Rudd Center Publications
National School Lunch Program Fruit Study. This study found that a simple question from a cafeteria worker increased fruit consumption among elementary school children participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Children's fruit consumption was measured in two schools by observation. In the intervention school, as the children stood in line in front of the fruit serving options, cafeteria workers asked, "Would you like fruit or juice with your lunch?" The control school had the same fruit and 100 percent juice options available, but the cafeteria workers did not provide a verbal prompt.
Two variables were assessed: (1) Did children leave the lunch line with a fruit serving on their trays? and (2) Did they subsequently eat the fruit serving? The average percentage of children who took a fruit serving was 60 percent in the control school and 90 percent in the intervention school. In both schools, approximately 80 percent of children ate the fruit on their tray. As a result, nearly 70 percent of the children in the intervention school consumed a fruit serving at lunch, while fewer than 40 percent did so in the control school. If these findings are replicated, policymakers may consider adding verbal prompts to the serving policy of the NSLP in an effort to increase fruit consumption among school children.
Schwartz, M.B. (2007) The influence of a verbal prompt on school lunch fruit consumption: A pilot study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Mar 5;4:6.
Review paper on public health approaches to childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has become a public health epidemic, and a battle exists over how public policy approaches can be employed to address the problem. This paper presents the argument that obesity should be viewed as the consequence of a "toxic environment" rather than the result of the population failing to take enough "personal responsibility." In order to reduce the prevalence of obesity, we must shift our view away from the medical model (which focuses on the individual) to a public health model (which focuses on the population). At the same time, we must be sensitive to the problem of weight bias. The paper identifies potential obstacles to taking a public policy and suggests ways to overcome them. Schwartz, M.B., Brownell, K.D. (2007) Actions Necessary to Prevent Childhood Obesity: Creating the Climate for Change. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 78-89.
The influence of nutrition messages on kindergartener's snack choice. This pilot study tested the influence of nutrition message framing on snack choice among kindergarteners. Three classrooms were randomly assigned to watch one of the following 60s videos: (a) a message on the positive benefits of eating apples (b) a message on the negative consequences of not eating apples or (c) a control scene of children playing a game. After the videos, the children were offered a choice between animal crackers and an apple for their snack. Among the children who saw one of the nutrition message videos, 56 percent chose apples rather than animal crackers; in the control group, only 33 percent chose apples. This statistically significant difference suggests that videos containing nutritional messages may have a positive influence on children's short-term food choices. Bannon, K. & Schwartz, M.B. (2006). The impact of nutrition messages on children's food choice: A pilot study. Appetite. 46, 124-129.
Halloween: Trick, treat, or toy. This study investigated whether children would choose toys over candy when offered both on Halloween. Seven households gave 284 trick-or-treaters, ages 3 to 14, a choice between comparably sized toys and candies. Both boys and girls in the group were just as likely to choose toys as candy. The implication of this study is that nutrition professionals should encourage adults to create holiday traditions that do not rely on unhealthy foods. Schwartz, M.B., Chen, E.Y., & Brownell, K.D. (2003). Trick, treat, or toy: Children as likely to choose toys as candy on Halloween. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35, 207-209.
Copyright 2007 Rudd Center