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Posted on Oct 19th 2010 11:00AM by That's Fit EditorsFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss
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Will a few small, almost imperceptible changes be enough to help eradicate childhood obesity? Some schools believe so.
Hiding chocolate milk behind plain milk, putting fruit out in appealing displays and forcing kids to use cash for desserts are among the subtle moves that experts believe will help kids make healthier choices in the school lunch line.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a major new initiative last week, giving $2 million to food behavior scientists to find ways to use psychology to improve kids' use of the federal school lunch program and fight childhood obesity.
A fresh approach is clearly needed, those behind the effort say.
About one-third of children and teens are obese or overweight. Bans on soda and junk food have backfired in some places. Certain students have abandoned school meal programs that tried to force-feed healthy choices. When one school district put fruit on every lunch tray, most of it ended up in the garbage.
So instead of pursuing a carrot-and-stick approach, schools want to entice kids to choose the carrot sticks, figuring children are more likely to eat something they select themselves.
"It's not nutrition till it's eaten," said Joanne Guthrie, a USDA researcher who announced the new grants. The initiative will include creation of a child nutrition center at Cornell University, which has long led this type of research.
Some tricks already judged a success by Cornell researchers: Keep ice cream in freezers without glass display tops so the treats are out of sight. Move salad bars next to the checkout registers, where students linger to pay, giving them more time to ponder a salad. And start a quick line for make-your-own subs and wraps.
Check out AOL Health for more information about how psychology is being used in the lunch line.
Hiding chocolate milk behind plain milk, putting fruit out in appealing displays and forcing kids to use cash for desserts are among the subtle moves that experts believe will help kids make healthier choices in the school lunch line.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a major new initiative last week, giving $2 million to food behavior scientists to find ways to use psychology to improve kids' use of the federal school lunch program and fight childhood obesity.
A fresh approach is clearly needed, those behind the effort say.
About one-third of children and teens are obese or overweight. Bans on soda and junk food have backfired in some places. Certain students have abandoned school meal programs that tried to force-feed healthy choices. When one school district put fruit on every lunch tray, most of it ended up in the garbage.
So instead of pursuing a carrot-and-stick approach, schools want to entice kids to choose the carrot sticks, figuring children are more likely to eat something they select themselves.
"It's not nutrition till it's eaten," said Joanne Guthrie, a USDA researcher who announced the new grants. The initiative will include creation of a child nutrition center at Cornell University, which has long led this type of research.
Some tricks already judged a success by Cornell researchers: Keep ice cream in freezers without glass display tops so the treats are out of sight. Move salad bars next to the checkout registers, where students linger to pay, giving them more time to ponder a salad. And start a quick line for make-your-own subs and wraps.
Check out AOL Health for more information about how psychology is being used in the lunch line.
