WE’RE NOT DOGS. WE’VE EARNED BETTER.

by

We 'deserve' a pedicure? A relaxing bath?

Have you ‘earned’ a Little Debbie?

Oh people.

To know me is to know I blog with an editorial calendar.

I write blog posts.

I put away said posts.

I edit edit edit posts (yep. those long rambles you read are INDEED the shorter versions. terrifying–I realize.).

I publish posts.

Im simply no longer the off-the-cuff-blogger I was when writing as a mama-blogger perpetually on the verge.

And, for the most part, this approach works for me.

Except for now.

For TONIGHT.

As Im phone-blogging CRAZILY in the aisles of my Safeway grocery.

(if I werent in OAKLAND–which rivals AUSTIN in the weird–I might stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. to my delight–I do not.)

This post was initially sparked in my cranium over the long weekend as I lolled with the child and watched a bit too much late night TV when I happened upon this commercial.

To put it mildly I was miffed.

Supremely annoyed.

Yammered *at* the husband who didnt get it IRRITATED.

It’s for that reason (prompted to publish by pushing my cart *past* the L.D.’s & watching others plop them into baskets) Im seeking your thoughts & reactions.

I love the advertisement’s underlying message of re-discovering our child within.

Thats a huge reason behind why I advocate (even before the Tornado!) PLAYouts over workouts.

I believe we’re all happier when able to tap back into joy we found in activities (monkey bars to musical instruments) during our younger, more carefree days.

It makes me crazy & roll my eyes so hard I fear they may never be righted in my head Little Debbie’s is attempting to tie this re-discovery in with the notion we’ve “earned” or “deserve” a sugar-laden treat.

While to those of us who live in the fitness world the notion of Im not a dog. I will not reward myself with food! may be second nature–I venture to guess this is not the norm for the majority of society.

Many of us in the healthy living tribe may watch these commercial and think:

Huh. I was rewarded with sugary stuffs when I was a child. Now? Im armed with a decadence list. I know how to self-care without sabotaging my health! Sure life may be all things in moderation—but NOT because I ‘deserve’ or have ‘earned’ it. Food doesnt possess power like that.

Those outside our tribe?

During the final words in this Little Debbies advertisement all I could think about was:

Heck yes she’s going to “pay for that.” Mindless eating in the aisles of a grocery store in an attempt to re-capture the joy of her younger self? She’ll pay for that one way or another indeed.

And now you.

In a way not at all reminiscent of “always end your blog post with a call to action!” —-today I seek your reactions as I stand here wondering if all these musings are peculiar to me.

  • Do you find the campaign to be at best insulting & at worst encouraging of unhealthy food-behaviors in an already unhealthy society?

 

 

 

MizFit disclosure: I happily consumed Little Debbie upon many occasions when I was a child. Less than a slam of the ‘snak cake’ in general Im disappointed in their choice of wording and ad campaign.

 

POSTS BY EMAIL

Never miss a post. Enter your email to get my latest posts delivered to your inbox.

Comments

  1. As you know Miz…me and my food struggles started from dieting. I did and have kept off over 100lbs. BUT BUT BUT…food was a reward for me. Not intially, but when I crash dieted for a man…I would binge my guts to the maximum after starving myself for two days before a weigh-in. It’s a VERY hard habit to change. Exercise–eat more. It’s how dieting works and it’s how I think that people feel ‘less restricted’. You see it ALL the time in the blogging world. Mad crazy fitness people who run or exercise like maniacs and then binge on pizza and beer. So, I get it. I understand what you’re saying and it’s a very dangerous connection which I think leads to a lot of food/body dysmorphia and guilt ridden obession. just my two cents.

  2. I think they are certainly tapping into two areas here…the reward after work (something you should be doing anyway) and the feelings associated with food. There are times when I am feeling a certain way or it is a certain time of year that I crave certain foods from my childhood…now I resist them knowing full well that I am just trying to get that feeling back. I think it is a dangerous message to send out there…almost giving permission to reward with food. I try to do activities with our girls as a way to celebrate with something fun instead of food. This commercial also hits on something that as a teacher gets me all in a fluster…do your task simply because you are supposed to not because there is a reward at the end! Grrrr

    • Like it or not this is GREAT advertising for all the reasons you have pointed out. I watch almost every commercial and feel like advertisers are taking care of the weak minded. It is a bad message. But, it sells the product. So, are we mad that they are doing a good job of selling their product or mad that they sell the product in the first place. Just something to consider.

