As a nation, America has become more and more obese because of the increase in unhealthy food options that are available to consumers. Consumers have also become “lazy”: lazy in the sense that instead of going to the grocery store and purchasing healthy organic foods that they can prepare themselves at home, they will hit the drive-thru of some fast food chain because it is more convenient and quick and less expensive. Therefore, fast food chains are profiting from the uneducated consumer. Advertisements for unhealthy foods are a main reason why so many people choose them over healthier options. These advertisements are very brightly colored and designed in a way that draws the attention of consumers and makes them want to go eat that greasy burger and those overly-salted French fries instead of opting for a slice of grilled chicken and sautéed asparagus that could be made at home. There are people that are trying to make a change in the health field by putting out information to the public about the dangers of eating these unhealthy foods. By looking at this picture, we can see how the artist’s use of colors and design bring forward the message he is sending to consumers about what the future will look like if they do not change their eating habits. This is important because if eating habits do not change, the health and well-being of the country will decrease even more than it already has. 

Companies have the ability to persuade consumers into buying their products just by looking at a poster with a picture and a few words. In this image, the artist uses bright colors and contrasting colors to help convey the message that they want to get across. The main focus of the image is in the center, at the big yellow sign. The artist is making this specific color choice to help the main image pop and draw the viewers’ attention to it. The bright yellow sign is surrounded by a dull grey background, making this sign stand out as well. The background of this image begins darker on the edges, and gradually becomes brighter as one’s eye drifts closer and closer to the center of the photo. This choice enhances the viewer’s feelings about the center image. The sign is protruding from a mound of junk food, such as pizzas, hamburgers, French fries, and chicken fingers, among others. The artist selected these specific foods because of their color schemes, and how artificially bright they appear. Instead of using ordinary slices of pizza, the artist specifically chose ones with pepperoni on them, making the red disks stand out to the audience and attract our eyes towards the mounds of junk food. The food items that were chosen appear bland. The most abundant color down below the sign is a tannish beige color, alluding to how bland and innutritious these unhealthy foods really are. If the artist had chosen more vibrant and bright colors to display in this image, he would not have been able to display his warning signs of eating unhealthy food to his audience as well as he did here. 

By looking at this image, we can see how the design of the objects in this image play a role in communicating the message of the image. The people who are depicted on the sign are not the same people that are depicted on the cross walk signs used today. They are now rounder and more filled out. The food beneath the people on the sign is also in rounded out shape; none of the food items are placed exactly level to create a straight line. The mound of food is also getting narrower towards the top where the sign is bulging out. The arrangement makes it seem like all of this junk food is going to inevitably lead to the people on the sign. If people continue to consume all of these unhealthy food items, they are going to become the shape of the people on the sign. This image is a warning to its viewers. Without using any words, it is able to speak to them about a future where the average person weighs almost double what they weigh now, if eating habits do not change. 

Eating habits are required to change for the sake of the future generations health. The amount of unhealthy food in this image is making it seem like it is almost unavoidable to future generations. The two people depicted on the sign seem to be a parent and a child. The child is being raised in a world where the unhealthy food options are so present they are extremely hard to turn their heads away from. Clearly by the looks of the people, they have not turned those options away. The sign in the middle of the image is depicting people who are walking across the street. Signs represent a standard, like how a stop sign signals cars to stop. Since the people on this sign are large, it is a standard in the future that people will look this way. The child also appears to be larger than the parent who is guiding them across the street, hinting that obesity is getting worse with every generation. This sign acts a warning sign to the public about what the future will look like if they are not changing the way they eat.  

The warning signs for unhealthy eating habits are everywhere. Though these signs might not be actual signs, it is apparent in the growing population of the obese in this country. The future may hold actual signs of obese people, because people of this generation are succumbing to the colorful and appealing advertisements of the fast food chains and other junk food products. The colors in this advertisement are same as the colors used in unhealthy food ads, making these colors have a negative connotation to the viewer. The artist uses a design which grows towards the top and builds up to the apparent future of the people in this country. This helps to strengthen his message that if consumers do not cut back on the junk food they are eating, the population will eventually look as these two people do. 
