We all consume messages about food every day, and the messages we receive can influence our behavior and have a real impact on our communities: from targeted appeals of low-income consumers and consumers of color that push cheap and unhealthy foods while simultaneously shaming consumers for making “poor choices,” to the reinforcing of racial and gender stereotypes through food and the stigmatization of obesity.

But how do families pressed for time and funds sift through the complex messages they receive about food, weighing health and economic costs against the desire for comfort, community, and belonging that food can bring? In this session, we’ll examine how media, marketing, and the world around us can shape how we eat. We’ll also explore how marketing and media can be used as a force for good in helping families access good food with dignity.

Meet Our Panelists

Dr. Marcia Chatelain
Professor
History and African American Studies
Georgetown University

Omni Cassidy
Assistant Professor
Department of Population Health
NYU Langhone Health

Moderated by
Christina Economos, PhD
Professor and the New Balance Chair in Childhood Nutrition, and Chair of the Division of Nutrition Interventions, Communication, & Behavior Change at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science