If your child is an unhealthy eater – the key to getting him
or her to eat more fruits and veggies may lie in a little bit of strategic
marketing.
According to a study that was recently published in the
journal Pediatrics, advertising
methods such as television commercials and banners can triple the chances of a
child choosing healthier options during lunchtime.
The study, which took place in New York, experimented with 3
different advertising approaches in public elementary schools over the course
of six weeks. A control group was first established (this group was not exposed
to any marketing tactics). The first approach utilized vinyl banners,
displaying animated characters in the form of vegetables with super powers.
Brian Broccoli, one of the characters, is shown flexing his arms, while Colby
Carrot shoots laser beams out of his eyes.
The second marketing approach involved quick video segments
narrated by the characters regarding health-related topics, and the third
combined both the video and the banners.
Results concluded that, when exposed to the banners alone,
almost 100% more students chose vegetables from the salad bar during lunchtime.
Before seeing the banners, 12% of students put veggies on their plates; after
seeing the banners this number jumped up to 24%.
The third approach proved to be the most successful – by
combining both the banners and the videos, there was a 239% increase in
students who visited the salad bar. (The number of students who took vegetables
jumped from 10% to 34%)!
Surprisingly, the video clips did not affect students’
choices. Andrew Hanks, an assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State
University and the study’s lead author, believes the banners were most
successful as they were front-and-center at the salad bar and served as an easy
reminder for students to make wise choices.
A similar and separate study conducted by Canadian
researchers analyzed 26 previous studies regarding the link between advertising
and children’s food intake. The study concluded that children who were exposed
to marketing of unhealthy foods consumed more; they ate about 30 calories more
of junk food than children who were not exposed.
Children under the age of 8 are very impressionable when it
comes to marketing, and advertisements for low-nutrition, sugar-filled foods
and beverages are essentially putting them in danger for obesity and diseases
later in life. While it’s suggested that parents lead by example through eating
and cooking healthy foods with their children, researchers would love to see
what would happen if marketing focused on healthy foods instead of low-quality
treats.