Television programs featuring healthy foods can be a
key ingredient in leading children to make healthier food choices now and into
adulthood.
A new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and
Behavior, published by Elsevier, found kids who watched a child-oriented
cooking show featuring healthy food were 2.7 times more likely to make a
healthy food choice than those who watched a different episode of the same show
featuring unhealthy food.
Researchers asked 125 10- to 12-year-olds, with
parental consent, at five schools in the Netherlands to watch 10 minutes of a
Dutch public television cooking program designed for children, and then offered
them a snack as a reward for participating. Children who watched the healthy
program were far more likely to choose one of the healthy snack options -- an
apple or a few pieces of cucumber -- than one of the unhealthy options -- a
handful of chips or a handful of salted mini-pretzels.
"The findings from this study indicate cooking
programs can be a promising tool for promoting positive changes in children's
food-related preferences, attitudes, and behaviors," said lead author
Frans Folkvord, PhD, of Tilburg University,Tilburg, Netherlands.
This study was conducted at the children's schools,
which could represent a promising alternative for children learning healthy
eating behaviors. Prior research has found youth are more likely to eat
nutrient-rich foods including fruits and vegetables if they were involved in
preparing the dish, but modern reliance on ready-prepared foods and a lack of
modeling by parents in preparing fresh foods have led to a drop-in cooking
skills among kids.
"Providing nutritional education in school
environments instead may have an important positive influence on the knowledge,
attitudes, skills, and behaviors of children," Dr. Folkvord said.
This study indicates the visual prominence of
healthier options in both food choice and portion size on TV cooking programs
leads young viewers to crave those healthier choices then act on those
cravings.
The effect that exposure to healthier options has on
children is strongly influenced by personality traits. For example, children
who don't like new foods are less likely to show a stronger desire for
healthier choices after watching a TV program featuring healthier foods than a
child who does enjoy trying new foods. As they grow older, though, they start
to feel more responsible for their eating habits and can fall back on
information they learned as children. Researchers believe this may indicate
watching programs with healthier options can still have a positive impact on
children's behavior, even if it is delayed by age.
"Schools represent the most effective and
efficient way to reach a large section of an important target population, which
includes children as well as school staff and the wider community," Dr.
Folkvord commented. "Positive peer and teacher modeling can encourage students
to try new foods for which they exhibited distaste previously."
Poor dietary habits during childhood and adolescence
have multiple negative effects on several health and wellness indicators,
including achievement and maintenance of healthy weights, growth and
development patterns, and dental health.
"The likelihood of consuming fruits and
vegetables among youth and adults is strongly related to knowing how to prepare
most fruits and vegetables. Increased cooking skills among children can
positively influence their consumption of fruit and vegetables in a manner that
will persist into adulthood," Dr. Folkvord added.
Date: January 3, 2020
Source: Elsevier
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