Almost every food or drink a music celebrity endorses and promotes through commercials and advertisements is unhealthy, according to a new study from NYU researchers. That’s a shame, the study authors argue, since most of the stars promoting these products—from One Direction to Beyoncé—are popular among kids and teens.
The most common foods and drinks endorsed by the musicians were soda, sugary drinks, fast food and sweets. The researchers assessed the nutritional makeup of the products and of the 26 food products in the ads, 81% were “nutrient poor.” Only one of the food products—Wonderful Pistachio—had a healthy nutrition score, and was endorsed by Psy. Taylor Swift has promoted Diet Coke, which is not high in nutrients and there’s some evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners are not as healthy as they’ve been advertised.
I – Word Understanding
Endorse vs. promote
Endorse – to publicly say that you like or use (a product or service) in exchange for money
Promote – to popularize or sell something by means of advertisement or publicity
II – Have Your Say
1.Beyonce endorsed Pepsi, Taylor Swift – Diet Coke, Katy Perry – Popchips…..and so on. Can you name some food endorsements by popular celebrities?
2.It was found that advertising has a “modest” effect on children’s eating habits, with a third of children at higher risk of illness and early death due to being overweight. Should celebrity endorsements (of unhealthy foods) be banned?
3.Is “eating clean and healthy” promoted in your country? What are some of the ways parents/schools do to make sure kids eat healthy foods?
4.What other products are famously endorsed by celebrities in your country? Have you ever been influence by celebrity endorsements?
540 Foods Endorsed by Celebrities Are Almost All Terrible for You