  4. I do agree that it’s the wrong message to send. For me, I know that rationally, I disagree with the idea of earning a treat but I also know that I do do it. I also know that when I turn to food in that emotional way and eat something akin to LD, I feel crappy afterwards – physically and mentally.

  5. Though I agree about not rewarding ourselves with junk, I have to admit, I didn’t really think toooo much of the commercial until you pointed it out. Then again, I never put much thought into commercials. It certainly doesn’t suggest any healthy habits or positive thinking though…

  6. Um yep, the second one. I’ve never seen this commercial but the message is NOT a good one. I’m forever telling my clients to not reward with food…unless it’s a healthy indulgence. Hopefully no one will pay much attention to it!

    • and Im such a misfit that even a HEALTHY INDULGENCE is just food for me.
      Not good (reward) not bad (punitive) just food.
      Never a reward.

      • That’s why it’s more of a lifestyle than a work out to indulge. However, if you’ve ever seen The Rock’s (Dwayne Johnsons) cheat day I highly suggest you check it out for the proper way to do a cheat (indulgence) day.

  7. oh i’ve never seen it. I just watched it. annoyed, yes. Food is food, not a reward. How did we get to that point? I’m baffled. Sure, we can ENJOY food, but that’s a whole new thought process. Hmmm, i’m perplexed

  8. Ugh. This bugs be not only for the woman, but for the kid, because it also sends the message that our kids should be “rewarded” with crap when they finish their homework. I hate this. And the Betty Crocker and Pillsbury ads that tell us we should show our families how much we love them by baking up some cakes or trans-fat laden biscuits. I think this whole food = reward/love is so entrenched in our society. It’s one reason why our obesity problem is so endemic.

    P.S. My dog would rather go for a walk. 😉

  10. Agree. It’s insulting. It makes a dangerous appeal for junk food as reward. From an advertiser’s standpoint (not that I sympathize with this company whatsoever) how does one promote a product that is completely unhealthy? I suppose at least this was geared toward adults rather than kids.

  11. YAY! I saw the advertisement and immediately thought about how that is how I got where I am today with my disordered thinking.

    • I think it is a person thing.
      We think too much and read too much into stuff lately.
      It’s a funny, sweet advertisement.

  13. Ugh. This is irritating. And I’m not even a strict “healthy eater”.
    I’m not big on rewarding myself with food. I don’t even say things like, “burned 1600 calories running today, I can have [insert junk food here].” If I want to eat something, I eat it. It leads to less binging later.
    I’m all for eating a cupcake, but not as a reward and certainly not from a package. Yuck.

  16. I find the whole idea of rewarding ourselves with food, especially fake food, sad and unhealthy. Instead food is our fuel and our decisions should be based on what makes us feel good and gives us energy.

    So keep yammering about stuff like this… it’s good to make people think… because you can!

  17. Oh man! I get the frustration here…I was once a person who rewarded myself with food all the time. It was Friday – I EARNED and DESERVED that pizza & beer…every single Friday. And that was AFTER I had the donut at work that I had worked so hard for during the week and NEEDED as a reward.
    Now? I still eat not-so-good foods on occasion {and enjoy them}, but because I really want them, not because I feel I earned them.
    Craziness!

  18. So I’ve never seen this commercial but I watched it on your blog a few times and….I genuinely don’t get the outcry. Sorry, friend.
    I mean, it’s a stupid commercial and Little Debbie’s aren’t really my choice snack but I don’t think it’s actually sending any kind of message other than the fact that it’s a commercial and they’re trying to sell food. I don’t think the problem is people rewarding themselves with food (which I honestly don’t think is a problem unless it’s like “I woke up today and as a reward I will eat 10 full pizzas!”), it’s that we over-analyze what/why we’re eating to a completely ridiculous level. The lady ate one snack cake that’s like 250 calories, who the heck cares why she ate it. Maybe the message should be that if we just ate food and stopped being so crazy about it all the time we’d have a better relationship with the whole eating process. Not everything is controversial. Sometimes people can just eat something that they like or even feel that they deserve to eat what they like. I’d rather weigh a few pounds more and eat the occasional snack cake than be completely obsessed with my eating habits. And now I want a Little Debbie. So that commercial worked for me.

