What Motivates us to buy Healthy?

This is the first blog I have ever written, so try to be patient with me. It is also the beginning of the semester so my writing will hopefully get better as the semester continues.

What is actually true about living a healthy lifestyle? What are the actual secrets to living a healthier life? To what degree what I'm reading is actually true? What articles are stating facts based on science and not just theories or the latest fads? These are the questions I have come across while trying to live a better, healthier life. We assume that if someone has a degree in that subject or 20 years experience they will never deceive us. This may not always be the case as there can be underlying factors in which professions may recommend certain products to their customers or viewers.

To start off, let's talk about the differences in choices people may have, driven by motivation.  Motivation is the processes that leads people to behave as they do (SWD, p.95). Seems simple, but it actually very complex and there are many traits and behavioural nodes that affect our commitment, which we discussed in class. When I was younger I never really cared about being healthy, I just wanted to be a kid, eat junk food, drink pop and if I played outside everyday there was no way I can be unhealthy. I was excersing and that's all I had to do to be healthy, I didn't really understand all the other aspects. Now that I'm older and more health conscious I understand these aspects, I am making healthier decisions and I look for fresh food, healthy supplements, and products that will help my body perform at its best. I had fallen for so many marketing ploys on products just because of what the label said. However, now, being in my third year of university for marketing, I can see the ways that companies try and trick consumers into buying their product. In my personal experience, I have probably been persuaded in the past to buy products that celebrities endorse, but after taking marketing classes and understanding the mentality of what attracts our eyes, I no longer get fooled. Well at least I think I don't...

Dr. Oz, one of the most popular doctors in today's society, got his chance at stardom after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004. In 2007, nationally 7.4 million people watched the show daily. Just imagine the influence he is having on these people, just after one show. Of course companies would want these people to promote their products, and they would do anything to get them to do so. ANy company would want a show with that many viewers and a doctor recommending their product on TV. It's easier than creating a whole new ad campaign, and its a guaranteed audience of over 7 million people, let alone people who re-watch episodes or watch them at a different time. This would be HUGE publicity for a company to have a trusted, well-known, personable doctor, and Oprah recommending their product.

 One behavioural node that was discussed in my class was "brand-specific". This refers to the consumer relating positively or negatively to a certain brand and either sticking solely with that brand, or avoiding them completely. Celebrities can influence these opinions, and can sway the opinions by recommending them. Oprah influences her viewers on her show but also in her book club. Oprah started her book club by doing one book a month, with a special sticker on the book saying she recommended it. The need for affiliation for these viewers is immensely popular as they want to be able to discuss the book with people they watch the show with. In 2014, Oprah's book club had 73 novels to read! How do you think the sales of those books were once she recommended them? It is the same as when Dr. Oz would appear on the show and recommend products. The viewer wants to feel a part of the group, so they take what the smart, handsome doctor says. 

We can also look at the labels on products and see what they really mean. Have you ever been trying to shop healthy and come across words such as Natural, Farm Fresh, and real ingredients, and automatically assumed it was healthy? Marketers use these words to prey on consumers into thinking they are buying healthy products. But it is not always the case that these products are healthy. Another trick people fall for is "no sugar". Most products that have "no sugar" are replacing it with something artificial, which is even worse for your body. Here we see what most people think a farm looks like today. Lots of open space for the cows to roam, only eating grass. These farms still exist in today's society, don't get me wrong, but they are definitely not as common as they used to be. In this discussion, we can look at is as utilitarian versus hedonic needs. Utilitarian, relating to eating only free range, organic beef, for the sake of it being healthier for you. Hedonic would constitute as eating free range beef for morale reasons, without thinking of the health benefits. I know in my case, I think of it mostly on a utilitarian practice, but in the back of my mind, I feel better knowing that the animals were not harmed the way they are in factories.

When I go back home for reading week, Christmas, and summer, the most exciting part is the food I get to eat. Living in the country definitely has its perks! The quality of meat, and the flavour alone is completely different than if you were to buy a steak at a supermarket. 

The term farm; an area of land and its buildings used for growing crops and rearing animals, typically under the control of one owner or manager, is a very vague description which allows the term to manipulate the minds of consumers when shopping for healthy products. I'm sure we have all seen the videos of what actually happens behind the scenes in farms today. If not I included a link for you to watch. These are farms used in todays society! Does that really seem like "Farm Fresh" to you? How about looking at this picture now? This is what a typical farm looks like today. Animals crowded, being treated poorly, and fed who even knows what.

The video, The Truth Behind Meat Production is graphic, so be careful if you watch!

By the end of this blog I don't want you to think I am an ambassador, trying to promote people to not eat meat, or fight against these companies. I am just showing what is done to the the food that you eat on a daily basis. 

Hearing success stories can motivate consumers in trying their product or method. If the theory has been proven to work for an individual, why wouldn't it work for us? It's all so simple! But maybe its not that easy, everyones molecular biology is different, which causes different diets to have different affects on individuals. For example, in the summer, my friend gave up wheat and lost 10 pounds, felt healthier, was more alert, and was more focused. It should have the same effect on me right?. In reality, my friend had celiac disease, a wheat allergy, which is why he felt more focused after he gave it up. Myself who does not have a wheat allergy, lost the weight as well,15 pounds, from giving up the wheat, but my brain functions may not have differed from their usual activity.

Wheat Belly is a great read that I had to opportunity to read over the summer. I was amazed to see just how many products have wheat in them and how difficult it was to eat wheat free. I noticed the fat in my stomach disappear after just a few days, with a healthy diet instituted as well, I felt great!


The following podcast, from Bulletproof radio, discusses the power of self motivation in terms of healthy eating. The majority of people will not try to find a solution to the problem, unless it affects them. The writer of Wheat Belly would not focus his time and effort in writing a book that has no effect on him. It is the internal drivers of our body that motivate us to eat healthy and help us try to find a lifestyle that fits our individual needs. The Bulletproof Diet is a new way to think about fatty foods, exercise, and sleep. A need for uniqueness can cause someone to be on the verge of a new diet and do it before others.  It takes away traditional methods of sleep with the required eight hours and eliminates it to four. It also discussed a flow state, which is when you are in a state of mind when nothing can distract you and time is non-existent. It was one of the few terms in class I actually knew.

The Power of Intention

Do you think there is a major difference in terms of nutrition between getting vegetables and meat from your local farm or Loblaws? Is it worth spending the extra money? Should you expect the same results from others for the amount of effort put in? The only way to judge how effective your diet method is, is by comparing yourself to only yourself. 

If your interested in learning more about a more diverse methodology of dieting you can check out:

The Bulletproof Diet (2014) by Dave Asprey


WebSources:
http://www.forbes.com/profile/oprah-winfrey/
https://www.bulletproofexec.com/george-bryant-paleo-eating-disorders-the-power-of-intention-170/