A study shows that a third of American children and adolescents eat fast food every day. Children see an average of 3.5 TV ads per day for fast food, and teenagers see about 4.7. This is without counting the advertisements on social networks, radio shows, billboards or magazines that they may come across. Childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past three decades. Aggressive marketing campaigns contribute to childhood obesity because they specifically target children. An article in the Annual Review states that "in the next 25 years, childhood obesity is expected to increase by 36.5 percent in the United States, 75.5 percent in China, and 134 percent in India." On average, food companies spend $2 billion a year on advertising aimed at children. However, there is a science behind fast food marketing. A University of Michigan study claims that when teenagers see a fast food advertisement, it triggers the reward system in the brain. It's not necessarily about needing the caloric intake, but rather getting the reward from the food. So it is difficult to determine exactly why we want fast food with high-calorie foods after watching an advertisement, because it is a subconscious process. Advertisers will target increasingly younger audiences to establish brand preference. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayLet's talk about fine food. Refined foods are foods that have been overly processed and stripped of their original nutrient content. Why is this so important to understand? This plays a significant role in how these foods are marketed to adolescents and children. When a child eats a McDonald's hamburger for the first time, they are only receiving refined and processed foods, without any nutritional value, leading to a gradual release of sugar into the bloodstream. This is important to know because sugar is a highly addictive substance. Some research shows that sugar can be more addictive than cocaine. “Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brain and affects the reward center, which leads to compulsive behavior, despite negative consequences like weight gain, headaches, hormonal imbalances, etc. » This might help us understand a little better why, when children see an advertisement, they are so inclined to want that item because subconsciously they crave it, they know it will give them some sort of pleasure. This is a very vicious and dangerous circle. It's amazing how far TV commercials will go just to make their food more appealing and beautiful. In some cases, fast food marketing ads will use motor oil, shaving cream, beauty sponges, and even tampons to make their food more appealing. It seems weird reading this, right? They use motor oil to make the pancakes look fresh instead of using regular syrup, which makes them dull and soggy. What kid wouldn't look at this well-designed trap and beg their parents to go to Denny's or IHOP? They use shaving cream as a whipped topping in some commercials to make a pie or sundae look more tempting. Several countries ban advertising aimed at children, unlike the United States, it's free for all..