  19. AND I SO APPRECIATE YOU AND NANCY SHARING YOU DONT AGREE (she shouts in glee).
    I in no way think Im always right.
    I adore having this blog as a way to gather others opinions.
    thank you so much.

  20. Maybe it is all through who we are?
    Like you said with the healthy living tribe and, for me, I am finally done binging and this would trigger me to think about all the times I have rewarded myself with food.

  22. ((sigh))

    This is a really effective ad campaign, because it aims itself on something we remember as a child: Being rewarded with sweets. Why NOT do it as an adult when we loved it as a child? and associating it as a reward ads value… it’s not just a snack, it’s a REWARD, like a trophy or a gold star on you paper.

    We all know that we probably DESERVE better rewards in our live. I think I deserve a new car, a home of my own, and a nice loom to work on. I think I occasionally deserve to go out to dinner, to see a movie in a theater, to buy something from a department store instead of a thrift store.

    The problem is that a lot of us either can’t afford what we deserve, can’t justify spending money on what we deserve (whether or not we can afford it) or haven’t overcome the idea that we DO deserve better.

    Food is cheap. How many “rewards” can I have if I get a massage, vs how many I get if I use the same money for Little Debbies?

    When we’re trained from childhood (especially some of us who are older) to expect food rewards, to put ourselves last, to treat ourselves cheaply, this hits the spot.

    Of course most of us who still do this: who count our dimes before our calories and who would never CONSIDER rewarding ourselves with a cruise or even a facial, WE don’t look like the woman in the ad. We’re not living in the nice house with the big yard… we’re only dreaming of what that woman is and what she has (and I think, considering the poverty levels in this country, that this is the MAJORITY)

    … and what this woman has is a Little Debbie.

    It takes considerably more effort when you’re in that situation, when your list of affordable decadence is mostly sugary food items… especially when this is what you grew up with… to break out of that mindset and start thinking: I deserve to NOT eat a Little Debbie.

    Me? Yes, I still reward myself with food items from time to time. Mostly I love different teas. It’s not a perfect substitute, but it’s affordable.

    • This is SO TRUE for me!!! I’ve realized that I often turn to food as a reward because it’s cheap, easy, and doesn’t really affect anyone else. I can easily afford the time and money for a cookie or Little Debbie, but I would never go on a cruise or even get a facial or a pedicure!

  23. Wellllllllllll, as you know, I have my weekend cookie treats! 🙂 No packaged treats for me – real good cookie treats! I do think to myself that I have earned anything I CHOOSE to eat whether on the weekend for a treat OR if I eat them during the week or something else not on my healthy eating plan because I do live a healthy life & workout diligently & so I can do whatever I please.. not sure that is considered reward or just I chose to do that cause I know I can & get back to it… From childhood on, I have been taught & think many others that food is a reward or treat for good behavior OR family gatherings are always centered around food or were for me & many others…. I think it becomes complex per the beginning of my comment here BUT yes, I think there is a better way to get across a message than reward yourself with sugar laden foods vs a walk or massage or just being present & having you time… IT was meant to sell a product & I am sure it will…

  25. Food as a reward, especially for children, is the wrong way to go. It’s just like my pet peeve of snacks after kids soccer games (despise this and try to shut it down ever year!). What are we teaching? A commercial like that just sends home the wrong message.

    • Fuel after running and sweating for an hour or so is not exactly the same thing. That kind of snack does NOT have to be sugar-laden. And may be necessary. Give them some protein like nuts. Retrain the parents to NOT pick the crappy snacks. 🙂

  26. Ah, yes. Sadly I could think of many other more delicious sugar laden treats to go for. Okay, not your point, but really… Actually my kids have a metabolic condition that makes food a real struggle. We work hard to not only NOT tie rewards and happiness to food, but we also try to not tie it to holidays. My kids have to count and control the PHE they take in (protein). We reward with trips to the park, stickers and play dates with friends.

  27. Yes, Like you I was extremely annoyed and before I finished reading your thoughts I had some of my own. THey turned out to be very similar.
    Little Debbies were actually like this in my house, and I won’t like I still fight with the idea of justifying cheat meals with “oh I earned it”

    It’s sad that it’s hard to push these out when they are being pushed into our heads. To be honest, this is one of the reasons we don’t watch television at all. I hate the media and the way the pull us all in.

