Nutrition concepts and applications

Nutrition

Weight control

One of the reasons for the popularity of the now-banned Hydroxycut products was the advertising campaign for the product. The ads relied upon the promotion of transformation -- they used the presentation of 'before' and 'after' models to emphasize to the consumer that physical change was possible, even easy, while using the product. The ideal of an easy transformation of the self, a transformation that affects every aspect of one's life that can be brought about through a purchase seems uniquely American. After all, it is the promise inherent in fancy car and clothing advertisements, too, that changing what one buys can be self-empowering and improve one's self-esteem. Additionally, the ease promised by diet supplements is attractive. Just like we promote food that is easily prepared and consumed, we promote easy weight-loss as a society, without necessarily making it easier to eat healthier and to exercise.

However, the fact that it is so easy and so cheap to be a consumer of food is one of the reasons we are so obese. More and more people are leaving the control of their food preparation to others, making them passive consumers of high-calorie foods. On the whole, the less we do and the more we outsource to others, the less active we become. Our lifestyles -- dependant upon driving everywhere, upon prepared foods, even upon maids and gardeners to do our physical dirty work -- encourage eating quickly and discourage burning calories. To truly reduce obesity would require us to give up some of our values of an easy life.

Consumers and regulators should not be surprised that unregulated 'speed' weight-loss supplements like Hydroxycut are dangerous. Furthermore, its illegal allure might be a great 'marketing tool' for people who wish to sell it illegally on the Internet. Perhaps its sales will only rise, if it can be sold from a location outside of the U.S., and it may be marketed as something that 'must work,' otherwise 'why would they ban it?'

Body Image