The Pitfalls of Advertising…even the good stuff

June 24, 2013June 24, 2013 / ktbuchs87

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that advertising companies know exactly how to reel in consumers, that’s their job. They compile loads of data and research and conduct numerous studies just to find out what makes the general population tick. They want to know EXACTLY what will make you personally buy their product, and they are good at their jobs. The food industry is huge, and marketing strategies are common practice, but what are the effects of all this food advertising?

Children’s Exposure to Food Advertising on TV

Children’s Exposure to PSA on Fitness or Nutrition

Because the food industry and advertisers are smart, they know that their easiest, and most vulnerable, targets are children. If you have ever watched cartoons on a Saturday morning (admit it, you still do), every single commercial is selling something to kids and many of those commercials are selling food. A 2007 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that children in the 2 to 7 age bracket will see 12 food related commercials per day. That would translate to about 30 hours and 4,427 food ads in one year. As children get older, the amount of food ads increases. I don’t know about you but the fact that a child as young as 2 years old is already being exposed to a barrage of food commercials is a little shocking. Not as surprising is the amount of junk food commercials compared to the amount of healthier food commercials, which is about 76% junk and 5% healthy.

The problem with all these commercials for food being aimed directly at children is that kids have a very hard time grasping the concept of advertising. They just do not have the cognitive capacity to understand that they are being sold a product and very young kids can’t even determine the difference between a TV show and a commercial. What’s more is that their favorite characters or celebrities are in these advertisements trying to get them (or more accurately their parents) to buy the product. What kid doesn’t want to eat mac and cheese shaped as their favorite cartoon character? Already at a young age these advertisements are setting up unhealthy eating habits. In this 2009 health study on TV viewing and food consumption, researchers found that children eat 45% more food when exposed to food advertising. These habits lead into adulthood as this study also found that adults consumed more as well after exposure to food advertising.

I can see you thinking to yourself, “Well there is an easy fix to this, why don’t we just start marketing healthier food?” That would seem like the most logical answer, but this has its pitfalls as well. When the healthier food companies start using the same tactics as the junk food people, say using a popular character to advertise their product, they are influencing children to buy their product because their favorite character is selling it, not because they actually want the food in the commercial. It is important to help children make food choices based on their own needs, such as hunger or good nutrition, not because Ronald McDonald is telling them to. Building a healthy relationship with food at a young age is important because those skills will carry on into adulthood and educate children on how to make healthy choices and take care of themselves.

I know it can seem like an overwhelming task for parents to fight against the millions of advertisements that are constantly being shown to their children. Heck, it’s hard for adults to navigate their own food choices when it comes to advertising. Here are a few ideas to try out (for both kids and adults) when it comes to not being swayed by food advertisements.

1. Stop and decide if you are actually hungry. You just saw a commercial for a Dorito Taco at Taco Bell when, suddenly, you REALLY want a taco. Or maybe your child has come running at you telling you they NEED to have a happy meal even though they just had breakfast 2 minutes ago. Before you drive to Taco Bell or rush out to get a happy meal for your tot, take a second and stop. Are you really hungry? When was the last time you ate? What about the commercial was appealing to you? Taking the time to really evaluate why you want food will cut the chance of you eating just for the sake of the advertisement. Talking through these questions with your child can help them start to learn how to make proper food choices, such as eating when they are actually hungry versus eating because they just saw food on TV.

2. Limit the amount of time you spend watching TV. My husband Adam and I have not had cable TV for the past 3 years for numerous reasons, mainly cost. Now before you think we are total nut jobs who just sit and stare at each other or only (gasp!) read for entertainment, we do have Netflix and we watch plenty of TV shows and movies. What we do not, or very rarely, watch are commercials. Netflix does not have commercials and because we don’t have “regular” TV we are not exposed to advertising in this form. I have no clue what food specials are running at local fast food place or what the next crazy food concoction some company has come up with. Because I don’t watch TV, I don’t have any desire for or knowledge of these things and I believe that has really helped with leading a healthier lifestyle. I understand that not everyone wants to cut off their cable and that is totally your decision. You can however choose to limit your time watching TV. Limiting your exposure to advertisements weakens their effect on you. Many people have some form of DVR, so you could even record your favorite shows and fast forward through the commercials. Better yet, how about cutting down your TV time and doing something to promote your health? Play outside, read a book, take a new exercise or cooking class. By getting away from the television, you also get away from the advertising.