    Thanks for a great post!

  28. I’m not one to let companies dictate good, bad, earned, deserved to me so I pretty much tune it out.

    That said, my kids haven’t learned to think critically yet so that type of ad is awful in my opinion.

    But yeah, if I didn’t have Celiac, I could put down a couple Oatmeal pies right about now. 😉

  29. Honestly Miz, a year ago I would have watched this commercial and thought, haha that is so cute. I wouldn’t have bought a little debbie but the marketing is smart because who doesn’t want a reward for working so hard. It is simply the light at the end of the tunnel. I agree with you that this is not a reward and is not good for us but I understand the marketing goals.

    I agree, food is not a reward, but this is also something that I am just beginning to see.

  30. I feel like the message of rewarding yourself with a treat is only bad if it’s overdone. IE: I get a Little Debbie after taking out the trash, folding the laundry, making the bed, AND taking a shower. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong to reward or treat yourself within reason. Heck – I think we all do it but probably don’t label it as such.

    I honestly didn’t put much thought into the commercial – but then again I rarely do. I can see both sides of the “issue” and remain pretty neutral 🙂

  31. For me the deeper issue (and with me it’s ALWAYS about the deeper issue LOL) is the insidious nature of BIG FOOD marketing and marketing in general, which causes us to believe that we *need* whatever the product is…and the messages just get hammered in over and over. Messages like “America runs on Dunkin.” I’ve read books and articles that talk about the “deserving” message and the “luxury” message around food, especially dessert-y foods. BILLIONS are spent on these messages.

    @@ <——–eyes rolling!

  33. Is it bad that I see both sides of the coin? I totally get what you’re saying. We definitely shouldn’t reward with food. And certainly not unhealthy food. But I also don’t think we should get wrapped up in all this ish.

    Us “raging against the machine”– which I get accused of doing daily – HA! isn’t going to change the fact that people are going to eat that crap.

    At the same time– I’d LOVE me some LD oatmeal cream pie!! But I think I’d rather spend the time figuring out a way to make a healthier version of it at home. And although we should all have that mentally, not everyone will.

    So be it.

  34. Love love love this post! One of the reasons I think there are so many people who struggle with emotional ties to foods is because we were all taught to reward ourselves with food. Food should be seen as just that, food. It is not good, bad, a reward, a treat. Just food.

  36. I hate the aspect of rewarding yourself for doing something with a sweet treat…as Lindsay at Cotter Crunch says, food is nourishment for our bodies…when did it become a reward…I would rather reward my kids with day trips, clothing, or something like that, and not associate food with rewards…

  37. I was always bribed with sweets when it came to things that i didn’t want to do or were afraid of: for instance, “we’ll go get ice cream after getting your shots.”

    All it really ever taught me was to make a big stink about certain things so I’d get the bribe. Refuse to do homework? get the bribe. Cry about how scary needles are? Get the bribe.

    Instead of having my parents actually, you know, talk to me and deal with the emotions that I was having, they took the easy way out and presented me with the bribe.

    This is why when I’m training dogs (it’s something I do as a volunteer), I use very small bits of food as a reward, but ALWAYS phase it out into AFFECTION being the reward.

  38. and as a parent–if Im brutally honest–I RECALL HAVING A MOMENT OF I SHOULD REWARD WITH FOOD.

    I remember when it happened.
    I recall telling the husband about it.
    I remember having that moment of OH I GET IT…WHY PEOPLE DO IT…HOW EASY IT IS TO DO…AND HOW IF IT DID IT NOW (she was small. fell. sobbing about skinned knee. for some irrational reason I thought I SHOULD GIVE YOU A POPSICLE) IT WOULD CEMENT IN HER BRAIN THE NOTION OF: I HURT. SWEET TREAT FOOD WILL HELP.

    • well maybe if you hold the popsicle to her knee….
      But what she needed more than that was the protection in her mom’s arms…

      And that should ALWAYS be available to a child.

  39. I definitely grew up with the “reward” of food – got honors on report card day = going to a special restaurant. It really screwed me up. When I went grocery shopping this past weekend, I reached for something that would’ve been a treat (I don’t remember what, clearly it was not memorable)and I said to myself, “you’re not a dog. Dogs and cats get treats.” And it helped me put my feelings/needs in perspective and putting my health first. It’s okay to have treats once in a blue, but not as a reward mechanism.

