t - New York Civil Liberties Union

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Union-Endicott
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work to weaken self-esteem. Others urge
buying or doing something that's not
entirely healthful, like trying a fad diet orat
the other extreme-eatíng sugary snacks.
"I always feel pressure to do things that
are not good for my health, but I don't give
in to it most of the time," says 'lé-year-old
Belinda from San Francisco. "I don't think
kids my age are very informed with health
issues because they are most concerned
with being cool."
Keeping It Real
Depending on the kind of product they're
hawking, advertisers don't appeal to just
your good side (or your
hungry side). Many ads
try to make you feel as
though you're lacking
something. Ads that show
ultra-skinny or super-muscular
bodies give normalsized
teens a message that
they aren't good enough.
Advertisers do that to
keep teens buying products.
They give the impression
that the products will
make them more attractive,
cooler, and happier.
Last year, both Dove
and Nike launched
campaigns .celebrating
normal-sized women. The
ads challenge the idea that model-thin
beauty is ideal. But even positive messages
have a bottom line-to sell you a product
and build brand loyalty.
Sneak Peek
Maybe, like Jason of Brooklyn, N.Y., you
already have a sense of how powerful advertísing
is. "Most of my friends are aware of
media manipulatíon but still fall into the trap
because they want to be cool and do what
others are doing," says the Lé-year-old.
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24 January 2006 Current Health 1