3. Let your children play a part in their eating. This last tip is more for children. Instead of making every single food choice for your child, involve them in the process. For younger kids, give them plenty of healthy options at mealtime and let them choose what to eat. At the grocery store, give kids a list of healthy foods that you are willing to buy and let them pick a few to find and purchase. For older kids, let them help you cook. Get them to pick out a recipe they want to try or simply have them help you prepare food for dinner. Being allowed to be a part of their own eating lets kids find out what foods they like or don’t like and lets them have some control over their habits.

These are just a few ideas to get started, but there are plenty more out there. Here are some more in depth tips for children of various ages. Just because those tips are aimed at children though doesn’t mean they can’t be helpful to adults as well. Remember you are just as susceptible to advertising as children, even if you do know better. Like I said earlier, advertisers are smart and know how to reel you in. As long as you are conscientious and aware, you can avoid unhealthy pitfalls and even help the future generation find their best health!

What I Learned from My Dad

June 17, 2013 / ktbuchs87

This past weekend was Father’s Day and today is my dad’s 50th birthday, so I thought in honor of all the dad awesome-ness I would write a post on some important things that he has taught me over the years.

I can really only attribute my passion and curiosity for health and nutrition to my dad. I’ve mentioned before that he is a kinesiotherapist, and he also knows a plethora of information on the way the body works as a whole. He is always eager and willing to share that knowledge with me and I have grown to love everything about the way the body works and how we can help it to perform at its optimum levels. I honestly don’t think that I would have started this blog or begun my pursuit of my own health goals without his help and guidance.

I think that one of the most important lessons that my dad has taught me is this; no matter how many times life knocks you down, you can ALWAYS get back up and rebuild. While this can and does apply to so many aspects of life, I got to thinking how it can directly apply to your health. I know for me personally, there have been so many times that I have failed when it comes to my health. I struggled for years to try and lose weight or establish a consistent exercise program or eat better. How true is that for so many of us? It seems like falling off the health wagon is so much easier than finding something that works for us.

But it is so important to keep trying. Your health is vital, and good health makes your life so much more enjoyable and easier. If I had given up after the first time I faltered, I would never be where I am today. Yes, finding a healthy lifestyle that works for you will take time and you will most likely fail or struggle at some point, but you are strong enough to pick yourself back up and try again. I have been blessed enough to have a father who instilled that in me and has always been there to encourage me to get back up and fight for what is important. So if you are struggling right now, or have given up, know that I believe in you and I know that you can dust yourself off and jump back into the game!

And to my dad, thank you so much for everything that you have taught me, I am a much better person because of it. Happy Birthday D!

Yup, that’s his kilt in Buchanan plaid!

How do I look?

June 10, 2013 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I am not perfect. Thank you Captain Obvious, right? Of course I’m not perfect, no human is perfect. I think that people who have health or fitness blogs sometimes get put on this pedestal as totally in sync with all things nutrition and exercise. This could not be farther from the truth, at least for me. Yes, I have figured some things out and I have better health than I ever did before, but I still struggle daily and have a lot of learning and growing to do when it comes to my health. That is what I love about health, it’s a journey that we all have to go through and evolve as our health evolves.

That being said, I wanted to share a personal post with you today. I have gone back and forth about whether or not to talk about this, but I have decided that in order for me to move forward I have to get this out in the open. No one likes to admit that they struggle or have issues, but we all have them so there should be nothing to be ashamed of if you have to say, “Hey, I’m dealing with this right now.” It’s a part of the process of working through that struggle.

I have shared my story with weight loss/gain and my issues with self-image before. I have come leaps and bounds from the girl I was back then to who I am now. That is why it has troubled me that some self-image issues have started to pop back into my life. I have noticed lately that I am becoming very focused on the way my body looks. I spend more time looking in the mirror, zeroing in on what I believe to be my imperfections. I find my thoughts turning to things like “How do I look in this outfit?” or “Are people staring at my stomach?” Because of my past with these struggles, I know that this is a dark and unhealthy road to start down.

