Healthy Role Models?

A recent study looked at 100 professional athletes and the products that they endorse, and the amount of exposure kids have to these advertisements. The Yale University study found that 80% of advertisements including these pro sports stars were for energy-dense and nutrient-poor products. The efforts in school and at home to teach kids about how to eat and be healthy conflicts with the messages being sent by these athletes. Researchers believe that these mixed-messages do not allow kids to realize that in order to be able to perform at your best, a healthy diet must be maintained and that junk food and snacks should be consumed on occasion. When high-profile athletes are promoting certain products that are not incorporated into their daily diets, kids are getting the wrong message. Athletes should be more conscious of the health value of the products that they choose to endorse in order to lead by example and help educate the audiences that look up to them.