Question

Think about how diet and weight-loss companies advertise.how do they use bias to sell their products? How would you use skepticism to evaluate the data that these companies use in their advertisements?

Answer 1

Companies that advertise diet and weight-loss products are well-known for using false or biased advertising. These companies are biased in the sense that they present images of beauty that are subjective as if they were objectively admirable. Moreover, they can play on people's insecurities due to a bias of what a person should ideally be like. It is very important, when dealing with these type of companies, to use skepticism when examining their data. It is very likely that the data has been modified in order to provide a very positive view of the effectiveness of their products. Moreover, it is important to look at their health claims, and not just at their weight-loss claims.

Answer 2

Diet and weight-loss companies create the illusion of isolation, as if everyone else has met the ideal beauty standard and that “you aren’t right now, but you can too!” Instead of focusing on the health of the customer, these companies promote their methods of weight-loss before any other. Use skepticism if an advertisement makes claims that seem “too good to be true”, are scientifically unsubstantiated, only provide one perspective/way of thinking, or appear to prioritize sales over health.