It’s tough in a society that places a very high value on looks to NOT think about your appearance, but I do not want to place all the blame on other people or the world. Yes, they contribute to the problem, but they aren’t the only factor. For me, I seem to have this distorted and unrealistic view of what I should look like. This is partly due to constantly looking at airbrushed models when I was younger and believing that woman truly looked like that. Luckily over the years I have gotten wiser and know that there is no possible way that any woman can have the body that is portrayed in so many magazines and other media. So why am I having a problem now, knowing all that I know and going through all that I have gone through?

The simple answer is, I’m not totally sure. I think though that I will always have to battle my self-image demons and the little voice that whispers to me that I should look a certain way. I have fought that little voice before, so I know that I can do it again. How am I going to try and work through this? I want to shift my thoughts from what I look like to what I can physically do. I was thinking about that this week and I was shocked at all the things my body can do that I never thought was possible before.

I can run over 6 miles in less than 50 minutes. When I first started running, I could barely get through one mile without dying. I can touch my toes (and some days even the floor) and hold difficult yoga poses, like the wheel, for a significant period of time. I could barely do downward dog when I first began yoga. I can hold a plank, and do some advanced variations, for 5 consecutive minutes. I used to collapse after a minute of planks (if you could call barely raising my body off the floor a plank). I can do a headstand and barely need to use a wall for support any more. A month ago I struggled to even get my feet off the floor, let alone above my head. These are just a few of the things I thought of that I can do. When I look at all the things I have accomplished in the last few years, it doesn’t seem so important to have washboard abs or buns of steel. Not to toot my own horn, but I can do some pretty amazing things that have NOTHING to do with the way I look.

I used to struggle just to get my feet in the air, now I barely need the wall

Furthermore, I have so much more knowledge about how to live a healthy lifestyle. I can move through a kitchen with ease and create a delicious and nutritious meal. I can give others advice and help on how to live a healthier life. I started a blog that, hopefully, motivates and inspires my readers to change for the better. None of these things are dependant on the way I look.

The wheel. It’s not perfect yet, but I never thought I would be able to even lift my leg off the floor when I first attempted this pose

I know that there are some of you reading this right now who are going through self-image problems. You look in the mirror and don’t like what you see staring back at you. You hate the thought of other people looking at you, believing they are constantly judging the way you look. You wish there was some way you could look like someone else and finally be happy. Trust me, I’ve been there, and done that, and am still there sometimes. I encourage you to look at other things in your life that have nothing to do with your looks. Find all the accomplishments and amazing things that you can do that don’t hinge on your reflection in the mirror. For me, those accomplishments have made me feel empowered and I think that your achievements can give you a strength that you might not have realized you had. Don’t stop there either. Once you have listed your awesomeness, make new goals. That way you can work towards something and feel super proud of yourself when you have another item to add to your awesome list. Me? I am going to turn that headstand into a handstand and not use the wall for support. I am going to work towards running 10 miles and then a half-marathon. I am going to continue to expand my knowledge of health and nutrition and share it with as many people as I can. I am going to work on not judging the way I look and start focusing on all that I can do. Because I am so much more than just a reflection in the mirror.

Clean your plate… Kind of

June 3, 2013 / ktbuchs87

I am willing to bet that some of you (me included) have finished a meal even though you weren’t really hungry anymore. A lot of us have probably done this, as it’s really easy to just finish all the food on your plate even if you are already full. You might have heard about “starving children in Africa” and felt the need to finish a second helping of french fries for their sake (because that makes a lot of sense…). I would even go a step further and say that some of us don’t even recognize our own body’s signals for satiety, causing us to overeat at most of our meals.

This isn’t a new concept. In 2006, 6 of every 10 Americans said they ate more than they should. As a country, Americans know very well that they are overeating and that it is contributing to our ever-expanding waistlines and health problems. There have been countless studies and research that has gone into showing us that we are eating too much, but I think the more important question we need to address is when did we start overeating? I don’t mean as a nation, I mean you as an individual.

