Often times, when someone is stressed or upset, they turn to food to get their mind off of things. Many people believe they ought to reward themselves with food when they are down. This can lead to prioritizing snacks over staying in shape. Long term, this can result in poor health and negatively affect the body. This article, taken from Fitness Magazine asks people to take another look at their snack habits, and change their mindset from "I had a bad day - I deserve this!" to "I deserve comfort, not calories."
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Group members: Betsy Csaszar, Kurt Brezovec, Michael Bohm
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After reading the article i noticed that the author uses a lot of rhetorical questions addressed to the audience using first person. The author asks questions like, "I had a bad day-I deserve this!" She is addressing the audience as someone like her or in the same boat as herself. The audience is a critical part of her article. If there wasn't an audience, the article would have no effect.
ReplyDeleteSample response for facilitators (these are the kind of responses I want to see from you all and apparently Blogger has enabled replies to other people's posts now, so use that feature!):
DeleteThat's such a good observation, Regan. Do you think the author is building ethos through these rhetorical questions? Also, are they appealing to the emotions of the audience? If so, what emotions? When you appeal to these specific emotions in an argument about diet, what kind of assumptions are you making?
That’s one of the same things I felt as reading this Regan about the audience. The questions made me think of myself about things that I say and try to go around. One of the “mantra’s” listed that stood out to me is, “my goal is progress, not perfection.” This is so true, because many times as humans we make excuses for ourselves when we are not perfect but still need to consistently strive for our goals.
DeleteI think the author’s rhetorical questions definitely appeal to the audience’s emotions. Readers could feel guilty because they know they have partaken in these activities. However, they may also feel acceptance due to the fact that they are not the only ones partaking in these indulgences. They probably also feel motivated. The article inspires its readers to feel that they can make progress and lose weight.
DeleteBeing the visual person that I am, the first thing I noticed was all of the pictures, advertisements, and flashy objects that fitnessmagazine.com throws at you. If you look around the webpage, there are advertisements for dieting products such as Slimfast, as well as work-out books, and sports clothing. The thing that stand out the most in this article is the photo that accompanies the text. The girl is indulging in chocolate ice cream and has managed to get it all over her face. To me, and to most readers, this sight is unappealing, and discourages any onlooker from self-indulging on sweets. The more you pay attention to the visual details, it is as if Fitness Magazine is subliminally influencing you to eat healthy and lose weight, just as any fitness magazine should to make a profit. It just so happens that this idea fits perfectly with the article's text.
ReplyDeleteGreat visual analysis, Ian! What kind of assumptions does this make about the audience? What does this image implicitly say about how we (the audience) is expected to perceive the act of indulgence in food? What effect does this have when indulgence is portrayed this way?
DeleteI agree with Ian. The picture of the girl describes the whole article. I think that the image shows that when we cheat on our diets we view ourselves as pigs. After seeing this image, whenever I start to think about rewarding myself during a diet, I will think about the image and how I do not want to appear that way. I believe that the audience perceives the image the same way I do because no person would like the appear like the girl in the picture.
DeleteI also agree with Ian, I think that pictures and images gives our brain signals a lot faster than if we would just read text. It can also help us relate to the person (by seeing a face). I feel like this type of advertising is for the people that are trying to lose weight, it is supposed to motivate them even more. Visual representations are a catalyst for this process
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ReplyDeleteThe article does a good job of associating a negative connotation with eating unhealthily, calling the truth about eating chocolate a truth that is "not so sweet", and having "cheat" days to eat unhealthy foods. The replacement of typical statements with the given mantras is a good way to get such people in those predicaments to think differently when choosing to eat unhealthily or spend their comfort time differently. It's helpful that there are links around the article to help people find more information on how to lose weight. It's a good starting point for someone to improve their self-fitness.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your points Adam. The examples and phrases used in set the stance of the article on healthy eating and stress the point that we can't succumb to desires and our "inner monologue". I think what also makes these statements powerful are the facts given in the article to support their argument. As stated in my post I also agree with the well placed advertisements.
