marketplace presumed by the commercial speech doctrine, consumers pay attention to and rationally and deliberately process information presented in advertising communications. They then use this information to make informed purchase decisions. Provided the information is not false, misleading, or deceptive, unrestricted access to product information should contribute positively to the free market. Unfortunately, these assumptions do not reflect food advertising today in at least 3 critical ways: (1) many campaigns are designed to persuade implicitly and specifically bypass rational consideration of product information, (2) messages presented in advertising for nutrient-poor foods provide information about these products and the benefits of consuming them that can mislead children, and (3) children and adolescents do not have the cognitive capacity to rationally consider advertising appeals and reject those not in their long-term interest or the self-regulatory abilities to resist the immediate temptation of the highly palatable foods typically promoted. 46

Selling in the Absence of Information

Marketers distinguish between informational marketing that provides rational benefits and reasons to purchase a product and emotional marketing designed to make the consumer feel good about a product. 47 Increasingly, marketers have learned that they can effectively persuade consumers by presenting implicit messages that entertain and create positive feelings about their products but present no rational product benefits. In a recent analysis of 880 advertising campaigns, Binet and Field concluded that

[t]he more emotions dominate over rational messaging, the bigger the business effects. The most effective advertisements of all are those with little or no rational content. 48 (p132)

In many cases, providing information about concrete product attributes may even reduce the persuasiveness of a message. Companies use psychological techniques to design advertising that triggers powerful emotional responses in consumers ( Table 1 summarizes the psychological processes used to inform these advertising practices). 49–65

TABLE 1—

Implicit Psychological Processes Used in Designing Advertising

Marketers’ ultimate goal is to create a brand image in consumers’ minds, a network of positive associations tied to the brand and its users that will generate lifelong affinity and loyalty for products associated with the brand. 66 Through implicit messages presented in advertising, consumers infer qualities of the brand, including user characteristics, product attributes, and emotional benefits from consuming the brand's products. Even preschoolers understand the meaning of brand images; they believe, for example, that a product in a McDonald's package tastes better than does the same product without a McDonald's wrapper. 67 One market research company described why this advertising to young people is so important:

We are showing that the initial connection and affinity to a brand is made on an emotional level—and that when purchase decision time comes nearer, the young consumer is looking for affirmation for the emotional choice they have already solidified. 68

One of the advantages to marketers of using implicit messages to promote their products is that it allows them to circumvent consumers’ skeptical responses to advertising. 69–71 Because consumers are less aware of implicit advertising effects, they do not actively attempt to counteract them; as a result, these types of advertising can be more persuasive than is direct communication of products and benefits. 69 Many newer forms of advertising are designed specifically to influence “covertly” in this manner. Examples include product placements in which brand images are integrated into the entertainment content of movies, television shows, video games, and music lyrics; advergames, which are Internet games developed by companies to promote their products with continual product reminders throughout the game play; celebrity endorsements and licensed characters in advertising and product packaging; and sponsorships that provide frequent brand logo placement, including logos on curricular materials, scoreboards, and player jerseys in schools. 46,70,71

These advertising messages convey virtually no concrete information and, therefore, do not facilitate conscious, rational decision making about product alternatives. In addition, precisely because they do not provide concrete information, these messages are often more persuasive than are those that do communicate specific product attributes and utility. 48 Although food marketers commonly use implicit techniques in advertising targeted toward all audiences, many are used disproportionately to reach children and adolescents. 1 For example, more than half of food companies’ expenditures on cross promotions, philanthropy tie-ins, event marketing, and product placements target a child or adolescent audience. 1 Soft drink advertising provides a classic example of the power of brand image and emotional advertising. Although blind taste tests have shown that most consumers prefer the taste of Pepsi, neuroimaging studies demonstrate Coke drinkers’ strong emotional attachment to the brand. 72 Coke's recent “Open Happiness” advertising campaign referenced no actual product characteristics. 73

Potentially Misleading Messages in Unhealthy Food Advertising

As discussed, the majority of food advertising viewed by children and adolescents promotes calorie-dense, nutrient-poor products, and most young people encounter these messages numerous times each day. 4,10,11,19 Increasing scientific evidence demonstrates that exposure to the messages presented in food advertising also conveys potentially misleading information. Psychological studies demonstrate that food advertising influences parents’ and children's normative beliefs about what others eat and what they should be able to eat. 74,75 Children's television food advertising typically features happy, energetic children who are not overweight and are consuming unhealthy foods anywhere, at any time. 19 According to social learning theory, 65 food advertising of all forms teaches children that most people regularly consume these unhealthy foods, most parents allow these behaviors, and there are no negative consequences for doing so (i.e., poor health or weight gain).

