In some 80 days time the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics will take place, and over 4 years of preparation and anticipation will come to an end as the biggest sporting event in the world(perhaps bar the football world cup and NFL Superbowl), will begin for the second time here in England.
But considering it is a sports event, where spectators will watch some of the most talented athletes in the world compete in numerous forms of exercise, it is rather ironic that what they will also be exposed to is companies trying to pour calories down their throats.
Some of the main sponsors, or partners as they are also called, for the Olympics are companies such as Cadbury, McDonalds and also Coca Cola. All three of them will have absolutely huge exposure, with their names and logos plastered on advertising boards, in magazines and programs, on merchandise, on athletes apparel, in television and media advertising, and probably being mentioned in every type of announcement, to name but a few ways they will get their money's worth throughout the games.
Of course without such sponsors the games probably couldn't take place(ok definitely couldn't), and that is of course the argument that is impossible to overcome, BUT you do have to see the funny, or perhaps tragic, side of the situation.
What are people supposed to think when they are watching Usain Bolt run the 100 meters, as he charges past the boards showing the golden arches of McDonald's. Is it 'gee I wish I could run that fast', 'one day I am going to be the guy on the track competing', or 'I could murder a Big Mac'. For the advertiser it is going to be the latter, and they don't care that the calories their products contain are more likely to make the onlooking public obese, as opposed to helping them fulfill their dreams of becoming an athlete. As Jessie Jay said, 'It's all about the money...'.
I read an interesting article on the BBC website today about how the advertising at the games will almost be sending subliminal messages to the spectators. They are watching something like the 100 meter sprint, an event that lasts less than 10 seconds, a very short space of time for the brain to actually process what is going on. While watching they will see, but perhaps not note at the time, the advertising in the background, or in their peripheral vision. This will stay in their mind until later on and chances are when hunger or thirst strikes they will end up thinking of one of these sponsors, or be reminded of them when they come across one of their products.
Those that are actually attending the games in London won't be able to miss the world's biggest McDonald's that will be open in the Olympic park either.
Bingo, job done as they hand over their hard earned cash for something that is going to do their healthy no good at all.
Ok, Coca Cola may be able to come up with a zero calorie product, but the other two sure as hell can't!
In my humble opinion the games should be about sport, people at the top of their events coming together from every corner of the globe and competing for possibly the most sought after prize in world sport, an Olympic gold medal. The whole event should also be about inspiring people, especially the younger generation of whom the future competitors will come from. It should not be about money, advertising, and marketing. Pushing products onto the fans that are more than likely going to put paid to any Olympic dreams that they ever have, making them fat instead of fit.
Now that may sound extreme but it is the truth. If you ask any Olympic athletes whether or not they gorged on calorie loaded foods when they were growing up, they will tell you a firm and honest 'no'!
While the athletes are sat in the changing rooms getting ready and eating a banana for some last minute energy, the fans are in the stands drinking fizzy pop, eating burgers and chocolate bars, piling on the pounds.
Now you don't need to be a nutritional guru to recognise that there are less calories in a banana than there are in one of these junk food products! Yet there is absolutely nothing to encourage fans to eat something that is good for them, something that may actually help them become the one the world watches compete, and why is that? It is of course because there is no money in advertising fruit or anything healthy!
Perhaps I can sum this up by saying the message that the Olympics is sending is fundamentally wrong! It is not difficult to see (and many statistics will tell you) that there is already an obesity issue here in the UK, with experts stating that approximately one quarter of Brits have an obesity problem, that is a horrendously concerning statistic.
The fact is that even watching the greatest show on earth from a few feet away, people are going to find it much easier to reach for a burger, beer, chocolate bar, or can of fizzy pop, than they are to let the inspiration of what is going on spur them onto becoming the next Bolt, Kelly Holmes or Michael Johnson. That is what the sponsors, and ultimately the organisers are relying on, and that is why it is all so very wrong!
To find out more about calories in food check out my website, it may change how you see your own diet.
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