DeleteI agree with your points also Adam. The "mantras" are a good motivation for people to eat healthy. Some need that inner confidence to control what they eat. The negative connotation that is placed on eating unhealthy motivates the audience to pick up an apple than a cookie. Instead of thinking about a cookie as good, think about how eating an apple will make you feel good.
DeleteThe image on fitness magazine has a woman with ice cream around her lips and the woman licking her lips. The author included this picture because I believe it implies the woman has no control of her eating habits. She seems to be eating very sloppily as if she is eating quickly. There is an undertone of gluttony that this picture portrays, as well. The picture reinforces the topic the article is portraying, which is eating unhealthily.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Ryan. Clearly, the author is trying to push people in the right direction in regards to dieting. When I see that photo, I think "I don't ever want to end up like that," and with good reason, as the article provides a few interesting tidbits (for example, how the "chocolate euphoria" only lasts 3 minutes) that back up this thought.
DeleteI completely agree with your comment Ryan. I also think that the picture is included because this article is more targeted towards women, which is why there is a girl in the picture. Not that men don't have a problem with sticking to a diet, I just think that women are more emotional and therefore at a higher risk to find an excuse to "take a break" from their diets.
DeleteThe interface for this website is, in my opinion, very clever and well designed. The featured picture for the article shows a woman indulging in ice cream and clearly loving it. She is licking her lips and has chocolate all over her face. This picture is representing the self sabotage and poor habits the article discusses. This article, posted on a fitness website also has a variety of significant ads. Above, below, and on both sides of this article show advertisements for various fitness plans and healthy foods. I think that these ads are a good counter to the picture of the woman eating ice cream and show some solutions to problems addressed in the article.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with you Bryan. This author, as well as this website, does a great job at understanding their audience. The are subliminally selling their readers on diet products and showing them exactly what they don't want to end up like (the picture from the article). However, do you think its a good thing that this article is directly targeting the audience as a consumer and trying to sell them their products? I know it is a good cause and losing weight is a healthy goal, but do you they have to do it so sneakily?
DeleteThe first thing I noticed too was the picture of women eating ice cream with her tongue out. Why isn't a male portrayed anywhere on the page? I feel that this was done for a reason. The typical thing for a female to do when she's depressed is to turn to food; people often turn to foods and sweets when we're stressed. Giving yourself the okay to eat those kinds of foods is also comfort. Women go to chocolate and ice-cream for comfort, while men are portrayed go to gym to blow steam off.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up an interesting argument, Mariah. The fact that a girl is in the main picture eating chocolate does depict a preconceived view of who the author or magazine is trying to target in this article. Although it isn't directly brought up, using snacks like ice cream and chocolate seems like they are aiming for females to read this article as opposed to any sex.
DeleteThe photo of the girl eating the ice cream is an import visual element to the article. One often feels the necessity to eat junk food when upset, discouraged, insecure, or even just emotional. The article discusses ways to refrain from eating unhealthy by living up to several "mantras" that you could tell yourself so that you don't pick up that tub of ice cream. The photo's purpose is to instill a disgusted attitude towards eating unhealthy. The girl has chocolate all over her face which is very unattractive and even portrays the finest Ben and Jerry's ice cream as disgusting. However, I feel that the girl in the picture looks fit and is at a healthy weight. The picture isn't a good representation of her entire figure but, it can be inferred that she isn't overweight. What would motivate me more is seeing someone actually overweight eating a whole tub of ice cream. This could be perceived as offensive or wrong though. The author may have wanted someone visually appealing to catch the eye. The author may also be appealing to the competitive side of everyone by putting a picture of someone fit so that others can strive for her body.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Jessica. The picture of the girl is a clear attempt at making gorging oneself on ice cream undesirable. Like you stated the girl seems fit and pretty, but the image is supposed to make the ice cream look more undesirable not desirable! I believe that a picture with a person who many would not strive to look like eating ice cream would pass the point in a much stronger way. Other than this key observation I noticed how the article used rhetorical questions and I liked this. I feel that it gave the reader something to ask herself while reading and made readers think about what the article was saying.