To correct these potentially misleading messages, media literacy programs and nutrition education are commonly proposed to teach children about the persuasive intent of advertising and the importance of a healthy diet. 76 Most media literacy programs have not been evaluated systematically; however, they are based on the inaccurate assumption that increased understanding of persuasive intent and skepticism about food advertising reduce the effectiveness of such advertising. 46 Recent research has failed to demonstrate a relationship between skepticism about advertising and its effectiveness. In one study, for example, children who participated in a media literacy intervention exhibited greater preferences for the advertised foods discussed in the intervention. 77 For similar reasons, nutrition education is unlikely to counteract the effects of food advertising. Preferences for and consumption of healthy and unhealthy food are not related to accurate nutrition beliefs; young people's food preferences are determined to a large extent by perceived taste. 78–80

Industry might argue that the government could require disclaimers to address potentially misleading information in food advertising; however, knowing that a message is an advertisement or that the food is not nutritious does not reduce the innate desire to consume the highly palatable but poor-quality foods most commonly marketed to young people. Although disclaimers warning of the dangers of consuming foods high in fat, sugar, or sodium have not been tested, research on the effects of warning labels on alcohol and tobacco packaging demonstrates that the text-based warning labels used in the United States have increased knowledge about the potential harmful effects of these substances but have not reduced alcohol or tobacco consumption. 81,82

In one study, adolescents’ knowledge about warning labels on cigarette packaging was paradoxically associated with increased cigarette smoking. 83 In contrast, graphic warning labels used in Australia have been shown to reduce future intent to smoke among adolescents. 84 The amount of packaging devoted to branding messages is significantly reduced to make room for required health messages, and this reduction in branding has a greater impact on smoking behavior than do the warning labels themselves. 85

Young People's Ability to Resist Food Advertising

Given the potential harm associated with exposure to advertising for energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, food advertising to young people can be justified only if they have the rational capacity to resist its influence. However, psychological research consistently demonstrates that children and adolescents often lack this ability. Harris et al. posited that successfully resisting food marketing requires 4 conditions: (1) active attention to advertising stimuli and comprehension of their persuasive intent, (2) an understanding of how one is affected by these stimuli and how to effectively resist, (3) cognitive maturity and fully developed self-regulatory abilities, and (4) the motivation to resist. 46

From preschool through adolescence, numerous developmental barriers limit young people's ability to satisfy these 4 conditions. For example, until the age of 7 or 8 years, children do not have the cognitive capacity to recognize the persuasive intent of advertising required for the first condition. 86 Because they view advertising as simply another source of information and cannot understand that this information might be biased, any advertising targeted toward young children is likely to be misleading and thus not protected by the First Amendment. 29 Older children do have the ability to understand persuasive intent; however, until the age of 11 or 12 years, they require cues to remind them to critically process advertising content. 86 When exposed to advertisements, they do not regularly think about the advertisers’ intent and therefore do not rationally consider the information being presented; as a result, they cannot satisfy the second condition.

