The Importance of Food

1. The Importance of Food FACS I

2. Food Affects Life Food has different meanings to different people Starving = survival Culture food = part of heritage Faith = religious symbols Entertaining guests = hospitality Food meets more than a physical need. It meets emotional, social, and psychological needs as well.

3. Food Meets Physical Needs • Food is one of our most basic physical needs. • Your body needs food to provide the energy required to maintain vital functions such as keeping your heart beating. • Food relieves hunger • Hunger = physical need for food • Appetite = psychological desire to eat • Appetite tends to have a greater influence on food choices • Food improves wellness • Wellness = state of being in overall good health

4. Cultural Influences on Food Choices • Culture = traditions and beliefs of a racial, religious, or social group • U.S. is a “tossed salad” of cultures • Customs = typical ways of behaving • China—must leave a small amount of food on your plate, if you eat it all it insults the hosts implying they didn’t offer enough food • Egypt—a loud belch after a meal is a way of expressing your satisfaction and complimenting the cook • America—people go to restaurants with arches and goofy clowns, speak their order into a speaker from their car, pick up their food at a window of the restaurant while still in their car, and eat strange, tasteless food like substances that make them hopelessly obese while playing Monopoly games they are less likely to win than to be struck on the head by an asteroid.

5. Culture Influences cont. • National origin—immigrants brought their dishes with them • French brought chowders with them to the U.S. • Religion • Hindus cannot use beef because it is considered sacred • Bread/wine for Christians as it is symbolic of Christ’s body and blood • Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day during Ramadan • Holidays • Heart shaped chocolates on Valentine’s Day • Hot cross buns for Easter

6. Social Influences • Family • Eating at the dinner table • Lifestyle • Environment (buying locally) • Friends • Peer pressure • Mass Media—TV, radio, magazines • Bandwagon technique—makes you think everyone is using the product and you should too (“jump on the bandwagon”) • Humor technique—using humor to make you feel happy so you’ll want to buy the product • Nostalgia technique—advertising a product’s “wholesomeness” or “goodness” (most common with food products) • Transfer technique—using a celebrity to endorse a product • Testimonial technique—having a professional say they use the product or recommend people to use it • Advertising icons—using a recognizable icon to relate to food (ex: Ronald McDonald, Pillsbury dough boy)

7. Commercials What techniques are being used? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7RCrnQDh_I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8jEwmkvJLU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuu19ux51wA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2nAnHqN6DA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruK8hnpKWDA

8. Food Fads & Fallacies • Fallacy = mistaken belief • Ex: eating strawberries will prevent you from getting cancer • Difference: Strawberries can help lower the risk of developing cancer • Fads = practices that are very popular for a short time • Dr. Oz-raspberry ketones • Ex: Acai berries

9. Assignment! • You are to find an advertising technique, fad, or fallacy in any mass media format you’d like. (There needs to be proof it exists!) • Provide a link, magazine clipping, etc. • You cannot use any of the ones I showed you in class. • Identify which advertising technique, fad, or fallacy it is an example of. • Describe how it is an example of said term/definition. One paragraph (5-7 complete sentences) is plenty. • Talk about how the commercial/advertisement made you feel • Would you buy the product based off the technique they used?