    • and as an intuitive eater Im all for “treats” EVERY DAY—but just as food.
      stripped of all power.
      neither good nor bad.

      • That is the best summation of the topic. And I have to admit many of the things I once loved now taste awful and leave a hideous film in the mouth. Once you start regularly eating whole foods and fresh fruit, those transfat-filled treats just feel ICKY! (Thin mints, I’m looking at YOU!) 🙂

  40. All I could think while I was watching the commercial was “I never liked those plastic-tasting snack cakes when I was a kid and I’m sure they haven’t gotten better with age.”

  41. While I do not agree with the consumption of overly processed food as a normal thing (every now and then? probably not too harmful), I know many people use food as reward, and if it is done in a HEALTHY way, I’m okay with it (and this would include better choices in reward).

    I think we are conditioned to expect a reward – so many have a “what’s in it for me?” approach (sad – I could go on for DAYS here). Whether you look forward to your version of a “treat” or you save and splurge on a new pair of shoes, people want that validation for hard work.

    Thing is, there is a slippery slope when “using” food. I see too many people who do not enjoy food, who have a restrictive relationship with food. Having less restriction, less FEELING, more relaxed toward food in general might lead to a healthier view – one that would have people choosing LD less and REAL more.

    I have never had a Little Debbie – I was not ‘rewarded’ with food of any kind as a kid. I wonder if there is a connection with that and my opinion here?

  42. It is only in the recent year that I’ve turned my thoughts around when it comes to the idea of ‘rewarding’ (the word reward is not one I ever used though). I love food and I have a huge appetite for it but, the idea of rewarding myself because ‘I deserve it’? Makes no sense to me…anymore. That said, I get the notion behind it because I was once in that frame of mind.

    When I use the word treat, it irritates me because I’m not treating. I’m just enjoying and savouring. It is not a matter of earning yet eating, plain and simply.

  43. I haven’t seen the commercial and only know about from what I’ve read here. But it seems to me that if the adults who buy the food products investigated them as well as they do new car purchases or even things like toaster ovens then commercials like this wouldn’t matter. Where is the consumer reports magazine for our food?

  44. I think so many people already reward themselves with food, they don’t need a commercial to tell them they should!

    I don’t think I really looked at food as a reward, but I certainly associated food with “special occasions” for a while there. It took some real work to separate life, “special occasions,” and experiences from food.

  45. Stripped down, food is fuel, nothing more, nothing less. Yet, I know no one, self included who does not attach other meanings and relationships to food. Yes this ad would have caught my attention for the wrong reasons; No, I did not eat these foods as a child; yes, any ad that draws the noose tighter between ‘deserve” and “earn” and “reward” and sugary foods would irritate me

  46. THANK YOU! I’m so glad you wrote about this as my husband and I were just talking about it. It drives me crazy when we teach children this from the beginning of their lives. “If you behave in the store, THEN you get candy.” Um, WHAT?? Why? Food is not a reward. Food is something to fuel, something to heal and something to simply ENJOY if you want a piece of cake or candy or anything. THANK YOU!!! I want to write a whole post on this, too. We are so alike.

  47. I used to love LD but then began to read the nutrition facts…I don’t need to be rewarded with worse health! I’d rather have a homemade cupcake….if you can compare them lol

  48. I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t have had the exact same train of thought as you initially. Now that I do think about it, I was always rewarded with food, sometimes it was the only way my mom knew how.

    I think that if you want a Little Debbie snack, have one, but don’t use it as your reason to do some chore.

    My bigger issue is that this woman “controls” her husband and it’s like a huge win if she can coerce him into doing chores with a $1 snack, she can’t just ask him to do it because they are a team and both do things around the house?

  49. The thing I find the most interesting is that the woman’s generation wasn’t the one that was “rewarded” with sweet treats… that seemed to start with us millennials… it is indeed a ridiculous thought. The idea that we need to be rewarded with anything is ludicrous and doesn’t make sense… especially when it’s stuff we SHOULD be doing. Thank you so much for this post!