For the most part, you were not born eating too much food. In fact, if you look at children’s eating habits they are some of the best intuitive eaters. When they are hungry they will eat and when they are full they stop eating. If they don’t eat a huge lunch, they will usually eat more at dinner. They don’t obsess over certain foods or meal times. Trust me, they will let you know when they are hungry. I’ve worked as a nanny for the past two years and gotten to watch this first hand. It fascinates me how easy it is for a 2-year-old to grasp the concept of being full and being done with a meal. It doesn’t bother him if there are still five green beans left on his plate, or three graham cracker bunnies he didn’t eat. When he is done eating he is done eating and happily goes on with his day. Where did adults, the supposedly wiser and more sophisticated group, go wrong on this concept?

While there are many factors that contribute, one of the biggest influences is that of the parents, but I don’t think they are doing it on purpose. Most parents want their child to lead a healthy and happy life. They want to make sure that they are providing nutritious meals that will help their children grow. It can be really frustrating and even worrisome to have a child that seems to never eat. I know the struggle that can occur when you just want your kid to eat one bite of their meal because they haven’t eaten anything all day. But I also believe that sometimes parents need to be open to having their child guide their own eating habits. When parents stress over getting their children to eat, or force them to finish all their food on their plate, they could be setting their child up for future eating problems. Over time, if a child is cleaning his plate even though he is clearly not hungry, he will begin to lose that sense of satiety. He now knows that in order to be done with a meal, the plate needs to be empty, whether he is full or not.

Losing our sense of fullness can lead to other bad habits later on as well. Adam shared a study with me last week about teens not paying attention to how many calories they ate in a meal. While I am not a big supporter of religiously counting calories, it is interesting to see that most teens ignored the calorie count completely. I don’t know if there is a definite link between being aware of how much food you eat and our sense of fullness, but I think that they probably do affect each other. I know that there used to be many times I would be eating and I had no clue why. I wasn’t hungry, but somehow I was downing crackers like it was my business.

How do you regain your intuitive eating skills? It’s tough, but you can retrain your body to its childhood eating habits. Don’t expect the change to happen overnight and don’t expect to be perfect all the time. There will be days that you slip up and that is totally ok, just move on and do better next time. These are a few of the tips that I use to help me really tune in to my body’s signals.

Make sure you’re actually hungry. When you get the urge to grab a bag of chips or chow down on a huge meal, pause for just a second. Ask yourself a few questions, when was the last time I ate? Am I really hungry or am I bored/sad/depressed/around a bunch of other people eating? Will I feel better about myself after eating this meal or will I look back with regret? Once you answer those questions, you can better decide if you are actually hungry and ready to eat a meal. To take this a step further, drink a glass of water before you eat anything. Many times, we misread thirsty signals as hunger signals and immediately dive into a snack.

S L O W D O W N. When you are eating a meal, take your time. This can be a key factor in reading your “I’m full” signal. Sometimes we have a tendency to rush through a meal in ten minutes and not realize we had way more to eat than we really wanted or needed. Take a few bites, put your fork down, sip some water, and enjoy the flavor of your food. By giving your body those few extra minutes in between bites, you are letting it register the food you have already eaten and allowing you to know when you are full, before your plate is totally clean. Also, eat until you are pleasantly full, not bursting at the seams. No one likes that feeling of your waistband cutting in to your stomach after a huge chow fest.

Eat foods that will fill you up. You’re probably thinking, “Uh, Katie? Any food can fill me up.” Let me be a bit more specific. Choose foods that have a low density of calories, but high quantity.

400 calories of oil, from say your fried mozzarella sticks, will not fill you up as much as 400 calories of salad. You won’t feel full from that 400 calories of oil, so you’ll continue to eat until you do feel full, possibly taking in more food than your body really wants or needs. I am not saying that you have to ONLY eat vegetables in order to know when you’re full. What I am saying is that you need to choose foods that will fill you in the healthiest way. Including vegetables in your dinner of grilled chicken and brown rice is a very easy way to add bulk that won’t bulk you up.

Be patient, and kind, with yourself. Like I said before, it isn’t easy to retrain the way you eat or tune into your body. Don’t get frustrated if you slip up more than once. Realize that this is a process and it is OK to have setbacks, you’re human, not Superman. Just make sure that your slip ups don’t make you abandon everything and fall back into your old habits. Acknowledge that you had a setback and move on, vowing to make your next choice healthier. Constantly beating yourself up will not help you get to a healthier state.

