Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Public Relations

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Journalism

Advisor/Mentor

Sisi Hu

Committee Member

Joel Reed

Second Committee Member

Gina Shelton

Third Committee Member

Daniela D'Eugenio

Abstract

Today, more individuals worldwide are classified as overweight than underweight (World Health Organization, n.d.-a.). Over the past several decades, obesity rates have increased dramatically, particularly in the United States. Since the 1960s, the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. has risen from 13% to 43%, reflecting a significant shift in population health. Even more striking, less than 1% of Americans were considered morbidly obese in 1960, compared to nearly 10% today (USAFacts, 2023). This trend is not limited to the United States. Globally, the percentage of adults living with obesity more than doubled between 1990 and 2022, increasing from 7% to 16% (World Health Organization, n.d.-a). As a result, roughly one in eight people worldwide are now living with obesity.

Hypothesis one proposed that exposure to advertising for high- (vs. low-) nutritional-value foods would lead to greater intentions to eat healthier. However, the lack of statistically significant results does not support this prediction. This suggests that brief exposure to healthier food advertising may not be sufficient to meaningfully influence individuals’ immediate intentions regarding their next meal. Rather than prompting a shift toward healthier choices, participants’ intentions appeared to remain relatively stable regardless of the type of advertisement viewed.

Hypothesis two proposed that exposure to advertising for high- (vs. low-) nutritional-value foods would lead to greater intentions to engage in exercise. However, the results did not provide support for this hypothesis, indicating that exposure to either type of food advertisement did not significantly influence respondents’ intent to exercise. This finding suggests that the relationship between food-related advertising and exercise motivation may not be as directly connected as initially expected.

Hypothesis three proposed that exposure to advertising for high- (vs. low-) nutritional-value foods will increase self-esteem. However, the results were not statistically significant, indicating that exposure to either type of food advertisement did not have a measurable impact on individuals’ self-esteem. This suggests that self-esteem may be relatively stable in the face of brief advertising exposure and not easily influenced by short-term stimuli related to food content.

Keywords

Advertising, Eating Habits, Health, Exercise Habits, Self-Esteem

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