  50. So many places to take this one…I’m going to try to stay on track, but can’t make any promises. =)

    Irritating is an understatement. I HATE (never use that word) the way that our society “goods/bads” food. It literally makes me mad. Yes, I occasionally let my daughter have cookies before she eats dinner. No, I don’t treat it like a reward. I treat it like just another food.

    I was not rewarded with food as a child. I was denied the foods that one would typically be rewarded, which IMO created just as much of a problem. It caused me to hoard food as a teenager/adult, binge, and then restrict myself of these foods again for being “bad”.

    After 2 years of therapy, treatment for my LONG-WINDED eating disorder, and being binge/purge free and “recovered” for 6 years, the notion of food being anything more than just “FOOD” in general just scares the hell out of me.

    I just really wish for a day in our society when food is nothing more than just food. It’s not good, it’s not bad…you eat, you enjoy, and you nourish. The end.

  51. It really boils down to what the parents allow. As much as marketing may be to our kids and we may find it irritating or irrational it’s ultimately the parents choice how to respond.

  53. omg, i didn’t even watch that commercial but i totally agree. i could eat a box of little debbies in one sitting … and that’s how i gained 40 lbs in a semester. :/ there is no such thing as “earning” junk food; it’s always there for you but that’s only because it has a crazy shelf life. /end rant

  54. I’m sorry; I see no message or hidden agenda. (And I’m not just saying that because of my former Swiss Roll love. Well, current Swiss Roll love, even though I haven’t had one in, I don’t know how many years.)

    I do give myself ‘rewards’ all the time. Sometimes it’s a food item, sometimes not. Usually it’s something I was going to do anyway, but it’s just so much more fun calling it a reward. Makes me remember to take a moment to savor and be grateful.

    But then again, I am easily entertained. 🙂

  55. Sweet, sweet MizFit:

    Speaking of sweets…

    Now in my 50’s, I think back about what has changed in the types of rewards given when I was a kid for good behavior (or in hopes of coaxing out more positive than nasty behavior) compared to now.

    I had lots of friends growing up, including Little Debbie (actually, she was more of an acquaintance – didn’t care much for her ‘cakes’). Though my parents rewarded me with sugary and salty savory snacks, I remember, given the choice, I’d much rather choose an extra half hour on the dirt mound with my friends, playing with my plastic army guys (and yes, Barbie and Ken) or being included in a board game or watching a favorite show with my family. In fact that was the secret – my parents gave me choices. And not all of my good behavior was met with a tactile reward. My favorite of all was receiving praise and acknowledgment (maybe its the last in the birth order ‘thingy’?)

    Now, with three teenage girls who are both fashion and weight sensitive, I’m keenly aware of walking that fine line between being the Nazi dietitian and being a cool dad. But I find that giving my kids choices, like my parents did for me, and putting treats like Little Debbie in perspective, goes a long, long way. My wife and I are also careful not to drop the “I deserve a drink, desert, snack, etc.” chatter around the house.

    My intern Ed, who is a young, aspiring RDN in the making, read your post and watched the video. Without prompting, he said “Why do we have to reward children and adults with treats or with anything, for that matter? We have a society that has built a habitual process around food – cake for a birthday, candy at halloween, etc. It’s no wonder that we have a troubled relationship with food when so many of life’s activities revolve around it. Reward children and adults with healtheir lifestyle choices, instead. Praise is good but given too often isn’t as sweet.”

    Less is more, I guess. Ah…out of the mouths of babes…

  56. It doesn’t bother me.

    I know that I don’t get/have to have a sweet treat as a REWARD for doing a chore.

    I also don’t think kids should get $ PAID for doing chores.

    I guess that makes me a curmudgeon too.

  59. Having grown up in a household that served only food from boxes, bottles or cans, I can honestly attest to how much you will end up paying for this lifestyle. It is seriously so unhealthy and disgusting!
    Having said that, I will say that I do not ever tell others what or how to eat unless they ask me for advice. For me I truly believe in moderation in everything. I like how freeing that is and I tend to choose healthy things as I just feel better for it in the end.
    Now this ad campaign is just not good. I agree with you that it is overall yucky and negative. And no I don’t think that makes you a cranky oldster!
    I don’t like the way they are linking eating stuff that is of practically no food value to being a kid. With a start like that in life, we won’t last long into adulthood. At least not without some serious health issues…
    Why wait until we are adults to find out how good we can feel and how strong we can be without so much junk going into our system?!