Even when children have the knowledge and desire to maintain a healthy diet, they do not yet possess the highly developed behavioral control mechanisms necessary to self-regulate their consumption of innately desirable but nutrient-poor foods in the face of continued reminders from advertising and the ready availability of such foods throughout their environment (the third condition). 87 Although adolescents are highly skeptical of advertising and understand its intent, 88 most adolescents’ brains are not sufficiently developed to enable them to regularly inhibit impulsive behaviors and resist immediate gratification for longer-term rewards, a requirement to successfully resist advertising for highly appealing but unhealthy foods. 89,90 Alcohol and tobacco researchers have consistently demonstrated that adolescents are more susceptible than are adults to advertising for these tempting but harmful products, 89 and more recent studies on food advertising targeting adolescents have begun to show a similar susceptibility. 90

Food marketers also commonly target young people with techniques specifically designed to counteract their motivation to resist advertising messages (the fourth condition). For example, food companies commonly use social media (e.g., promotions on Facebook and Twitter), viral videos on YouTube, and widgets (i.e., small applications that can be downloaded to a computer or cell phone) that exploit the power of peers and encourage young people to send advertising messages to their friends. 5,6 Beloved cartoon characters target children on product packaging and celebrity tie-ins target older children and adolescents 7 ; both are highly effective. 91 Television advertising on children's programming commonly portrays food as a toy or plaything, not something that is actually consumed. 23 Many young people consider food advertising to be fun and cool, 92 key motivations for this age group.

SQUARING THE SCIENCE WITH THE LAW

It is difficult to understand why advertising designed to persuade without consumers’ awareness or developed to appeal specifically to young people's unique vulnerabilities should be afforded commercial speech protection. Most of the food advertising targeting young people provides little information about tangible characteristics of the food itself that can be used to make rational consumer judgments. Instead, food advertising uses powerful psychological techniques to promote positive emotional associations with these hard-to-resist and potentially harmful products.

Therefore, advertising that promotes unhealthy food and beverage products to young people does not correspond to the dichotomy between misleading speech and other speech established by the commercial speech doctrine; assessing these ads with respect to their accuracy and reliability is irrelevant. Much of this advertising appears to fall into the misleading category of unprotected speech because it has no intrinsic meaning, conveys no information, is inherently likely to deceive, or has proven to be misleading in practice. In addition, even if the advertising cannot be proven to be misleading, the potential for harm from overconsumption of the nutrient-poor, calorie-dense products featured substantially outweighs the small, if any, benefit of the advertising for its intended audience (i.e., children and adolescents). Research also demonstrates that disclosures, the remedy often proposed in commercial speech cases, are unlikely to counteract the potentially misleading information presented in food advertising to young people.

Potential Regulation of Food Marketing to Young People

Legislators and regulators at all levels of government should consider testing the limits of the current, inadequate body of First Amendment case law and advancing a constitutional interpretation that accords with scientific reality. How a given government body can test these limits depends on the authority endowed upon it. Congress has the most leeway to enact far-reaching laws aimed at protecting children and adolescents from harmful food marketing, including restrictions on advertising for nutrient-poor products in media targeted at and viewed predominantly by young people.

Of course, Congress would have to define unhealthy food advertising to young people under a given age. Practically, food companies have had no difficulty identifying what constitutes food marketing to children, either as defined in their own Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative pledges 21 or as defined by the Federal Trade Commission for the purposes of its 2008 report, Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities, and Self-Regulation . 1 Legally, any definition that will serve as the basis for government regulation of advertising to young people would have to set a justifiable age cutoff and could not overly impede adults’ access to commercial information. 32a

Certain federal agencies are well positioned to tackle unhealthful food advertising to young people. The Federal Trade Commission could set an important precedent by bringing strategic enforcement actions against unfair and deceptive food advertising, and the Federal Communications Commission could focus on product placements in programming, program-length commercials, and limits on advertising time during programming.

State and local governments have limited jurisdiction to regulate food advertising on media that cross state lines, but they have many options to regulate locally based food sales and promotion. 93 They also have significant flexibility under the First Amendment to limit advertising in schools. 94 In addition, state and local government attorney's offices could file lawsuits alleging that techniques used by food advertisers violate state consumer protection laws.

