While driving my boys to school a few days ago, I asked them if they had any items on their Christmas wish list. Benjamin, my youngest son, told me that he wanted a Nintendo 3DS (something he’s wanted ever since his brother received one), and a Power Wheels vehicle. He described the drivable, battery-powered vehicle he was coveting and finished by looking at me earnestly and saying, “And Mom I looked at the commercial, and I felt like they wanted me to buy one!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his description of how the advertising had affected him, but I was also a little amazed that it had made such an impact. After a few more questions, I learned that he’d seen the Power Wheels commercial four months ago when we were staying at a hotel. All these months later, he remembered it and wanted the product. If I’d ever wondered how much of an impact advertising could have on a child, Benjamin’s experience gave me an answer.
Of course, some of the messages a child sees each day are more damaging to their self-esteem and life outlook than others. And that’s why I’ve been watching my boys for the last week to learn what kind of “Dietainment” messages they see throughout the day. Unhealthy dieting messages disguised as entertainment aren’t just emotionally damaging; they can create unhealthy eating habits as well. And I had a feeling that my boys were being affected by these messages just as much as anyone else.
Every morning, after Zackary and Benjamin have dressed and eaten breakfast, they turn on one of their favourite Netflix shows to enjoy a few minutes of entertainment before school. And every superhero they see is sporting a physique that no man in real life could ever achieve. Then we listen to the radio as I drive the boys to the school bus. Commercials about the newest fitness centre or medical esthetics company promise the perfect body achieved with ease…for a price of course.
When my boys get home, they generally play video games or watch a little more television until supper. And in both the games and the shows, the main characters (including the kids) are all muscular and attractive males interacting with thin and attractive females. If there is a character that breaks that mold – the scrawny boy with glasses or the girl with a heavier build – the character is usually only there to be laughed at.
My boys are exposed to far less media than your average child, yet even their day contains more Dietainment than I’d like. I can just imagine how many unhealthy messages other children see each day! And my biggest fear isn’t just that they’ll grow up thinking that they need to look like their favourite television or movie heroes. It’s that they’ll grow up thinking their female peers need to be skinny girls with perfect hair and makeup to be worthy of their attention.
Earlier this year, Multi-Grain Cheerios created a pledge to stop Dietainment and with over 16,000 signatures collected so far, it’s clear the movement is important to Canadians. The pledge has been taken to Canada’s media companies to encourage an end to the Dietainment trend and two major outlets, Faze magazine and Divine.ca, have committed to no longer publishing Dietainment content as a result!
But that’s just a start and ensuring that conversation continues is crucial if we want to keep unhealthy body messages away from our children. If you haven’t already, sign the pledge today and show publishers that you don’t want your children exposed to Dietainment. And, most importantly, talk to your kids to ensure they know that what they see on television or in magazines isn’t real. Girls and boys both need to know that being healthy and happy is more important than being skinny or super strong. And with all of our help, we can make sure that our children always remember that!
jan says
November 16, 2015 at 12:12 pmWe are bombarded with messages and images as to how we ‘should be’ even without the commercials, flyers and displays. To girls there are the endless princess comments, and statements about their beautiful, long hair, and to boys the requests of show me your muscles. These all have large impacts on how girls and boys see their roles.
Stephanie LaPlante says
November 16, 2015 at 1:46 pmI really hope this campaign makes a difference. I’ve seen first hand the negative impact it has on young women.
Vesper Meikle says
November 16, 2015 at 6:48 pmMaybe parents should just get rid of the television first, we rarely watched as children and we don’t have one in our home now.
kristen visser says
November 16, 2015 at 9:13 pmi signed the petition! seriously love this campaign. I always used to care about what other thought of me, how i looked, made sure to diet to get that way until I realized why was I doing it? definitely wasn’t making me feel good or better about myself. I have two young girls and I will make sure to talk to them about this issue
Kelly young says
November 16, 2015 at 9:52 pmMy daughter is 15 and always worried about her weight and she is very tiny
Lynda Cook says
November 16, 2015 at 10:34 pmI signed the pledge and I love what Cherrios is doing!! these companies need to stop with the dietainment, everyone is of different size and peronality
Melanie says
November 16, 2015 at 11:56 pmGreat campaign! Dietainment is insidious and should be stop!
nicolthepickle says
November 17, 2015 at 5:19 amIt comes from everywhere, and it’s terribly hard to stop isn’t it.
Cheryl says
November 17, 2015 at 6:01 amThis is great to see companies promoting good things 🙂
Judy Cowan says
November 17, 2015 at 9:26 amIt would be nice if we could stop it but that probably won’t happen but we can lead by example. I have signed the pledge.
Cheryl says
November 17, 2015 at 11:06 amMe and my husband were discussing this last night! Although girls are the focus of this campaign, boys see it too. We were watching a show where the young man was practicing modelling, they told him he had to have absolutely no body hair and six pack abs. This makes our young boys feel like if they have hairy body’s there’s something wrong with them. I wish more companies would use proper make and female bodies
kathy downey says
November 17, 2015 at 5:04 pmi signed the petition!
Karla Sceviour says
November 17, 2015 at 7:36 pmGreat campaign
donna snugglebuns dufresne says
November 18, 2015 at 10:04 amsuch a powerful campaign great message
Meg says
November 19, 2015 at 9:28 amSuch a wonderful initiative- I’m glad that advertisers and publishers are beginning to consider this issue.
Sherry K says
November 20, 2015 at 6:43 amSuch a good campaign, it is amazing what children hear and retain from advertising.
Jamie hall says
November 20, 2015 at 7:02 pmThis campaign is wonderful thus needs tp stop
Doris H says
November 21, 2015 at 9:57 amLove this campaign!
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
November 22, 2015 at 5:28 pmfabulous that this is starting to be heard by more and more people
Haroon Khan says
November 24, 2015 at 12:44 pmSuch a good campaign.
Angie Andrews says
November 24, 2015 at 8:16 pmsuch a great campaign we really need to change our advertising
Wanda Tracey says
November 24, 2015 at 10:07 pmThis is an awesome campaign and I am hoping it makes a difference.
Florence C says
November 25, 2015 at 7:03 amDietainment is a serious problem. I hope this campaign makes a difference.
J M says
November 25, 2015 at 3:54 pmI feel the same, it can have a huge impact.
Louise Gilbert says
November 26, 2015 at 1:26 pmawesome campaign I love what Cherrios is doing. It sure can have a huge impact.
Melanie B says
December 1, 2015 at 11:58 amGreat campaign!!! I hate how all the magazines and stuff make you think you have to look a certain way to be perfect
Tara GAuthier says
December 4, 2015 at 8:18 amI really like this campaign, such an important message for children to get at a young age. I see far too many adults who still have these thoughts about themselves.
Krista M says
December 4, 2015 at 10:14 amYes so many ads are completely damaging. Our kids need self esteem & the tv ads they see push perfection down their throats. It’s hurtful. I’m glad to see initiatives like this calling for change.
angela m says
December 5, 2015 at 6:02 pmVery great and important campaign
Carol M says
December 6, 2015 at 8:57 amSuch an important message
Suzie M says
December 6, 2015 at 12:59 pmA good campaign, it is crazy what children hear and retain from advertising.
Silvia D says
December 7, 2015 at 1:34 pmsigned the pledge andI love what Cherrios is doing! so important
Anne Taylor says
December 7, 2015 at 1:53 pmThis really needs to stop. I suffer from a couple of eating disorders and I truly blame part of it on the media/advertising industry.