Remember, we all started out as some of the best intuitive eaters out there. One way or another you might have lost that sense, but you CAN gain it back. I think that a lot of eating problems begin with our lack of awareness of our own bodies, at least that has been the case for me. Just because someone puts food on your plate, does not mean you absolutely have to eat all of it. I promise that eating every single scrap of food on your plate just because it’s there will never lead to a feeling of satisfaction. Knowing you have eaten exactly what you needed and the exact amount your body required will make you feel much happier and healthier!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

May 28, 2013 / ktbuchs87

I read a lot of health/fitness/nutrition blogs (shocking I know). I like to see what other people are finding out about their health, and I like to learn as much as I can. Plus it’s a good inspiration to see what other bloggers are doing, especially those that have been around for awhile. I have blogs that I follow regularly, but I also like to search new blogs. Lately I have noticed a sad trend among some health/fitness blogs: a lack of respect. That’s the topic I wanted to address today, as it is something that must be said.

So what exactly do I mean when I say that some blogs have a lack of respect? I am finding that more and more people are taking the “my way or the highway” approach to how they eat or workout. They believe that their particular lifestyle is THE perfect lifestyle and that if you don’t follow along then you are doing something bad for your health. How discouraging! I don’t doubt that whatever lifestyle they have chosen is perfect… for them. For them to say though that this is how everyone should be, however, is ignorant. They have no idea how another person’s body works or where a person might be in their health journey. SOme of these people will even go a step further with their convictions and make others feel that they are horribly damaging their health if they do not eat a particular way or follow a certain exercise program.

When I see this on a blog or in an article or even in a status update on facebook, it really upsets me. I feel that as a health blogger, I have a responsibility to encourage anyone who reads my blog to pursue better health, in whatever way works for them. When you alienate people by saying that eating Paleo or Vegan is the ONLY way to eat and doing CrossFit or yoga is the ONLY way to workout, you’re discouraging those who have tried those lifestyles and found that they don’t work for them. You’re essentially calling them failures, and no one wants to fail. Many would rather give up and continue with their poor health choices than feel like a failure for not being able to squat 350 lbs or eat only vegetable for every meal.

On the flip side, I am really excited that so many people out there have found something that truly works for them. I know that it can take a lot of trial and error to find that perfect balance. I know how exciting it can be to finally feel amazing both with your eating and your exercise routine. I know that you might want to tell EVERYONE how amazing you feel and how great it is. I have been there, and I have fallen into the trap as well. When I first started running, I thought to myself, “This is FANTASTIC!! Everyone should feel like this!” But I had to slowly realize that not everyone was as excited about running as I was. I had to learn that not everyone felt running 6 miles in 40 minutes was an accomplishment and that is OK. I realized that other people felt that lifting really heavy weights, or conquering a new yoga pose, or making it through a spin class was what gave them the feeling of great health. I learned that while I might thrive on a plant strong diet, other people couldn’t reach their optimal health without meat. We won’t all describe our ideal health in the same way and that is perfectly fine! The one thing that is important is that we do what we need to reach our ideal health. For me, I love running, kettle bell workouts and practicing yoga. I eat a mostly plant based diet and I am working on not beating myself up for having a treat every once and awhile. That’s my idea of a healthy lifestyle. It might not be yours, but I want you to feel encouraged to find what does make you feel the healthiest.

If you do run across a blog or article or even a person who makes you feel that you are a failure because you aren’t doing exactly what they are doing, please don’t feel discouraged with your own journey. Finding your optimal health is a very personal journey so try to understand that no one will be able to tell you exactly what to do. We (as in us health bloggers) can give you advice and tell you what has worked for us, but in the end you should try multiple diets and multiple exercise programs to find your perfect balance. And when you finally do and feel that rush of excitement, remember to channel that feeling into encouragement for others who might be struggling to find their way. A sense of community and support among the health world is what is going to help us get more and more people at their peak performance, not narrow-mindedness or alienation. Respect. Give it out freely and I can bet you will get much more in return!