DeleteI noticed through reading the article that the author seems to try to connect to the audience by using the words “you” and “I.” This technique could be the author’s way of trying to establish credibility by showing she has been in this position and directly motivate her audience by using the pronoun “you.” People are more likely to respond to a statement if you directly point them out by using “you” rather than if you generalize and no fingers are pointed. Also, by including her own personal experience towards the beginning she develops a close relationship with the reader. In addition, I think the author believes that her audience is females. This conclusion is based on evidence that the picture is a female, chocolate tends to be a soother for females rather than males, and the authors suggestions for ways to avoid eating to relieve pain. She says in her article to go get a massage or your nails done as an alternative to unhealthy eating. These are activities that females typically engage in instead of males. Furthermore, the author targets females as her audience because they tend to monitor and think more about what they consume.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ashley’s view that the author of the article is trying to target her intended audience. She directly connects with her audience by communicating both to and through them. She establishes common ground with her audience by making overt statements that are typical among men and women striving to lose weight. The use of the words “I” and “you” appeal to these people because they are able to make the connection as well. They are able to realize they are not alone in their struggle to lose weight because there are millions of people in the world fighting a similar battle.
DeleteThe interface of the featured article is very powerful in that is uses a wide variety of colors and advertisements to emphasize its purpose. The colorful display portrays weight loss in a positive light rather than its prototypical negative connotation. The heading “Weight Loss” is even circled proving that the webpage views the issue as being curable. The interface is surrounded by advertisements for weight loss products like Fitness Magazine, Slim Fast and The North Face Fitness Half-Zip. These products support the article’s statement that weight loss is one step away. The photo of the woman indulging in her ice cream also turns people away from their excessive eating habits by showing her ungracious over indulgence. It turns people away from their own eating habits towards an alternative healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this interface is to suggest that weight loss is certainly possible. It provides several resources that are intended to make an easier transition into a healthier lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI cannot get the reply button to work so I am going to reply to Jessica's comment here.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jessica’s response that the picture would have been effective if the picture would have included a girl that was heavier. It would have made the reader stop and think that they do not want to look like that, so therefore causing them to repeat the mantra’s stated in the article. On the other hand, I can see why the author included a healthy fit girl. This inference causes the reader to think to themselves that if they repeat the mantra’s they will too look just as healthy as the girl in the picture. Using this picture at the beginning serves as almost a marketing tool for her article because not only does it make her readers read on, it causes them to read on so they too can look like the girl in the picture.
I disagree with the thought that a picture of a heavier girl would have been more effective. I personally think it helps motivate people to get in shape more to see picture of what they want to look like, because its easier to use that as motivation. If people see picture of fit people they think to themselves, "i want ot get to that point" and i think that is more powerful when motivating people to workout, stick to a diet program, or even follow the little suggestions such as the ones in this article.
DeleteJuno DeMelo's title of the article, "Make Over Your Inner Eating Monologue," perfectly describes the whole article perfectly. Not only is the information about how to view your eating habits in a different manner, but the article's main points of "stop saying" and "make this your mantra" are bolded and formatted to look like a monologue. This formatting really stands out to the audience and gets the point across that everyone should stop viewing cheating on the diet as a reward and more that cheating on your diet is punishing yourself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa on this. The formatting was really well done to emphasize the author's point. The author makes clear that cheating on your diet is only hurting yourself later down the road. There is no "reward" just because ran an extra mile today or won't eat as much tomorrow. The formatting of the website adds clarity to this point.