  60. I don’t even like Little Debbie. Seriously. I think they’re gross. I think it all has a time and place–rewards are a good way to motivate yourself, but I almost always pick a relaxation based reward over a food based one because I don’t keep junk in the house (rare exception of home baked goodies). But I think our friends over at Little Debbie advertising are geniuses because most people probably think “heck yes, I deserve a treat for holding down this couch, thanks for reminding me.” It’s not responsible, but I don’t think it’s worse than any other sort of advertising.

  61. Interesting commercial. I don’t think I would ordinarily have thought twice about it if I saw it, but now that you point it out it sticks out as different or wrong to me for sure – or, at the very least, thought-provoking. I do agree that we shouldn’t “treat” ourselves, but I do find myself using that language from time to time. What gets me is the flip side of that “treat language,” when we say that someone should eat something because, “Oh, you deserve it! You’ve worked so hard!” We don’t DESERVE anything one way or another, in my opinion, and I think that thinking is connected with the commercial here and this idea. I don’t like to view food as “good” or “bad” either – I think it can lead to problems down the line.

    Great topic to bring up! Thanks, as usual, for the great content and food for thought. 😀

  62. You know, I’m so removed from anything resembling Little Debbie that it’s all wrapped up to me. Unhealthy foods, unhealthy attitudes towards foods…

  63. Well you KNOW how I feel about this because I’m sure you saw my recent post about rewarding students with candy. Such BS! Makes me mad too, and just goes to show that this attitude is deeply ingrained in our culture. Gots to keep working at it though!

  64. Big food wants to remind you that they had your market share as a little kid and now they want you to buy their products as an adult (and I’ll bet that they expect you’ll feed it to YOUR kids, too- although that wasn’t in the commercial)- unlike china or keepsakes, lets pass down chronic disease!

    This is so wrong- IMO. Our kids deserve better.

  65. I feel like my name has been taken in vain. Always have with Little Debbie (and with Debbie does Dallas, but that’s another story 🙂 ).

  66. I have worked my whole life to overcome the “I’ve earned it” way of thinking when it comes to food. I am trying so hard to teach my children that food doesn’t need to be earned, but rather is used to nourish the body. That doesn’t mean you can splurge or try “fun” foods, but that as long as you provide your body what it really needs it will provide for you

  67. Hmm. Back when I was kid (when the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth).. in our family we did not get rewards for do jobs. Or not directly.

    We did chores all Saturday morning (seriously, NOTHING was booked on Saturdays before 1 pm).. then got a lunch of all the leftovers in the fridge concocted by my dad. Oftentimes, it was all the leftovers thrown together, so NOT a reward.

    If we got boxes of CrackerJack to enjoy while watching TV that night, it was because it was Saturday night, not because we dusted, swept, changed our beds, and cleaned the bathrooms.

    So I have never really gotten the food as reward thing that so many others have. Never felt the “I SO earned this!” thing.

    But this commercial using food to manipulate labor not only puts food in bad light, it puts familial obligations and responsibilities (plant a garden, clean the garage) in a bad light.

  68. I hate the “I earned it” mentality (not that I’m always above it), but I think we need to shift our thinking and earn things like pedicures and movie nights. Both of which I would reward you with for using the word curmudgeon.

  70. Loved the title…I am of the opinion though that we should reward ourselves with a little slice of junk every once and a while lol 🙂

  73. Dan Ariely talks about this issue, where the example is treating ourselves to chocolate in exchange for doing the taxes. I am a dog, I do deserve a treat. I notice the chores in the commercial are large ones, and might induce a larger reward (burger, meal out) than a snack sized cupcake. I do try to reward with healthier foods, or foods I’d eat anyway, but also treat myself to a hot bath, foot rub, and TV-watching after a run. It creates a ritual – Sundays I run long and then watch TV in the evening – which is part of the enjoyment of life.

  75. Advertising is the devil always on our shoulders, we really need to be constantly aware of the messages we’re getting every day and analyze them just like you did. Great post

  76. Miz – I am so curious now how you managed to potty train your little Tornado. I have started rewarding my two-year old twins with treats without fully thinking about the repercussions of starting this “reward with food” at such a young age. And if I’m willing to do it for potty training, what else would I be willing to do it with? Thanks for giving me something to think about.

Trackbacks

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This