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Food fads and television
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Youngsters prefer aerated drinks and fast foods to home made meals. One reason cited is the impact of advertisements, according to a study conducted by the students of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, MOP Vaishnav College.
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"MAMA, I AM late for college. Give me something that I can gulp down," shouts Rekha. Vineetha is watching ads on television and sees her mother serving idlis. "Oh no! Not idlis again. Who will have them?" she moans and her plate flies across the room. Akila, after watching Sachin Tendulkar claim that Boost is the secret of his energy, pleads with her mother to give her Boost.
All these are common scenes in many homes today. It reflects the fact that nutritious and well-balanced food is increasingly becoming a rarity and eating a proper meal is not a priority any more for most people, who are often hard-pressed for time.
Gone are the days when homemade food was relished by the young and old alike. Today, a food item is bought because a certain celebrity is promoting it. Ads on television have had a marked effect on the choice of food items, especially among the younger generation, according to a survey conducted by final year students of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, MOP Vaishnav College for Women.
The objective of the survey was to study the impact of television on food habits among school and college goers. Students from various colleges were selected for the survey. The results were quite alarming. Obesity is as high as 30 per cent in Std 6,7 and 8. Check this out. For Malini and Ranjana, snacks time is between tea and dinner, time when cartoons and shows for children are telecast on TV. This obviously results in accumulation of fat, and when they grow up, these kids resort to all possible weight-reduction techniques.
Neeta prefers Coke, burgers and potato wafers to idli and sambar... a trend noticed among most teenagers today. The only redeeming factor in her diet is the `health drink'. Sadly, most youngsters believe traditional foods are high in calories. Ironically it is items like aerated drinks, chocolates and chips that are `empty calorie' foods.
With busy schedules, meal times too have become erratic. And when pangs of hunger strike, it is easier to pick up ready-to-eat snacks rather than prepare a hot meal. The market is constantly flooded with new food products, which are promoted attractively and this has greatly influenced the food habits of the youngsters.
A study in contrast is Aishwarya, a 12th Std student, who eats less snacks compared to others. This could be most likely because of the fact that she has a heavy study schedule and less time to watch TV. Also parents keep a check on the diet at that stage.
Today's working mothers too are inclined to pre-cooked processed foods as they too lead hectic lives. For example, Shikha's mother felt she did not have much time to spend in the kitchen and also got in late in the evenings. Buying pre-cooked items is a trend that is slowly on the increase. Is it because of the lack of time, awareness or just physical exhaustion that more and more mothers prefer pre-cooked food?
Good nourishment is the secret of a healthy and happy life. It is the basic investment a parent can make for the child's future. It is imperative that adults use their discretion when it comes to choice of food patterns rather than blindly believe what ads proclaim. In fact, it would benefit the public greatly if nutrition experts challenge such ads and build a strong lobby for health and sound food habits.
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