Conclusions

The United States faces a severe epidemic of obesity and poor diet that adversely affects the health of young people. 10,16–18 Advertising for highly palatable foods that should be consumed in limited quantities contributes to this epidemic and poses unique risks to children and adolescents. 19

Food companies should refrain from advertising unhealthy products intentionally to children and adolescents, but they claim that the commercial speech doctrine allows them to openly and legally target these products to young people using sophisticated psychological techniques that take advantage of their developmental vulnerabilities. This doctrine is based on an outdated understanding of what advertising is and how it affects consumer behavior. To the extent that it stands as a barrier to regulation of junk food advertising to children and adolescents, the commercial speech doctrine must be reconsidered. Well-tailored government actions to restrict food and beverage marketing specifically targeting children should be able to withstand First Amendment scrutiny. For the health of our children, these actions should be taken and, if necessary, tested in the courts.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (through the National Policy & Legal Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity, a project of Public Health Law & Policy, and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity) and the Rudd Foundation.

We thank Seth E. Mermin for his insightful feedback on a draft of this article.

Human Participant Protection

No protocol approval was necessary for this research because no human participants were involved.

Speech on Food

Food, it’s something you interact with every day. It’s not just about quelling hunger, it’s also about taste, nutrition, and culture. In the next few lines, you’ll explore the fascinating world of food.

You’ll uncover how food links us to our past, shapes our identity, and connects us globally. Get ready to savor this delicious journey.

1-minute Speech on Food

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let’s talk about food! Food, a simple four-letter word, is more than just what we eat. It’s a source of life, a symbol of culture, and a celebration of togetherness.

Firstly, food is our fuel. Just like cars need gas to run, our bodies need food to work. It gives us energy to play, study, and do all the things we love. Eating a balanced diet, full of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins, keeps us healthy and strong.

Secondly, food tells a story about who we are and where we come from. Each country, each city, even each home has its own special dishes. These recipes, passed down from generation to generation, are like edible history lessons. They teach us about our ancestors, their lives, and their traditions.

Moreover, food brings us together. Think about it, when we celebrate, we often do it with food. Birthdays have cakes, Thanksgiving has turkey, and festivals around the world are marked with their own special treats. Sharing a meal is a way of sharing love, joy, and friendship.

Lastly, food is a form of creativity. Cooking is like painting, but instead of colors, we use ingredients. We mix and match flavors, creating new dishes that are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat.

In conclusion, food is more than just something we need to live. It’s a part of our identity, our celebrations, and our creativity. So next time you sit down for a meal, take a moment to appreciate all the wonderful things about food.

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2-minute Speech on Food

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we gather to talk about something that touches every life, every day – food. Food is more than just what we eat. It’s a part of who we are, where we come from, and how we live.

Firstly, food is a powerful storyteller. Each dish carries a tale of its origin. Imagine biting into a crunchy taco. That taste, that texture, it’s not just delicious, it’s a story. A story of Mexican culture, of traditions passed down through generations. Every meal we eat tells us something about the world, about different people and their ways of life.

Secondly, food is a universal language. It brings people together. Think about a birthday party or a holiday feast. What’s at the center? A table full of food. Sharing a meal is a way to connect, to understand, and to love. We may not speak the same language, but when we sit down to eat together, we understand each other.

Thirdly, food is a source of energy. It fuels our bodies, keeps us healthy and strong. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins – these aren’t just tasty treats. They’re what our bodies need to run, to play, and to grow. Eating the right food is like putting the best fuel in a car. It helps us perform at our best.

But, not all food is created equal. Some food, like fruits and vegetables, is good for us. Other food, like sugary snacks and fast food, not so much. It’s important to make smart choices about what we eat. Eating healthy doesn’t mean giving up tasty food. It means finding a balance, making sure we get what our bodies need, without forgetting to enjoy what we eat.

Lastly, let’s talk about food waste. Around the world, a lot of food is thrown away every day. This is a problem, not just because people are hungry, but because wasting food is bad for our planet. We can all do our part to reduce food waste. It can be as simple as taking only what we can eat, or using leftovers in a creative way.

In conclusion, food is a part of our lives in so many ways. It tells stories, brings us together, fuels our bodies, and can even help our planet. So, next time you sit down for a meal, take a moment to think about the food on your plate. It’s more than just a meal, it’s a world of stories, connections, and possibilities.

Thank you for your time. Let’s all commit to understanding, appreciating, and respecting the power of food in our lives.

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