Hoek Janet, Gendall Philip
Department of Marketing, College of Business, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
J Health Commun. 2006 Jun;11(4):409-23. doi: 10.1080/10810730600671888.
Concern over the levels of obesity observed in Western countries has grown as researchers forecast a rapid growth in the medical care that a progressively more obese population will require. As health workers deal with increased incidences of diabetes and other obesity-related disorders, policymakers have examined the factors contributing to this problem. In particular, advertising that promotes high fat and high sugar products to children has come under increasing scrutiny. Advertisers have rejected claims that advertising contributes to obesity by arguing that it cannot coerce people into purchasing a product, and does not affect primary demand. This reasoning overlooks the role advertising plays in reinforcing and normalising behavior, however, and it assumes that only direct causal links merit regulatory attention. Ehrenberg's "weak" theory suggests advertising will support unhealthy eating behaviors, while the wide range of sales promotions employed will prompt trial and reward continued consumption. This article presents an alternative analysis of how marketing contributes to obesity and uses behavior modification theory to analyse the "fast-food" industry's promotions. We also review the New Zealand government's response to obesity and suggest policy interventions that would foster healthier eating behaviors.
随着研究人员预测，日益肥胖的人群所需医疗护理将迅速增长，西方国家对观察到的肥胖水平的担忧也与日俱增。由于卫生工作者应对糖尿病及其他与肥胖相关疾病发病率的上升，政策制定者已审视导致这一问题的因素。特别是，向儿童推销高脂肪和高糖产品的广告受到了越来越多的审查。广告商反驳广告导致肥胖的说法，辩称广告无法强迫人们购买产品，也不影响基本需求。然而，这种推理忽略了广告在强化行为和使行为常态化方面所起的作用，并且假定只有直接的因果联系才值得监管关注。埃伦伯格的“弱”理论表明，广告会支持不健康的饮食行为，而所采用的广泛促销手段会促使人们尝试并奖励持续消费。本文对营销如何导致肥胖提出了另一种分析，并运用行为改变理论来分析“快餐”行业的促销活动。我们还审视了新西兰政府对肥胖问题的应对措施，并提出有助于培养更健康饮食行为的政策干预措施。