DeleteIn this article, the author refers to the audience using the pronouns “you” and “I.” The author is appealing to an audience that is interested in fitness and losing weight. The author believes the audience values their appearance and eating healthy. The audience trusts the author, and looks to him or her for helpful advice. The audience sees this writer as an authority figure, especially when PhD writer Albers is quoted in the article.
ReplyDeleteI like the way the article was written: informative yet not demeaning in anyway to people who might not have the best eating habits. In addition, I could relate to the eating and workout do's and don'ts. I noticed right away how the advertisements took up most of the room on the screen, encircling the article. Ads were for workouts, fitness clothing, and magazine subscriptions.
ReplyDeleteI think that the article is appearing to both the ethos as well as the female body. It is amazing how people are able to rationalize food into being an acceptable substitute for happiness. I agree with Ashley that the picture serves as a motivator as it is, as even without the text the point of the article would still be made.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the point Betsy makes about using food as a substitute to happiness, but in my case it's stress. Whenever i get nervous, stressed or sad, I turn to food. The only difference is I don't gain weight.
DeleteAs J. Lo said, I like the way she writes this, informative yet she does not offend the target audience (which in my opinion are the people that are trying to lose the weight.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was reading this and looking at the pictures, I went back into my 9th grade history class. In this class we learned that in the early 1900's people who were obese were respected by everybody, this was because it demonstrated that they were wealthy and they could take care of themselves. I found this interesting because in a century things made a 360 flip. What people thought back then is very different from what people think now, this proves to me that the perception of the body and representation can change and what is common belief now could be very different 10 years from now.
I like the arguments being made in this article. I think when it comes to losing weight many people don't understand that the your goal should be "progress, not perfection" as the article says. No one can achieve perfection, so if you strive for perfection, you're just setting yourself up to fail, and that goes for anything you try in life. It is good to have goals, but those goals have to be realistic ones, otherwise they are doing you no good.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Brandon about "progress, not perfection." Try to expand on that. What else is the author trying to say about "snacking?"
DeleteBefore one even begins reading Juno DeMalo's article, it is very apparent to the reader that the article targets those seeking weight loss and dieting based on the surrounding ads and images on Fitness Magazine's website. The picture first presented at the top of the page shows a woman messily eating ice cream with an abnormally crazed facial expression. Automatically, this would disguist anyone who sees this picture. This proves author is aiming to reel in those with uncontrollable eating habits, and throughout the article, she constantly addresses an audience with pronouns like "you" and "I". Although the article does not apply to those without eating problems or desire for weight loss, it is still very informative and seeks to remain as unopinionated as possible.
ReplyDeleteThat is true; this article does provide a lot of visual context surrounding the written piece as evidence for a theme. Something I found interesting was how the woman indulging and almost covered in chocolate still had all her make up done nicely and seemed to be fairly put together overall. What is this contrast saying? Does it allude to oncoming readers that they too have hope?, that it isn't all downhill? This may be an over analyzation.
DeleteAfter reading the article and comments on it, it seems that these supposed mantras have resonated with the readers. It appears that many of the readers do in fact struggle with these every day situations and struggle to conquer them. The ideas presented have given people hope and encouragement that the next time they encounter one of these scenarios they will be able to succeed. It's easy for anyone to use food as a substitute when they have a bad day, which is why the people who commented were so excited to find a way around such a problem.
ReplyDeleteI think an interesting point brought up in this article was in allowing a slipback for yourself. The article ends with proclaiming to disregard the all or nothing way of thinking. I took a study skills class and one of the points brought up for maintaining success was to allow for a couple "mistakes." I agree with this mentality because, no matter what we're all bound to mess up, so it makes sense that we would continue our mindset in a positive direction rather than to be persuaded by failure every time we messed up.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Julie, the entire process is exactly that, a process. So slipping up once or twice is not a huge deal, we are all human. This article sort of affirms this idea, and rightfully so. It appeals to our emotions, both of failure and of desire to succeed in a diet.
ReplyDelete